I Will Build My Church

[Ascetic X]

Church can refer to the totality of all saved believers or to a local assembly of believers.

When Jesus said He was going to build His church, He referred to the universal collective entity, not to any specific location. If local assemblies were meant, Jesus would have said churches plural.


Matthew 16:18

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.




The singular church of God in Acts 20:28 again refers to all the flock, the totality of believers.


Acts 20:28

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.


Here is another instance of church referring to the totality of believers, with 3 locations specified. Note it does not say churches.

Acts 9:31

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.



The body of Christ, the church, refers here to the totality of everyone who is born again.

Colossians 1:18

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.



In Ephesians 1:22,23, 3:10, and 5:23, the church refers to the totality of all believers.



Ephesians 1:22,23

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.


Ephesians 3:10

So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.


Ephesians 5:23

For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.



In Acts 12:5, the church might mean the totality of all believers or to a specific local assembly.

Acts 12:5

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.




The one body in Christ also refers to the universal church, the totality of all believers.

Romans 12:4,5

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

 

[Anthony Pritchard]

A church is the people described in Acts 2:41-47. They have gladly received the word of God, been baptized, and now they meet together, learning more of the faith, joining together in the Lord’s supper and in prayer, looking to each other’s needs, having joy in their hearts and praising God together.

A church is the people described in 1 Cor 1:2-8. They have been set apart in Christ, called in holiness, have received undeserved favour and peace from God; their knowledge of God and their witness to Him comes from the Holy Spirit, who has given them corporately all the gifts they need to function as a church, as they eagerly await the return of their Lord who will preserve them in Him until that day.

In other words, a church is Christians. There is much talk of a ‘visible’ and ‘invisible’ Church, but this finds no support in Scripture. Many commentators have tried to import the concept into the Bible, mangling most wretchedly the Parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt 13:24-30 ) by claiming that the field represents the ‘visible’ Church. It does not! Our Lord has given us the interpretation of that parable, and ‘The field is the world’ (Matt 13:38 ). The Church, as we have seen, is made up of Christians.

That there will be those who join a church but are later found not to be Christians is admitted. Jude writes, ‘For certain men have crept in unnoticed’ (Jude 4 ). Those who prove themselves not to be Christians, whether by their behaviour or their doctrines are to be put out of the church (1 Cor 5:13; Titus 3:10 ). Discipline is an integral part of a true church. Initially it is aimed at producing repentance (2 Cor 2:6-11 ), but if that is not forthcoming then exclusion is made permanent, because unbelievers are no part of the Church of Christ (cf. 1 John 2:19 ). We are instructed (2 Cor 6:14-17 ), ‘Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of the Lord with idols?………Therefore, “Come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord. “Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you.”’ There are two sorts of men in the world- those who ‘walk according to the flesh’ and those who ‘live according to the Spirit.’ How can these two sorts of men enjoy spiritual unity? It is impossible. We may and should invite our unbelieving neighbours to attend church services so that they may hear the word preached (1 Cor 14:24-25 ), but we must not knowingly tolerate unbelievers within the church membership.

The Lord Jesus is continuing to build her even at this present time (Eph 2:21-22 ); she is His Church, His bride; He has purchased her with His own blood and she is a chaste virgin. As it is written, ‘In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts’ (Zech 14:21 ). It is the duty of the leadership of each individual church to seek to make the assembly in its charge as pure as possible (2 Cor 11:2 ).

The Church is composed of those who have come out of the world to join it. They are no longer what they were (Eph 5:8 ). Peter speaks of them as ‘sojourners and pilgrims’ (1 Peter 2:11 ). Paul told the church at Philippi, ‘Our citizenship is in heaven’ (Phil 3:20 ), and to the Colossians he said, ‘[God] has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love’ (Col 1:13 ). The church at Thessalonika had, ‘Turned to God from idols to serve the true and living God’ (1 Thes 1:9 ). They came out of the world and into the Church. Now some will say immediately, “Ah, yes. But this refers to the invisible church. In the visible church there are many who are in the world and in the church at one and the same time.” Perhaps, but as we have seen, this is simply not the language of Scripture. When Paul writes to the church at Colossae, he is addressing, ‘The saints and faithful brethren in Christ’ (1:2 ) He knows nothing of a ‘visible’ or ‘invisible’ church, but only an assembly of true believers. If there were false brethren in the Colossian church, Paul’s letter is not addressed to them. It is true that there are exhortations to the believers to examine themselves (2 Cor 13:5 ), and warnings against falling away (Heb 6:4-8; 10:26-38 ), but the writer to the Hebrews remains confident that the recipients of his letter will remain constant (Heb 6:9; 10:39 ).

From my blog article: What is a Church?
See also: What is a Christian?

