Churches

[JM]

How many churches are written of in the N.T.? Is one Jewish and one made up of Genitles?

 

[BT]

How many churches are written of in the N.T.? Is one Jewish and one made up of Genitles?

198

 

[JM]

198

 

[Tractor1]

How many churches are written of in the N.T.? Is one Jewish and one made up of Genitles?

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph. 4:4-6).

In Christ,
Tracey

 

[@@Paul@@]

Here's my 2c.

I think there was at least three.

Act 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:​

...........Israel (Acts 1 - 10)

1Co 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:​

...........Jews with Gentiles grafted into the "church in the wilderness". (Acts 10-28)

Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;​

...........One NEW man.

A couple things to note just because there was three churches, doesn't mean there was three bodies... Acts was a transition book, from the gospel of the kingdom to the gospel of grace > so that the hidden purpose of God (which has nothing to do with Israel) could be revealed (without freaking everyone out)...

Also, there were four baptisms during Acts,,, but as Paul states in Ephesians, there is only ONE today. Just as there was two bodies, there is only one today.

 

[Iosias]

A couple things to note just because there was three churches, doesn't mean there was three bodies... Acts was a transition book, from the gospel of the kingdom to the gospel of grace > so that the hidden purpose of God (which has nothing to do with Israel) could be revealed (without freaking everyone out)...

Could you please expand?

 

[Iosias]

How many churches are written of in the N.T.? Is one Jewish and one made up of Genitles?

ONE

BTW: I was going to start an identicle thread in the General Theology forum but I decided to join in here...

 

[bleechers]

Also, there were four baptisms during Acts,,, but as Paul states in Ephesians, there is only ONE today. Just as there was two bodies, there is only one today.

The Baptism by the Spirit. Correct?

 

[@@Paul@@]

The Baptism by the Spirit. Correct?

...into ONE Body.

Yes, That is the one i was thinking of. Rom 6:3-6 & Col 2:11-12.

 

[JM]

Isn't the one body the Church?

 

[@@Paul@@]

Isn't the one body the Church?

Yes, I would call it "a Church"...

 

[JM]

Yes, I would call it "a Church"...

Isn't the church the body of Christ?

 

[@@Paul@@]

Isn't the church the body of Christ?

I suppose... I believe that phrase was only used to explain "unity" and equality of differing gifts (gifts of power) ...

Paul gave us a more glorious title in Ephesians, the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all., when He re-equiped the "church" (per Eph. 4).

 

[@@Paul@@]

Could you please expand?

A couple things to note just because there was three churches, doesn't mean there was three bodies... Acts was a transition book, from the gospel of the kingdom to the gospel of grace > so that the hidden purpose of God (which has nothing to do with Israel) could be revealed (without freaking everyone out)...

Could you please expand?

Gladly, on which points? (well, I’m going to guess.. just let me know if I missed the mark)… First off, I’ll say for the sake of clarity, I may believe the “church” as we know it today began it’s “foundations” at Acts 2.1, I in no way think we today are related to that calling…. Our calling was not fully realized until after Paul’s imprisonment in Rome.

……..I see three churches (well really TWO, the second was re-equipped after Acts) in the New Testament pertaining to three different callings – the transition from one to the other was how I believe God switched from Judaism to Christianity.

(1) The calling of Israel (the church in the wilderness, during the Earthly ministry of Christ)
(2) The calling of the Church of God (i.e. the called-out assembly
between Acts 2 and Acts 28) which pertains to the earthly calling regarding the earthly side of God’s Kingdom during the heavenly ministry of Christ.
(3) The calling of the Church of the Mystery (a “perfecting” of the saints in the Church of God (Eph. 4).

The Gospels are written with Israel in mind (except for maybe John). It records the earthly account of their Messiah…. Acts then records the “reconstitution” of Israel to begin EVERYTHING which they were built for; i.e. God’s EARTHLY purpose.

In order to understand this, we need to understand the FEASTS and how they play into and explain God’s purpose for this Nation and the future record of their restoration.

