THE FIRST TESTAMENT CHURCH
24. THEY OBEYED HIM Luke 24:52-53: "And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God." Although many were prepared by John, just a few remained faithful in obedience and received the Holy Spirit. That 120 was a very small percentage of the multitudes John had prepared. Acts 1:12-14: "Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." They were obeying the Lord's commandment in waiting and continued to worship. Also we see there was more obeying than just the apostles, yet the same names appear as were chosen to carry the message of the Kingdom to Israel (except for Judas Iscariot). 25. POWER RECEIVED TO CARRY THE COMMISSION Acts 2:2-4: "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." The promise John the Baptist made in the beginning of his ministry had finally come. Matthew 3:11: "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost" and also Acts 1:5, "ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Here was the power to carry out the commission and preach to every nation, speaking in seventeen different languages, yet they were all Galileans. Spiritual gift powers continued to exercise in the church until the full revelation of the new covenant was revealed after which it was published in every language and there was no further need to speak in other languages (tongues). 26. MANY ADDED TO THEM BY FAITH AND BAPTISM Acts 2:41-42: "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship." The Spirit's power was demonstrated on the day of Pentecost. This first new testament church continued at Jerusalem and grew to a great number, still holding the authority among the nation of Israel, even till the persecution, when Stephen was stoned to death and the church was forced to scatter; they went everywhere preaching Jesus. Acts 11:19 tells us that after they were scattered, they went as far as Phenice, Cyprus, and Antioch preaching the word to none but the Jews only. Remember that the commission they were working under was to all nations. Yet the church had continued to believe Israel to be God's covenant people. God had broken down the middle wall partition that was between us and had extended the covenant benefits to all nations through the church. If we could grasp the benefits extended to us as God's covenant people through the church, we would be careful to hold up the truth. 27. ANOTHER CHURCH STARTED BY PHILLIP In Acts 8:5-13, many at Samaria believed and were baptized but had not received power to witness. Now look closely at Acts 8:14-17, how the Holy Spirit was given to this assembly (to make it a New Testament church) by succession from the first church. The disciples at Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the word of the Lord and sent Peter and John which when they had come, prayed for them and laid their hands on them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. Here we see the second church formed. Our question at the beginning was "Is there more than one church?" Jesus began and died for ONE church, to which church He gave command that they should preach to make disciples, gave them authority to baptize, and obviously ordained that they should form other churches like the first one every place they went. They were not to be different kinds of churches, having different head and different authority and different doctrines. From this time forward, there would be the church at Samaria, or the church at Jerusalem, etc. Here we have a clear cut case of succession of authority by the approval of these that had been prepared by Phillip's ministry and the giving of the Holy Spirit as God shows His approval. Some will say the Bible is the authority, but if baptism is necessary to proper church relationship, it cannot be. At least I have never seen the Bible baptize anyone! The church has the authority; the Bible gives the account of where we must look for the authority. This church at Samaria is believed still to be made up of Jews. In Acts 9:17-18, Paul was directed to go to a church at Damascus that he might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And he received baptism at the hands of the authority Ananias represented. |