Jesus and His Church

By Robert Rhodes

What is the definition of the church? What did Jesus mean when he said he would build his church? Jesus and His Church answers these questions through a concise look at the initial earthly, post-resurrection, and post-ascension ministries of Christ, revealing how his life and work relate to today's church. Scriptures from the Old Testament are presented from the perspective of God's original intention for mankind and the church. The ministry of the apostles, the preaching of Peter at Pentecost, the differences between Peter and the man Paul, and his ministry are revealed as continuations of what Jesus meant when he said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

This book is doctrinal, refuting erroneous teachings that torment the church. Jesus and His Church places the church in correct perspective with the original intentions of God through the ministries of Christ his Son. It is educational to believers and convincing to nonbelievers.

Revealed truth seen in the life of Christ written in Jesus and the Church will clear up confusion and any burden concerning what Jesus said and what preachers and teachers say about the church. This book will guide those who have veered off God's intended path through convincible deception back to the path where they belong and where God has always wanted them to be. May it be so in all our lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9798886443523

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Preface

Chapter 1 The Meaning of the Word Church

Chapter 2 The Initial Earthly Ministry of Christ

Seeing Christ Correctly

Seeing the Scriptures Correctly

Reasons for Christ Coming to Earth

Ultimate Reason for Christ Coming to Earth

Result of Christ Coming to Earth

Ultimate Result of Christ Coming to Earth

Three Covenants of Promise

Seeing Isaiah's Prophecies

The Role of the Holy Spirit

First Mention of the Church

Continued Role of the Holy Spirit: Moving Forward to Jerusalem

The Two Promises of Saint John, Chapter 14

The Glory of Gethsemane

Chapter 3 The Post-Resurrection Ministry of Christ

The Promise of Jesus Fulfilled

Two Significant Events

The Necessity of Waiting

Glorification Was a Process, Not a Sudden Event

Why Was Jesus Elusive about the Church?

Chapter 4 The Post-Ascension Ministry of Christ

The Promise of the Father Fulfilled

Post-Ascension Ministry and the Law

Chapter 5 The Ministry of the Apostles

The Book of Acts

The Day of Pentecost

The Preaching of Peter at Pentecost

Gentiles Were Saved Prior to Paul

Chapter 6 The Ministry of Paul

The Man Paul

Purpose and Commission of Paul

The Many Hats of Paul

Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

Paul Preached to Both Jew and Gentiles

Paul and Peter Preached the Same Message

The Gospel of Uncircumcision versus the Gospel of Circumcision

The Completed Work of Paul

Chapter 7 The Mystery of the Church

The Church as a Body

The Church as a Building

The Church as a Bride

The Church Distinguished from the Wife of the Father

Chapter 8 The Mystery of the Translation of the Saints

The Judgment Seat of Christ

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Distinguished from the Millennium Kingdom

Chapter 9 The Latter Times

Three Primary Characteristics of God

Practical Steps for Assisting the Holy Spirit

Closing Verses

About the Author

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Jesus and His Church

Robert Rhodes

ISBN 979-8-88644-349-3 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88644-352-3 (Digital)

Copyright © 2022 Robert Rhodes

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

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Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Preface

For years, I have known Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Throughout the years of knowing this, without any explanation, preachers and teachers constantly proclaimed the church was never mentioned in the scriptures until the times of the apostle Paul. Hearing what they said and knowing what Jesus said caused confusion within me that eventually became a burden. I could not help but wonder if others carried the same burden. As I look back over that long period of time, I understand what Jesus said is much more important than what any preacher or teacher might say. But what did Jesus mean when he said he would build his church? What is the definition of the church? This book precisely answers those questions. I also understand the words of Jesus and the words of preachers and teachers are the seeds from which Jesus and His Church has originated.

A concise look at the initial earthly ministry, post-resurrection ministry, and post-ascension ministry of Christ are presented in relation to the present-day existence of the church. Old Testament scripture is presented from the perspective of God's original intention for mankind and how they relate to the church as revealed through the ministries of Christ. God's original intention in the ministry of the apostles, the preaching of Peter at Pentecost, and the ministry of Paul are also presented. Later chapters of Jesus and His Church reveal end-time events related to the church. The last chapter exhorts readers to assist the Holy Spirit as the last days close upon us.