Martin, your description of church life in Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 1 is accurate, but it does not address the question at hand. The issue is not what a church is, but when Christ began building His church. In Matthew 16:18 Christ uses the verb οἰκοδομήσω, which refers to forming and establishing a people. Acts 4:11 identifies Christ Himself as the cornerstone, not the resurrection event. The first act of building is recorded in Luke 6:13, where Christ calls His disciples and chooses the twelve, whom He names apostles. That is the beginning of the assembly Christ promised to build. The descriptions you cite of church life do not answer the question of when the building began.

 

[Anthony Pritchard]

Church can refer to the totality of all saved believers or to a local assembly of believers.

When Jesus said He was going to build His church, He referred to the universal collective entity, not to any specific location. If local assemblies were meant, Jesus would have said churches plural.


Matthew 16:18

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.




The singular church of God in Acts 20:28 again refers to all the flock, the totality of believers.


Acts 20:28

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.


Here is another instance of church referring to the totality of believers, with 3 locations specified. Note it does not say churches.

Acts 9:31

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.



The body of Christ, the church, refers here to the totality of everyone who is born again.

Colossians 1:18

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.



In Ephesians 1:22,23, 3:10, and 5:23, the church refers to the totality of all believers.



Ephesians 1:22,23

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.


Ephesians 3:10

So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.


Ephesians 5:23

For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.



In Acts 12:5, the church might mean the totality of all believers or to a specific local assembly.

Acts 12:5

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.




The one body in Christ also refers to the universal church, the totality of all believers.

Romans 12:4,5

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Ascetic, the meaning of ekklēsia carries the day. It means an assembly, a gathered body, not an unassembled abstraction. Singular nouns regularly describe institutions without implying universality. The Road. The Car. The Store. The Bank. The Church. Singular usage does not create a universal entity.

Every passage you listed fits one of the ordinary biblical categories:

1. Institutional usage “I will build my church” Matthew 16:18. Christ is speaking of the institution He is forming, not a universal, unassembled body. Singular nouns often describe institutions.

2. Regional collective usage “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria” Acts 9:31. This is a regional description of multiple assemblies functioning collectively. The Greek manuscripts vary between singular and plural here, and the context is regional, not universal.

3. Generic class usage “Christ is the head of the body, the church” Colossians 1:18. This is the church in its kind, the institution Christ founded, not a universal assembly. Paul uses singular nouns generically all the time.

4. Metaphorical usage “Which is his body” Ephesians 1:22 to 23. This is metaphorical language describing the relationship between Christ and His people. It does not redefine ekklēsia into a universal, unassembled organism.

None of these usages overturn the lexical meaning of ekklēsia. None of them require a universal church. None of them describe an unassembled body.

The New Testament definition of a church is an assembly. A universal, unassembled church is a contradiction in terms.

 

[percho]

Christ’s exaltation is indeed the Father’s vindication of the Son, but Scripture does not place the beginning of the Church at the resurrection. The verb οἰκοδομήσω in Matthew 16:18 refers to forming and establishing a people, not laying a literal cornerstone. Christ began building His assembly during His earthly ministry when He called His disciples and chose the twelve (Luke 6:13).

Acts 4:11 identifies Christ Himself as the cornerstone, not the resurrection event. The cornerstone is a person, not a moment. His exaltation declares His glory, but the building began when He constituted His disciples as an assembly. That is the first act of the building Christ promised.

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Acts 4:10,11

How was the stone {Jesus of Nazareth}, set at nought, rejected?

Was it not by the crucifixion unto death?

Acts 2:31 NKJV “he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.

How did the soul of the Christ find itself to be in Hades?

Was it not by the death of the crucifixion?

Did the gates of Hades [death] prevail over the stone Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ?

How did the soul of the Christ find itself not left in Hades?

Was it not by the resurrection?

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

It appears to me God the Father began the building of the church when he raised Jesus Christ out of dead ones.

Gal 4:1 Col 1:18

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Martin, your description of church life in Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 1 is accurate, but it does not address the question at hand. The issue is not what a church is, but when Christ began building His church. In Matthew 16:18 Christ uses the verb οἰκοδομήσω, which refers to forming and establishing a people. Acts 4:11 identifies Christ Himself as the cornerstone, not the resurrection event. The first act of building is recorded in Luke 6:13, where Christ calls His disciples and chooses the twelve, whom He names apostles. That is the beginning of the assembly Christ promised to build. The descriptions you cite of church life do not answer the question of when the building began.

Oh, sorry! I'm really not too fussed about when that church started.' Pentecost seems right to me, but I won't get in a fight about it. Our Lord, in Matt. 16:18, says "I will build My church," so I suppose it must have been at some point after that, otherwise He would have said, "I am building My church."
But ignore me and carry on!