I. THE MEANING OF PENTECOST (http://www.opendoorbaptist.com/articles/actslsn3.html)
Pentecost is one of the SEVEN main feasts of the Lord given to the nation of Israel. They all fall within the first seven MONTHS of their year. SEVEN is the key that unlocks the future of Israel. Daniel is enlightened when God tells him that 70 weeks were determined upon his people. This information came as he read the book of Jeremiah. In addition, God gave him a revelation concerning the future. SEVENTY weeks was the key there. The seven FEASTS in the first seven months are the key here. These feasts are outlined in Leviticus 23:4-44 "These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. In the FOURTEENTH day of the first month at even is the Lord's (1) PASSOVER. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of (2) UNLEAVENED BREAD unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein."
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shallreap the harvestthereof, then ye shall bring (3) a sheaf of the FIRSTFRUITS of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it..."
"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. Ye shall bring out of your habitations (4) two WAVE LOAVES of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord...
And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the Lord..."
"And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the POOR, and to the STRANGER: I am the Lord your God..."
"In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of (5) blowing of TRUMPETS, an holy convocation... Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a (6) day of ATONEMENT: it shall be an holy convocation unto you … Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the (7) feast of TABERNACLES for seven days... And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days."The festival year of Israel outlined.
(1) Seven DAYS. Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day"
(2) Seven weeks. Leviticus 23:15 "Seven Sabbaths shall be complete"
(3) Seven MONTHS. Leviticus 23:24 "In the seventh month--a Sabbath"
(4) Seven years. Leviticus 25:2-5 "In the seventh year--a Sabbath"
(5) Seven times seven years. Leviticus 25:8-10 "The Jubilee"
(6) Seven times SEVENTY years. Daniel 9:24-27 "The prophecy of Daniel"
(7) The Millennium. The Sabbath of the ages. Revelation 20:3-6
To understand the purpose and typical teaching of Pentecost, one must understand the order of these feasts and the prophecies of Joel.
The Passover and Unleavened Bread were part of Israel's REDEMPTION from Egypt. The second was on the next day after the first.
The feast of Firstfruits, Pentecost, Harvest and Trumpets were associated with REAPING. The first two being anticipatory, the last two final.
The Day of Atonement and Tabernacles are associated with ATONEMENT by blood and dwelling in booths.
It will be seen that these were literal feasts and the first three had a literal fulfillment. The fourth is also literal but has not been fulfilled yet….<SNIP>​

thus, Pentecost was the beginning OF the restoration of the nation of Israel... A calling INTO the KoH. Israel was to take the message (the Kingdom Gospel) into ALL the world, but only AFTER the Nation had been “restored” first (fulfillment of ALL the feasts).

"In THY seed, shall ALL the nations of the earth be blessed"

Act 1:8 KJV
(8) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.​

............Thus, the Church of God at this point was only Israel witnessing to Israel. I think we can include Gentiles in the "uttermost parts" as it was always in God's plan to bless the Gentile nations. The “calling” of the Church of God – Phase ONE.^^^

The first mystery, which God revealed, was the inviting of Gentiles into this "Church of God" AND sharing in the gifts of power prior to the nation repenting.

Rom 11:31-32 KJV
(31) Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
(32) For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.​

…………….Without getting into WHY Gentiles were let in, but it is clear, just as in the Gospels God was blinding the eyes of Israel - which is why Gentiles were brought in (verses above)

Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.​

…………….Olive tree grafting is unlike any other process. EXAMPLE: For Rose bushed, the OLD branches are grafter into the YOUNG stock…. Thus using the youth of bush to produce roses onto the OLDER branches… Olive tree grafting is the opposite, the YOUNG (or wild as Paul called them) branched are grafted into the OLD tree… thus, the “root and fatness” of the tree will cause the wild branches to produce fruit – provoking the tree to produce it’s own fruit. This is what is meant BY “provoke to emulation” or “provoke to jealously”.

