Read the Book of Acts, We are Still the Same | By: Arlou June D. Gomez

Read the Book of Acts, We are Still the Same

By: Arlou June D. Gomez

 I heard an argument that the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4 is NOT the birth of the Church. 

This argument fails on several ways, to wit:

1. Since it is in the Day of Pentecost when 120 apostles and disciples received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, if there’s already a “church” prior to this event, then, you have a church existing WITHOUT the Holy Ghost. A SPIRITLESS CHURCH. That sounds a DEAD CHURCH to me.

2. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “I ‘WILL’ BUILD MY CHURCH x x x” “Will” signifies a future tense. Meaning, despite that he already baptized the apostles, and with a significant following at the time he uttered these words, still, Jesus said that the church will still be built IN THE FUTURE. Meaning, even at this point in time, NO CHURCH YET! What Jesus had are only apostles and disciples, but not a church! 

But the question again is WHEN will the church be born?

THIS LEADS TO MY THIRD POINT.

3. “Church” comes from the Greek Word “ekklesia” meaning, “the called-out ones.” (Vines Bible Dictionary). The church is not a building per se, but rather  refers to people who are “called-out from among,” i.e., those who are separated from the world! HOW? The only way you can be separated from the world is to be cleansed from your sins, FILLED WITH GOD’S SPIRIT, WALKED IN A HOLY LIFE (Acts 2:38; Heb. 12:14). AGAIN, WHEN THAT HAPPENS? WHEN YOU ARE BAPTIZED IN JESUS’ NAME AND “RECEIVED” THE HOLY GHOST! AGAIN, IT FIRST HAPPENED IN THE “DAY OF PENTECOST, THUS, THE BIRTH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH!”

NO WONDER WHY IN ACTS 2:47, the writer says, “The Lord ‘ADDED’ unto the Church daily x x x.” The word church appears  the first time in the Book of Acts “IN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WHEN THEY RECEIVED THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!”

WHY? Because this is now the fulfilment of the “WILL” in Matthew 16:18. THE DAY OF PENTECOST IS THE BIRTH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.

Lastly,

4. “CHURCH” in the Greek and in the Bible, carries with it the idea of a “temple,” or “body” of Christ (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 10:17; Heb. 13:3; Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:24) . In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, it says that our bodies are the “temple” of the Holy Ghost! In 1 Corinthians 12:13, we become part of the Body of Christ when we are baptized (received) in His Spirit. 

In fine, all I can say is that:

“READ THE BOOK OF ACTS, WE ARE STILL THE SAME”