WHEN THE LORD ESTABLISHED HIS CHURCH

By Dan Goddard

When did Christ establish His church? Its beginning was prophesied 700 years before in Isaiah 2:2—”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...” We are now living in the last days or the last dispensation. Hebrews 1:2 says that God “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.”

Jesus sent His disciples to tell of His coming kingdom—the church. In Matthew 10:7 Jesus says “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven Is at hand.” It was at hand and soon to come into being. Jesus says in Mark 9:1, “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” The Lord’s spiritual kingdom, the church, was to come with power. Jesus told His apostles in Luke 24:49 to “...tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Also notice what was to come with this power in Acts 1:8. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you...” The Lord’s kingdom, the church, was to come with power and this power was to come when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles. We see concerning the 12 apostles in Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Then Acts 2:47 says “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” The Lord’s church was then a reality.

Any denominational church claiming to have begun before the Day of Pentecost of 33 AD was too soon and can’t be the Lord’s church. All of the many denominational churches that had their beginning after this date were too late and can’t be the Lord’s church. Only the Lord’s church was established on the Day of Pentecost of Acts chapter 2. I would not want to be a member of a church the Lord did not establish. He only established His one church. Psalms 127:1 says “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”