Phase TWO in the purpose for the Church of God.^^^

----------------------------------------------------------------
Now for the tricky part… Phase THREE the calling of the “One New Man” or “the church which is his body…”, which could not be fulled revealed UNTIL Israel had been “cast-aside”. God promised Israel -

Deu 28:13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:​

…………Which is WHY the Jew was still first, AND why Paul said it was necessary for the Jews to have it FIRST.

So, the transition from the Kingdom Gospel TO Grace was FIRST by letting Gentiles in to “Share” Israel’s spiritual things (gifts of power).

Rom 15:27 KJV
(27) It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers (to share) of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.​

The second was simply to….

Act 28:28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.​

……send salvation directly TO the Gentiles and pronounce the NEW calling apart from the plan for Israel.

Eph 3:5-7 KJV
(5) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
(6) That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
(7) Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.​

Verse 6 is a little tricky, It’s simply saying that Gentiles are now on a PERFECT equality with jews, in Hope, in Calling and in Service…. Fellowheirs OR JOINT-heirs; same body OR JOINT-Body and partakers (JOINT-partakers) on a perfect quality (3 times over)..

This could not be fully revealed UNTIL Israel was cast aside… The “Body of Christ” was not given gifts of power after Christ’s ascension, we were given gifts of MEN…

Eph 4:11-13 KJV
(11) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
(12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
(13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:​

……..The phrase “perfecting of the saints” is better understood by saying “mending of the saints”, with the emphasis on “fixing” something that already IS begun.

Which is where we are today. IMHO.

 

[Iosias]

Isn't the church the body of Christ?

This is Darby (I came across it last night) Its a foot note from Matt 18 note 55:
"It is important to call to mind here, that — while the Holy Ghost is personally fully recognised in Matthew, as in the birth of the Lord, and (chapter 10) as acting and speaking in the disciples in their service, as a divine Person, as it is ever from Him alone we can act rightly — the coming of the Holy Ghost, in the order of divine dispensation, forms no part of the teaching of this gospel, though recognised as a fact in chapter 10. The view of Christ in Matthew closes with His resurrection, and the Jewish body are sent out from Galilee as an accepted body to the world to evangelise the Gentiles, and He declares He will be with them to the end of the age. So here He is in the midst of two or three gathered to His name. The church here is not the body by the baptism of the Holy Ghost; it is not the house where the Holy Ghost dwells on earth; but where the two or three meet to His name, there Christ is. Now I do not doubt that all good from life on, and the word of life, comes from the Spirit, but this is another thing, and the assembly here is not the body, nor the house, through the coming down of the Holy Ghost. This was a subsequent teaching and revelation, and remains blessedly true; but it is Christ in the midst of those assembled to His name Even in chapter 16 it is He builds, but that is another thing. Of course it is spiritually He is present."

Personally I do not understand but if you do...let me know

 

[@@Paul@@]

The church here is not the body by the baptism of the Holy Ghost; it is not the house where the Holy Ghost dwells on earth; but where the two or three meet to His name, there Christ is. Now I do not doubt that all good from life on, and the word of life, comes from the Spirit, but this is another thing, and the assembly here is not the body, nor the house, through the coming down of the Holy Ghost. This was a subsequent teaching and revelation, and remains blessedly true; but it is Christ in the midst of those assembled to His name Even in chapter 16 it is He builds, but that is another thing. "

Personally I do not understand but if you do...let me know
[/size]

Well, I think what he is saying is that the commandments given to the 11 > caried through to the 70 then the 3000 was NOT the "body of Christ". Darby plainly states: "This was a subsequent teaching and revelation". i.e. God's plan was still for Israel to take the "gospel of the kingdom" to the outermost parts... The "Great Commandment" along with the concluding verses of Mark was to the Jew.

We do not need two or three people gathered to have Christ in our midst... NOR if two of us agree on ANYTHING, is it guaranteed to be done.

The body of Christ had not neen revealed yet (subsequent teaching and revelation).