BIBLE MESSAGES

There has been many questions raised about the establishment of the Church of Christ. In order to learn the truth concerning this we must have an accurate source of knowledge. This information is found in the Bible. We must recognize the Bible as one of the oldest sources of history. With this fact before us, let us see what we can learn from the sacred pages of God's Holy word.

By going back through the various periods of religious history we can see the church in plan and in prophecy. At the close of man's stay in the garden of Eden when man and woman had sinned, God promised enmity between the seed of woman and the seed of Satan [Genesis 3:15]. This must refer to the coming of Christ, born of a virgin, to destroy all evil and sin.

During the reign of the patriarchs, God spoke to Abram (Abraham) and promised make of him a great nation and to bless them. This must of necessity have applied to the future since God said "in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" [Genesis 12:1-4]. All of this is a promise of some great thing to come to pass in the futue.

We find during the Mosaic period and the time Christ spent upon the earth (for during Christ's lifetime the law of Moses was still in effect and was not destroyed until Christ's death), that certain promises and statements were made showing the church still to be in the future. We read of John, the baptizer, who came preaching "repent ye for the Kingdom of heaven is AT HAND" {Matthew 3:1-3]. In Matthew 6:10, Jesus taught His disciples to pray saying, "thy Kingdom COME, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven". Also Jesus said, "I WILL build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it" [Matthew 16:18]. Thus showing the promise of the establishment of the church is still in the future at this time. God prophesied through Joel that "it shall come to pass AFTERWARD, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh" [Joel 2:28]. At this time only the Jews wee accepted; thus God had not yet poured out His spirit on all flesh. Jesus sent forth His disciples on the limited commission and told them, "as ye go, preach, saying, the Kingdom of heaven is AT HAND" [Matthew 10:7]. Isaih said, "And it shall come to pass in the LAST DAYS, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and ALL NATIONS shall flow unto it" [Isaiah 2:2]. Thus during the law of Moses the Church was NOT established, only promised....

In Luke 24:50-53 we read where Jesus blessed His disciples and then ascended into heaven. In the very verse before this we read (verse 49) that Jesus told them, "I will send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high". Almost the identical promise was made in Acts 1:8; "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth". But then we read that only 50 days after Christ's death, during Peter's sermon on Pentecost, that "they that gladly received the word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" [Acts 2:41]. Paul tells us concerning God, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son" [Colossians 1;13]. John says, "I, John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ...." [Revelation 1;9]. In Acts 11:26 we read, "The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch". This was the new name which was promised. Paul told the elders of Ephesus to "Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with His own blood" [Acts 20:28].

These scriptures and others point out to us that the "keys to the kingdom" which Christ promised were used by the apostles to opent the church on the day of Pentecost, thus opening the doors to our own salvation.