THE FIRST TESTAMENT CHURCH

PART II

6.  JOHN POINTS OUT JESUS

As John began his preaching in the wilderness to the people he said, (Matthew 3:11) "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear." John 1:23: "He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias." John continues to answer the priest and Levites sent out from Jerusalem in John 1:26-27, "Saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose."

The next scene, no doubt, took place the next day as John points out Jesus. He had been baptized by John in Jordan and was taken into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted forty days by the devil, and after this, returned to the place where John continued his work, preparing the material for the Lord. We hear him as he sees Jesus coming:

John:1:29 -36, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!" The fulfillment of the divine will and ordained order of God, John was seeing fulfilled: the material was now ready for the Lord.

7. JESUS RECEIVED THOSE JOHN HAD PREPARED
As John points to Jesus, we see those of John's disciples leave his fellowship to take up fellowship with Jesus, as He bids them come with him. We should be very careful to note how John gave a day by day account of the events previous to this time when Jesus received his disciples.

John 1:37-39: "And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour."

The fact that these disciples referred to Jesus as Rabbi or master, would give room to say that they were now surrendered to Jesus as His servants to be instructed and directed by Him.

At this John must have rejoiced, seeing the disciples he had prepared for the coming of the Lord, was now the Lord's, and Jesus had taken them away to be with Him. This is, no doubt, the clearest beginning of the first church that the Scripture gives. Remember these accepted Jesus as their master, or head.

Contrary to those that would have us believe that the church had its beginning on the shores of the sea of Galilee, or upon the mountain, or at Pentecost, it took place beyond Jordan where John was baptizing. For he gives a day by day account of the events up until the actual coming together of Jesus and the disciples. As we look at the map, this location is some seventy (70) miles from the mountain top or the shores of Galilee, both of which are located in Galilee.

As we check the time this took place, we find it to be about three (3) years before the first pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus.

Some may ask, "What difference does the time and place make?" Does it really matter? Well let us compare. If one was falsely accused of murder and could not establish times and places of his activity during the time the murder was committed, it would be much more difficult to prove his innocence. So it is when we seek proof of the Lord's church in its beginning. The more positive proofs we have as to time and place of the church's beginning, the more likely we are to place our faith in it as an infallible fact.

My purpose in dealing with the subject of the new testament church in such a technical manner, is that perhaps the Lord might be pleased to use my effort to lead unstable souls to be more firmly established in the way of truth and to prove beyond any doubt that the universal, invisible church doctrine is not drawn from the Holy Scriptures.

8. NOTE THE NAMES OF THOSE OF JOHN'S DISCIPLES
THAT FOLLOWED JESUS

John 1:40 "One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother."

John 1:41 "He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ."

John 1:43 "The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me."

John 1:45 "Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

John 1:46-47 "And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"

Here we have four disciples by name, Andrew, Peter, Phillip and Nathanael, plus one unnamed disciple, all assembled with Jesus whom they confessed to be Rabbi, or Master. This should be conclusive evidence to any honest searching heart of the beginning of the Lord's church, but in any case some might say this was just a casual visit, let us search further.