Jesus and His Church is doctrinal, refuting erroneous teaching, placing the church in the correct perspective with the original intention of God through the ministries of Christ his Son. It is educational to believers and convincing to nonbelievers.

Jesus and His Church will stop the battle of confusion and lift the burden concerning what Jesus said and what preachers and teachers say about the church. It has for me. It is my prayer that it will do the same for each reader.

Chapter 1

The Meaning of the Word Church

The meaning of the word church is a calling out. The word refers to a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation, a Jewish synagogue, or a Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both. The basic meaning of the word church is assembly.¹

The word indicates the church is a called-out assembly. In a practical sense, the word means a gathering of people who have been called to stop doing what they are doing and, for some specific reason, to assemble.

The word church is not in the Old Testament. When the Old Testament writers wanted to express assembly, they used the word congregation. The word congregation has six usages in the Old Testament.² The common overall meaning of all six is assembly.

The word congregation is found 363 times in 21 of the 39 Old Testament books. The word is most often found in the book of Numbers, where it is seen 134 times.

The most often-used meaning of congregation is seen 139 times. It carries the thought of an appointment, a fixed time or season, specifically a festival. The word implies an assembly convened for a definite purpose, at an appointed place and time beforehand.³

The second most-used meaning of congregation is seen 122 times. It conveys in the original sense a fixture, a stated assemblage of a family or crowd, and is rendered assembly, company, congregation, multitude, people, swarm.⁴

Although the word church is not in the Old Testament, the likeness of it is expressed. The same truth occurs with the word mystery. The word mystery is not in the Old Testament, yet the likeness of it is expressed in Deuteronomy 29:29 with the words the secret things belong unto the Lord. The words gospel and proselyte follow the same principle. Some may have a hard time with this. However, once one realizes the Old Testament is loaded with types and figures, it becomes easier. For example, the name Jesus is not in the Old Testament. But it cannot be denied Jesus is the branch mentioned in Isaiah 11:1. Nor can it be denied Jesus is the rock mentioned in Deuteronomy chapter 32. The book of Hebrews brings further peace of mind to this matter. The Holy Ghost thus signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while the first tabernacle was yet standing; Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation (Hebrews 9:8–10). Here we see the tabernacle in the wilderness was a figure for those alive at that time. We find that which is better in the twenty-fourth verse of chapter 9. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. We can see then in the Old Testament, Israel's way of religious worship was in types and figures because the definitions or explanations were not yet manifested. In the Old Testament, the definite meaning of the church is a mystery that was hidden in the mind of God that would be revealed only in the New Testament by the apostle Paul.

Abram was called out of Ur to go to a land that God would give him and his descendants. Abram reacted by assembling a small group of family members and departed as the Lord had spoken unto him (Genesis 12:4). It was from this called-out assembly Israel became a people, congregation, swarm, and nation. And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein; and grew, and multiplied exceedingly (Genesis 47:27).

Many years after Abram was called out of Ur, Israel was called to stop serving Pharaoh and to gather in their houses in preparation for being called out of Egypt back to their promised land. They were, therefore, called out to assemble in a specific place for the specific purpose of departing Egypt. By the time they were called out of Egypt, they were a multitude, a swarm, a congregation, and an assembly of thousands of people. In this sense, the group of people known as Israel was a church. In Acts chapter 7, Stephen referred to this event as the church in the wilderness. However, there is no direct correlation to the assemblies found in the Old Testament as relating to the New Testament church. There is only the inference of a church coming from the general meaning of the word congregation. In a real sense, the Old Testament assemblies have no connection to the New Testament church as defined by the apostle Paul.

The New Testament definition of the church being absent in the Old Testament does not mean the likeness of the church is omitted from the Old Testament. Likewise, the definition of the church according to Paul's writings being absent from the gospels does not mean the church is not mentioned in the gospels. What it does mean is the people of those times did not see or understand the church as we see and understand it today. Today, we have a complete view of the scriptures. We see the likes and the figures in comparison of truth because they are revealed to us in the scriptures we possess. People in times past could only see and understand what was available to them at their current time. They had no comparison as we have. Today, we know the church existed in the mind of God only to be revealed in God's timing. Until the church was revealed, people had no way of understanding anything about it. This stayed true through the times of Jesus and through the formative years of the church. In God's timing, the church was revealed mid-first century through the apostle Paul and his writings. Only then did men begin to understand.