 

[Anthony Pritchard]

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Acts 4:10,11

How was the stone {Jesus of Nazareth}, set at nought, rejected?

Was it not by the crucifixion unto death?

Acts 2:31 NKJV “he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.

How did the soul of the Christ find itself to be in Hades?

Was it not by the death of the crucifixion?

Did the gates of Hades [death] prevail over the stone Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ?

How did the soul of the Christ find itself not left in Hades?

Was it not by the resurrection?

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

It appears to me God the Father began the building of the church when he raised Jesus Christ out of dead ones.

Gal 4:1 Col 1:18

Acts 4:11 identifies Christ Himself as the cornerstone, not the resurrection event. The rejection of the stone does not lay the stone. The cornerstone is a person, not a moment. Colossians 1:18 says Christ is the beginning because He is preeminent, not because the church began at the resurrection. Christ began building His assembly during His earthly ministry when He called His disciples and chose the twelve in Luke 6:13. That is the first act of the building Christ promised in Matthew 16:18. The resurrection vindicates the Son, but it does not begin the church.

 

[Ascetic X]

T
Ascetic, the meaning of ekklēsia carries the day. It means an assembly, a gathered body, not an unassembled abstraction. Singular nouns regularly describe institutions without implying universality. The Road. The Car. The Store. The Bank. The Church. Singular usage does not create a universal entity.

Every passage you listed fits one of the ordinary biblical categories:

1. Institutional usage “I will build my church” Matthew 16:18. Christ is speaking of the institution He is forming, not a universal, unassembled body. Singular nouns often describe institutions.

2. Regional collective usage “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria” Acts 9:31. This is a regional description of multiple assemblies functioning collectively. The Greek manuscripts vary between singular and plural here, and the context is regional, not universal.

3. Generic class usage “Christ is the head of the body, the church” Colossians 1:18. This is the church in its kind, the institution Christ founded, not a universal assembly. Paul uses singular nouns generically all the time.

4. Metaphorical usage “Which is his body” Ephesians 1:22 to 23. This is metaphorical language describing the relationship between Christ and His people. It does not redefine ekklēsia into a universal, unassembled organism.

None of these usages overturn the lexical meaning of ekklēsia. None of them require a universal church. None of them describe an unassembled body.

The New Testament definition of a church is an assembly. A universal, unassembled church is a contradiction in terms.

The Greek word ekklēsia (ἐκκλησία) translated church literally means assembly, gathering, or "called-out" ones. It combines the preposition ek ("out of") and the verb kaleō ("to call").

Believers are called out from the darkness of this world to enter the kingdom of heaven. Sometimes they are assembled in a specific local place like a home, church building, or other facility. But even when they are not physically gathered together in one or several spots, they remain the church, the called out, the one body of Christ.

Your designations of institutional usage, regional collective, generic class, and metaphorical are variants of universal church, the totality of all believers.

This universal church, often referred to as the body of Christ, is spiritually already gathered together as one collective body in the heavenlies.


Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.


Ephesians 3

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

 

[Anthony Pritchard]

The Greek word ekklēsia (ἐκκλησία) translated church literally means assembly, gathering, or "called-out" ones. It combines the preposition ek ("out of") and the verb kaleō ("to call").

Believers are called out from the darkness of this world to enter the kingdom of heaven. Sometimes they are assembled in a specific local place like a home, church building, or other facility. But even when they are not physically gathered together in one or several spots, they remain the church, the called out, the one body of Christ.

Your designations of institutional usage, regional collective, generic class, and metaphorical are variants of universal church, the totality of all believers.

This universal church, often referred to as the body of Christ, is spiritually already gathered together as one collective body in the heavenlies.


Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.


Ephesians 3

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

You have affirmed the lexical meaning of ekklēsia as an assembly, a gathered body, called‑out ones. But an assembly that is not assembled is a contradiction in terms. The word does not change its meaning when believers are not physically gathered. It still means assembly. The Road. The Car. The Store. The Bank. Singular nouns regularly describe institutions without implying universality. The Church does the same.

The categories I listed are not variants of a universal church. They are the ordinary ways singular nouns function in Scripture. Institutional usage does not create a universal entity. Regional collective usage does not create a universal entity. Generic class usage does not create a universal entity. Metaphorical usage does not redefine ekklēsia into an unassembled abstraction.

Ephesians 1 and 3 describe the believer’s spiritual blessings in Christ, not the existence of a universal, unassembled church. The redeemed are spiritually united in Christ, but the New Testament definition of a church remains an assembly. Christ promised to build an assembly, not an abstraction. A universal, unassembled church is not supported by the lexical meaning of ekklēsia or by the usage patterns of the New Testament.

