The Beginning of the Lord’s Church

The Church In Purpose
The church of our Lord was in the mind of God from the beginning.  In Eph. 3:12 we see the church was in the eternal purpose of God.  The church is not a substitue for somethng else that God intended to set up.  The church makes know the mystery of God that God kept silent  thrrough times eternal! (Eph 3:9).  The mystery of God was His plan to save mankind through Christ (Eph. 3:11).  Gal. 3:27 and I Cor. 12:13 shows this to be in the church.  Not only is salvation made known in this institution, but the church as organized (local churches) should spread the gospel and thus make known to all men the dispensation of this mystery.
The Old Testament was the mystery, the New Testament is the revelation of it!

•  Roman 16:25f shows us that the mystery was kept silence through times eternal.  The mystery is now made known unto obedience of faith to all.
• Ephesians 3:3-5 tells us the mystery was not made known in other generations.  Instead, the mystery is now made known or revealed unto the holy apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit.  A part of the mystery was that Gentiles as well as Jews could attain salvation.
• Ephesians 1:7-10 shows that the mystery now made known to us which He purposed in Christ…unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times.  Jesus came in the fulness of times, Galatians 4:4.
• Col. 1:25-27 shows that the mystery hid for all ages and generations is now made known.  this mystery IS Christ in you, the hope of glory.
• I Corinthians 2:6-8 tells us God’s wisdom was hidden before this age.  It was foreordained (prophesied) before and is now come.

Since the Old Testament was a mystery, no one ever lived who understood it (the mystery part concerning salvation of all men under Christ) until Christ came and revealed it by fulfilling God’s purpose or plan to save man.

• John 16:12, 25 teaches us that Jesus didn’t reveal all things before the cross.
• Luke 24:45 says that even the apostles didn’t understand the Old Testament before it was revealed.
• Romans 10:1-4 tells us most of the Jews never did understand or accept it.
• Acts 8:30f teaches the eunuch couldn’t understand the Old Testament (Isa. 53).  Also, since no one ever understood the mystery (O.T.) until it was fulfilled and revealed by Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:13), if there are parts of the O.T. today still unfulfilled, it seems reasonable they will remain completely non-understandable until fulfilled and revealed.

God speaks to man only through Christ today.  In Hebrews 1:1-2 says at one time God spoke in various ways to the fathers, but now only through Christ and His gospel.  Therefore, if a man goes by anything other than the gospel of Christ now, he has not God.  In fact, in Gal 1:6-9 tells us that if any man, angel, or apostle speaks (or spoke) contrary to the gospel of Christ is (or was) accursed!
The Church–God’s Greatest Work, pp. 4,5.