The Church that Christ built

In the first book of the New Testament, Matthew 16:18, Yeshua said, "And I say unto thee, That thou are Peter and upon this rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Did you ever wonder why there are so many different denominations? Why are there so many different names of churches? Why are there so many different beliefs when most of the denominations consider themselves mainstream Christianity, and generally use the same kinds of Bibles?

In the Frank S. Mead Handbook of Denominations, he records over 250 religious bodies in the USA. Some of these 250 religious bodies have their own branches that have spun off of the original group because of some difference in their beliefs. These 250 religious bodies and their branches consist primarily of denominations that have different names and different religious doctrines or beliefs.

How did this happen?

According to the Handbook of Denominations and the Britannica Encyclopedia some of the denominations arose out of a period of time referred to as the Reformation movement. These reference books suggest that Martin Luther founded the Lutheran Church in the mid1500's, and that the Presbyterian Church began in the mid-1500's by John Calvin. These books say that the Baptist Church is believed to have been started in Holland and England by John Smythe in the early 1600's and that the Methodist Church was founded by the brothers John and Charles Wesley in the mid 1700's. The Handbook of Denominations says that many of the Pentecostal bodies began in the early to mid 1900's. There are other popular groups

such as the Assemblies of God, that is recorded as having it's beginning in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1914 and the United Pentecostal church with it's beginning in 1945 in St. Louis, Missouri.

All of these groups no doubt have a long list of good moral and ethical values and many good deeds that have been accomplished since their origin. There is no question that many of these religious leaders showed great courage in defying the power and control of the Catholic entity, papal authority and governmental authorities of their time. Many of them stood for what they believed at the risk and cost of their own lives.

The purpose of this written study is help you understand how to identify the New Testament church and determine what Yeshua was referring to when he said, "I will build my church "?

It is obvious that at the time that Yeshua said in Matthew 16:18, "I will build my church" the church had not been built because He is speaking of the future. He said, "I will build," not I have already built. A few days later in Acts 2:47, we find out that the "Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." In the book of Acts alone it speaks of the church some 18 times as being already in existence. It speaks of the church in Jerusalem [11:22]. We are reminded that there was a great persecution against the church, Acts 8:1, that there were elders in the church and that these elders were to feed the church. Acts 14:23, 20:28]. There is well in excess of 100 times from the book of Acts to Revelations that the Bible speaks of the church already in existence. What does the Bible say about the Church?

Does the Bible identify the New Testament Church and its teachings? With more than 250 religious bodies identified in the USA are all of them included in the New Testament Church? I think a fair question that must be answered is, how are we to know which religious group is the church that Christ built? Could it be that all of them are included in the church even though there are so many different beliefs?

Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 1:18, that Christ is the head of the body the Church. [He should be, He built it, He gave his life for it! ] In the Epistle to the Corinthians, in 1st Corinthians 12:27, Paul writes that "ye are the body of Christ and members in particular." 1st Peter 2:5 is where we read that "ye are living stones built up a spiritual house and in Hebrews 3:6. . . "Christ as a son over his own house, whose house are we. " Apostle Peter in 1st Peter 4:17 writes that "the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God, and if it first begin at us, [speaking of himself and the other apostles] what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?"

We understand that apostle Paul was referring to the Church that Christ built when he writes in Ephesians 2:19, that "ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Verse20 "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yeshua Christ himself being the chief corner stone." The church is referred to as the body of Christ and the scriptures are very clear that there is only one body of Christ. [Romans 12:5 and Ephesians 4:5]

After apostle Peter preached the first gospel message on the day of Pentecost, those that heard the preaching asked the question in Acts 2:37 ." men and brethren what shall we do?" In verse 38 apostle Peter answers with. "Repent and be baptized [ immersed] everyone of you in the name of Yeshua Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." There were people present there that day, verse 41, that gladly received the preaching of the gospel and were baptized in water in the name of Yeshua Christ for the forgiveness of their past sins. It was these baptized believers that were ADDED TO THE CHURCH. So the Church had to have been already established, had to have been already in existence in order for someone to be added to it! The church had its beginning sometime between the events of Matthew 16:18 and Acts 2:47. The apostles were there on the day of Pentecost when the people that gladly received the word were baptized and were ADDED TO THE CHURCH!

You will notice that at times the New Testament refers to the church as a geographical locality such as "the church at Thessalonians" in 1st Thess. 1:1 or "the churches of Galatia" in Galatians 1:2. Sometimes the New Testament church was called the church of God as in 1st Corinthians 1:2 & Acts 20:28. Hebrews 12:23 makes reference to "the general assembly, the church of the first born" and in Romans 16:16, Paul refers to "the churches of Christ."

Those apostles of the New Testament Church were commanded by Christ to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned." Mk 16:15,16. In Matthew 28:20, Yeshua said to "teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,... All of the apostles and those that followed after them were to "walk by the same rule and mind the same thing." Philippians 3:16.

So where did all these different beliefs come from? Why are there in excess of 250 religious bodies with as many different beliefs? Sometimes these 250 religious bodies teach and believe the very opposite of each other.

Did Christ tell some apostles that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and others that he that believeth and is not baptized [or saved by faith only] shall be saved? Would Christ teach still others that salvation comes about by means of prayer at a mourner's bench or to just accept Christ as personal savior?

Did Christ teach some apostle's infant baptism and others that baptism is only to those that believe, knowing that infants, newborn babes, do not have the mental capacity to believe? Did Christ teach some apostles "once saved always saved" and others that it is possible to apostatize or fall away so as to be eternally lost? Did Christ teach one group of followers that His kingdom was an earthly kingdom with its center in Jerusalem and Christ sitting on a literal earthly throne? And did He teach a different group of followers that His kingdom is a heavenly kingdom and that men and women must be born of the water and of the spirit in order to enter into that kingdom?

There are religious groups today that claim to be mainstream Christianity that deny the virgin birth of Christ. There are still others that deny the resurrection of Christ. They say these events have no scientific proof or cannot be rationalized. They refuse to accept the Bible as being the inspired word of God although 2nd Timothy 3:16 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

There are those that take the liberty to change the meaning of the scriptures to fit their own doctrines although apostle Peter tells us in 2nd Peter 1:20 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. Verse 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

In Galatians 1:8 Paul writes "Though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

No my friend, all these different beliefs did not come from Yeshua Christ or the Bible. Christ did not teach some of His apostles one thing and other apostles something entirely different or often contradictory. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:4, "Let God be true and every man a liar."

The scriptures tell us that there is only body of Christ, one true New Testament church. That is not to say that there is only one congregation or one religious group with a particular name that is the New Testament Church.

The New Testament church did not begin or originate during the reformation, during the 1500's, the 1600's 1914, or 1945, but it is built upon the foundation of the apostles, prophets and Yeshua Christ, most likely around 33 a.d.! . It is the universal body of baptized believers, people of all nations, languages, and nationalities. People that have obeyed the gospel through faith in Christ, confession, repentance, and immersion in water in the name of Yeshua Christ. It is those willing to continue steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine, in fellowship and in breaking of bread as recorded in Acts 2:42. Yeshua said in St. John 3:5, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."