Has The Lord’s Church Existed Since Pentecost?

Introduction. In discussions with our denominational friends and among our own brethren, as we try to suggest that the religious world of today has moved into apostasy, and as we try to urge them to abandon apostasy and come back to the practices of the New Testament church, the question arises, “Has the Lord’s Church Existed Since its Establishment on the Day of Pentecost?” This evening I’d like for us to address this question, examining what the Bible says about the issue and how our own concepts must be shaped.

I. Prophesy.

  1. Eternal Kingdom Promised in the days of the Roman emperors. Daniel 2:44
    1. This is accomplished in Christ. Colossians 1:13,14 - “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
    2. Kingdom came upon them at Pentecost. “...there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.” (Mark 9:1).
    3. He told the Apostles - “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).
    4. Church = Kingdom.
  2. Daniel 2:44 - Note:
    • “Shall never be destroyed”
    • “Shall not be left to other people”
    • “Consume all these kingdoms
    • “It shall stand forever.”

         From a Scriptural point of view we must either concede that the church has continued to exist or the kingdom is not the church. How do we explain the mass of groups who have moved away from Scripture?

II. Apostasy.

  1. Gr. apostasia - “falling away.” Promised: II Thessalonians 2:1-4 Some rise of false doctrine.
    1. From within as well Acts 20:29-31
    2. Men will not endure sound doctrine II Timothy 4:3,4
    3. Determining Apostasy.
      1. One must “Abide in the doctrine of Christ” John 9-11 Note: Not merely doctrines about Christ -Êdoctrine that belongs to Christ. To go beyond can nullify one’s relationship with God.
      2. A congregation’s “lampstand” can be removed Revelation 1:20-2:7 (i.e. they are not considered a congregation of the Lord’s church). Note: The Lord makes this determination. While our obligation is to be faithful, the churches in Asia had begun to do things that were wrong, but had not yet been “removed.” God determines when the apostasy results in separation from fellowship with Him.

III. Limits of History. To answer our question in light of the information we have from history we must recognize the limits of History. History...

  1. Records the dominant Forces. Political history of the 21st century will record the actions of the US against Iraq, 9/11, War in Afghanistan - Not the local Mayoral race, or city council. That doesn’t mean that the smaller political offices didn’t exist -- just that history didn’t record them.
    1. Ancient history vs. Bible is similar. Israel was a small frontier nation to the major world players. It did exist and was important to God.
    2. Whether we can find faithful saints of God mentioned in the historical records of man doesn’t tell us what did and did not exist. cf. Israel in the days of Elijah. I Kings 19:14-18
    3. Biblical principle of the “remnant.” II Kings 19:29-34; Romans 9:25-27 There are always some who are true to God.
  2. Records issues of the day.
    1. Major issues in religious history: Nature of Christ, Date of Easter, Authority of Rome, Nature of Lord’s Supper.
    2. The fact that these things were important at these times doesn’t tell us anything about whether there were people who used the NT as their guide, worshipped in a sound way, etc.
  3. Smaller quiet groups not the focus of history.
    1. Ephesus - 12 men Acts 19:7 - Historians record many things about Ephesus - Mark Anthony & Cleopatra were there! Pagan goddess Artemis (or Diana) was revered there.
    2. Apart from the Biblical record I know of no historian that recorded the existence of the small church in Ephesus in the 1st century - but they did exist!
    3. Proper view of numbers. Matthew 7:13,14

Conclusion. The church is simply those people who have obeyed the gospel (as it was taught in the NT) and who worship God in Christ (as Christians in the NT did).
     Has the church existed since it was established on Pentecost? Absolutely. There have always been those saints somewhere, at sometime “who did not bow a knee to Baal.” We may not find them in the history books, but we have the Lord’s promise that His church, His kingdom (i.e. those who serve Him as King and submit to His authority) will “never be destroyed” and “shall stand forever.”