In the New Testament, the word church is found seventy-seven times. Each time it carries the strict meaning of a calling out, assembly. Jesus used the word first in Matthew 16:18 and twice in 18:17. The word is not found in any of the other gospels. The last time the word is used is in Revelation 3:14. Six New Testament writers—Matthew, Luke, Paul, James, Peter, and John—use the term in eighteen different books. Luke recorded the word more times in a single book than any of the writers, using it eighteen times in Acts. Overall, the writings of Paul reveal the word forty-two times in Romans through Philemon. In 1 Corinthians, he listed the word more times than in any other book, using it sixteen times. Reference to the word is given two times in the book of Hebrews and one time in James and 1 Peter. John shows the word three times in 3 John and seven times in the Revelation. One may think as important as the word is, it would be found many more times. Yet we find it only seventy-seven times, with Jesus using the word only three times. However, it is worthy to note sometimes, the church may be in view when the term is not used. Good examples of this are in John 14:20, Philippians 1:1, and James 2:2.

The plural form churches is used thirty-seven times in eight books by only three writers—Luke, Paul, and John. Luke gives us the term four times in the Book of Acts. Paul utilized it twenty times in Romans through 2 Thessalonians. John uses the word thirteen times in the Revelation.

The popular meaning and usage of the word church today are twofold. It is seen as a place where people assemble for divine worship. In this sense, it is a building, a temple, a mosque, a synagogue, or a church. It is also seen as the body of Christ made up of all those who are saved and in the right relationship with God. In this sense, it is a representation of Christ and his continuing ministry on earth. The combined meaning and usage of the word church present the two groups as people that go to church. They are churchgoers. They are religious. They are Christians. Although the differences between them are many and drastic, the world views them as one.

One is a local place of assembly for worship where those who have professed the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and Savior of the world but are not regenerated by the power of God. The other consists of those among the first group who have confessed the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and Savior of the world and are regenerated by the power of God through faith and have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ with Christ being the head of that body. One is a place where people gather to worship. The other is a gathering of people that worship in a place. One is a building of many sorts. The other is a body of one sort. One is earthly and receives not the things of God. The other is heavenly and receives not the things of the world. One is physical. The other is spiritual. One is an organization of religions. The other is an organism of relationship. One is dead. The other is alive. One desires streets of gold. The other desires where Jesus is, they may be also. One follows Jesus for what he can give that they might receive. The other follows Jesus for who he is that they may give, and others receive. One calls all related to it religion. The other calls all related to it relationship. One takes the principles of Christ denying the Person and the power from which they came. The other takes the principles of Christ accepting the Person and the power from which they came. One has a geographical boundary that reaches to the ends of the earth. The other has a geographical boundary that stretches beyond the ends of the earth into the highest of heavens. One is earthly. The other is heavenly. One will enter the wrath to come. The other will not enter the wrath to come. One was on the earth before and during the initial earthly ministry of Jesus. The other was not on the earth before or during the initial earthly ministry of Jesus. One God sets aside. The other God chooses.

Despite the listed differences, each demonstrates some basic common characteristics that define them as a church. The visible church assembles for worship, fellowship, prayer, praise, baptism, communion, singing, testimony, discipleship, discipline, exhortation, and declaration of the word of God, with Christ being the center of their attendance. These are all expressed in the hope of salvation for the lost and for the furtherance of the gospel. Because the invisible church is comprised of those among the visible church, these same practices are witnessed.

The makeup of business administration and organization is likewise similar, having bishops, deacons, treasurers, and the like conducting the polity of the church.

We must, however, determine which is in focus when reading verses mentioning the church, especially in Paul's writings. We should determine if what is being said is intended for the outward church or intended for the church Jesus said he would build.

In a practical sense, the word church simply means a gathering of people who have been called out to stop doing what they are doing and, for some specific reason, to assemble. The finalization as to what the church actuality is can only be ascribed to what Paul defines it to be according to what God has said to him as penned down in his epistles