THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH
Matthew 16:18
1. AS RESPECT TO LAW, CALLED A KINGDOM;
AS RESPECT TO ORGANIZATION, CALLED A
BODY: AND AS TO RELATIONSHIP, CALLED
A CHURCH.
A. Kingdom: all laws emanate from the king.
B. Body: Christ its head; subjects are members.
C. Church: called out of the world and not of the world.
II. MANY THEORIES TAUGHT WITH REGARD
TO SETTING UP THE KINGDOM:
A. That the church started in eternal covenant-the elect un-
conditionally secure. Strange, the devil should be the larg-
est beneficiary.
B. That the church was established in the family of Abraham.
Infants church members-baptism for circumcision (sprink-
ling for baptism).
C. That it was established in the days of John the Baptist-
hence "Baptist" church.
D. Let us uproot the trunk from which all theories sprang.
III. CANNOT LOOK TO OLD COVENANT FOR
THE BEGINNING OF THE COVENANT UNDER
WHICH THE CHURCH OF TODAY WAS ESTAB-
LISHED.
A. Was to be according to the New Covenant, and not the
old. Heb. 8:6; 9:9, 16; 10:3, 4. 7:10-12.
B. The prophet made this promise. Heb. 8:8, 9.
IV. OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS SPOKE OF ITS
ESTABLISHMENT. Isa. 9:6; 2:1-3.
A. Daniel's interpretation of dream. Dan. 2:31-45.
B. Nebuchednezzar, son of Nabopolassar; kingdom em-
braced countries of Chaldea, Assyria, Arabia, and Pales-
tine, and ended with the death of Belshazzar (B.C. 538)-.
overthrown by Cyrus, King of Persia, and Darius, King of
Media.
C. Medo-Persian Kingdom overthrown by Alexander, King of
Macedon, B.C. 331.
D. Alexander's kingdom divided among his generals:
1. Cassander had Macedon and Greece.
2. Lysimachus had Thrace and those parts of Asia which
lay on the Hellespont and Bosphorus.
3. Ptolemy had Egypt, Libya, Arabia, Palestine, and Syria.
4. Seleucus had Babylon, Media, Persia, Assyria, Bac-
tria, Hycania, and all other provinces, even to the Gan-
ges.
E. These four divisions merged into two: Lagidae and Sel-
Eucidate reigning in Egypt and Syria. Egypt and Syria, as
the others had done, merged into the Roman Empire, 30
B.C. Set up in the days of these kings. Some of these pow-
ers fell to Rome shortly after.
F. Daniel's vision. Dan. 7:13, 14. Couldn't have been set up
before this vision and dream.
V. WHAT JOHN AND CHRIST SAID ABOUT ITS
ESTABLISHMENT. (30 A.D.)
A. "At hand." Matt. 3:1, 2 (John); Mk. 1:15 (Jesus); Matt.
10:7 (to the twelve); Luke 10:9 (to the seventy).
31 A.D.
B. Disciples taught to pray for it. Matt. 6:9, 10.
32 A.D.
C. "Will build." Matt. 16:18; 18:3; Mk. 9:1. To come with
power.
33 A.D.
D. "'Shall come." Luke 22:18; 19:11.
E. Waiting for it. Luke 23:51; Acts 1:6; Mk. 9:1; Luke 24:49;
Acts 1:8; 2:1-47. In Jerusalem, on first Pentecost after
Christ's resurrection.
VI. BY BEGINNING WITH REVELATION AND
COMING BACK TO PENTECOST, LET US SEE
HOW DIFFERENT THE STATEMENTS:
96 A.D.
A. John in the kingdom. Rev. 1:9; 2:1.
65 A.D.
B. The pillar and support of truth. I Tim. 3:15.
45 A.D.
C. The church active. Acts 13:1-3; 14:27.
40 A.D.
D. Greatly persecuted. Acts 8:1; 11:22.
3 3 A.D.
E . "Great fear came upon all the church." Acts 5:11.
F. "The Lord added to the church daily." Acts 2:47.
G. We have come from 555 B. C. to 33 A. D., the first Pente-
cost after the resurrection of Christ; and we have gone back
to the same date from 96 A.D., thus pinpointing the date
the church was established.
VII. JESUS BEGAN HIS REIGN IN HIS KINGDOM
AFTER HIS ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN. Acts
2:33-36.
A. If kingdom was set up before, then there was a kingdom
without a king; without the Spirit, as the Spirit was not
sent down before Pentecost. John 7:39; 14:16, 17; 16:7-12.
If it existed prior to the glorification of Jesus and descent
of the Holy Spirit (". . . body, which is the church," Col.
1:24), then it existed without a spirit, and therefore was a
dead body. James 2:26.
B. He was not given to be head of the church until He was
set on His Father's right hand. Eph. 1:18-22; Col. 1:18.
C. If the church or body existed before that time, it existed
without a head. For the same reason, if the kingdom,
was not set up then Jesus was a king without a kingdom.
VIII. CONTRAST THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS
MADE BEFORE AND AFTER PENTECOST:
BEFORE AFTER
A. John 21:15, 16 ---------------- --------------------------------------- Acts 20:28
B. Matt. 16:18 ................................................ I Cor. 3:9, 16
C. Matt. 18:3 ........................................................ Col. 1: 1 2, I 3
D. As the material which composed the temple of Solomon
was prepared before it was placed together, so the mater-
ial which first constituted the temple of God was made
ready by John and Jesus for position in it. Hence, it existed
in its materials before the day of Pentecost; but, as an or-
ganic structure before that time, it had no existence.
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