The Inception of the Church
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15th November 2020
Scholars have controversial and contradicting views on when the church began; proponents of ecclesiology theology suggesting that it began during the Old Testament, while those for dispensational theology arguing that the church started in the era of the New Testament. The Greek definition of the church as individuals who have been called out for God from the world favors ecclesiology theology. However, dispensational theology is favored when the church is perceived as a congregation of individuals who follow Jesus Christ as the Messiah and are led by the Holy Spirit. Looking at the current church’s behavior and attributes, I believe that dispensational theology is more realistic and comprehensive than ecclesiology theology.
According to the New Testament, the church began immediately after Jesus had died and resurrected. On this particular day, the followers of Jesus celebrated the Day of Pentecost when they were filled and overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-47). Ten days before the celebration, Jesus had just ascended to heaven after being with his disciples for forty days following his resurrection. During his ascension, Jesus had promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come upon them, and they would be His witnesses in Samaria, Judea, Jerusalem, and all over the world. Ideally, this coming of the Holy Spirit marked the beginning of the church.
For all the people that Peter preached to on the Day of Pentecost, he urged them to repent, be forgiven, and get baptized to receive the Holy Spirit, implying the Holy Spirit was an essential element at the beginning of the church. Essentially, after being preached to by Peter, most Jews began to embrace and worship Jesus, spreading the news to the Gentiles and Samaritans (Acts 8 – 10). The Bible acknowledges that the church grew exponentially from this point, spreading to other parts of the earth.
References
Bruce, F. F. (1988). The book of Acts (Vol. 5). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
Fitzmyer, J. A. (1984). The ascension of Christ and Pentecost. Theological Studies, 45(3), 409-440.
Williams, D. J. (2011). Acts (Understanding the Bible Commentary Series). Baker Books.