Articles
When Jesus Built His Ekklesia
Jesus said, "...upon this rock I will build by my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18, emp LS). Last time we began a study concerning WHEN the Lord built His ekklesia.
Just after the above statement by Jesus, the Lord said, "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:28). Jesus helps us pin-point the beginning of the kingdom (the rule of God’s people) when He said, "For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come" (Luke 22:18). Question is, when did Jesus come in His kingdom and when did/does Jesus drink of the fruit of the vine? Let’s look at two passages that help us to understand about the coming of the kingdom, in other words, when Jesus built His ekklesia.
1) From Matthew 16:28 we learn that there were folks living in the time of Christ that would see the kingdom of Christ built or established. That destroys the ideal of a millennial kingdom on earth (unless there are some nearly 2,000-year-old folks running around).
2) And from Luke 22:18 the Lord's supper was/is to be taken in the kingdom. Paul instructs the ekklesia at Corinth, in partaking of the Lord's supper, to be observed "until He comes" again (I Corinthians 11:26). So, if the Lord's people are taking the Lord's supper now (and they are) and are to continue until Christ comes again, then that means that the kingdom/church are now in existence.
Jesus said, "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" (Mark 9:1, emp LS). This term "power" also helps us to determine when the kingdom/church was built.
Notice what Jesus told His disciples after His resurrection, "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I 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" (Luke 24:46-49, emp LS). Jesus tells His disciples that in Jerusalem they would receive "power from on high" which was a sign of the coming or establishment of the kingdom (Mark 9:1). Jesus a little later told His disciples that this "power" would be given them "when the Holy Spirit" came upon them in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8). On the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff) we see that the apostles, in Jerusalem, did receive "power" from the Holy Spirit, and that day the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached and those that obeyed that day were added to the saved of God (ekklessia, KJV, Acts 2:38, 41, 47). WHEN? The day of Pentecost, in Jerusalem, about 30 A.D.