 

[Ascetic X]

You have affirmed the lexical meaning of ekklēsia as an assembly, a gathered body, called‑out ones. But an assembly that is not assembled is a contradiction in terms. The word does not change its meaning when believers are not physically gathered. It still means assembly. The Road. The Car. The Store. The Bank. Singular nouns regularly describe institutions without implying universality. The Church does the same.

The categories I listed are not variants of a universal church. They are the ordinary ways singular nouns function in Scripture. Institutional usage does not create a universal entity. Regional collective usage does not create a universal entity. Generic class usage does not create a universal entity. Metaphorical usage does not redefine ekklēsia into an unassembled abstraction.

Ephesians 1 and 3 describe the believer’s spiritual blessings in Christ, not the existence of a universal, unassembled church. The redeemed are spiritually united in Christ, but the New Testament definition of a church remains an assembly. Christ promised to build an assembly, not an abstraction. A universal, unassembled church is not supported by the lexical meaning of ekklēsia or by the usage patterns of the New Testament.

We belong to the universal church, the body of Christ, called out of darkness, whether or not we are physically together in a specific place.

We are all spiritually assembled and seated together in the heavenlies. Ephesians 1 and 3 are not just about blessings, they refer to our being gathered as one assembly in heaven already, corresponding to the totality of believers on earth.

 

[Anthony Pritchard]

We belong to the universal church, the body of Christ, called out of darkness, whether or not we are physically together in a specific place.

We are all spiritually assembled and seated together in the heavenlies. Ephesians 1 and 3 are not just about blessings, they refer to our being gathered as one assembly in heaven already, corresponding to the totality of believers on earth.

Ascetic, you have affirmed that ekklēsia means assembly, a gathered body, called‑out ones. But you then redefine assembly into an unassembled abstraction. Spiritual union in Christ is real, but it is not the definition of a church. Ephesians 1 and 3 describe our position in Christ, not the existence of a universal, unassembled church. The redeemed are spiritually united in Him, but the New Testament definition of a church remains an assembly. Christ promised to build an assembly, not an abstraction. An assembly that is not assembled is a contradiction in terms, and the lexical meaning of ekklēsia does not change when believers are not physically gathered. Some day my brother, we will all be gathered in a great ekklēsia, after the catching away, but until then we are local ekklēsias in diaspora, gatherings, assemblies.

 

[Ascetic X]

Ascetic, you have affirmed that ekklēsia means assembly, a gathered body, called‑out ones. But you then redefine assembly into an unassembled abstraction. Spiritual union in Christ is real, but it is not the definition of a church. Ephesians 1 and 3 describe our position in Christ, not the existence of a universal, unassembled church. The redeemed are spiritually united in Him, but the New Testament definition of a church remains an assembly. Christ promised to build an assembly, not an abstraction. An assembly that is not assembled is a contradiction in terms, and the lexical meaning of ekklēsia does not change when believers are not physically gathered. Some day my brother, we will all be gathered in a great ekklēsia, after the catching away, but until then we are local ekklēsias in diaspora, gatherings, assemblies.

It is sad to me that you cannot understand that the church exists simultaneously as a spiritually assembled totality of believers seated in heaven and as a group of believers meeting in specific local facilities.

Several verses in scripture, which I have quoted for you, refer to the church as the totality of all believers, rather than just one specific assembly in a local spot.

But you persist in your idea that church always has to mean a group of believers assembled in one place.

I do not know why anyone would hold this idea, especially when a person might attend a specific church, then decide to leave it and attend a different church.

If that person read the word “church” in the New Testament to always refer to the former church they used to attend, then there could be confusion when they leave it to attend another church, especially if the former church was abandoned due to serious problems with the pastor, or if the denomination decided to become woke and liberal.

They might think, “Was Christ really the head of that local body, that specific assembly? It certainly did not seem like it.”

But if they understood that Christ is the head of the universal body, the church as a totality of genuine believers, it would not be such a problem.

 

[kyredneck]

I Will Build My Church

Acts Chapter 15

16​	After these things I will return, And I will build again the house of David, which is fallen; And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I will set it up:
17​	That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,

Ezekiel Chapter 37

4​	Again he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah.
5​	Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.

Ephesians Chapter 2

5​	even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),

1st Peter Chapter 1

3​	Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

 

[Anthony Pritchard]

Acts Chapter 15

16​	After these things I will return, And I will build again the house of David, which is fallen; And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I will set it up:
17​	That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,

Ezekiel Chapter 37

4​	Again he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah.
5​	Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.

Ephesians Chapter 2

5​	even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),

1st Peter Chapter 1

3​	Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

I see the passages you listed, but I cannot discern the point you are making. How do Acts 15, Ezekiel 37, Ephesians 2, and 1 Peter 1 relate to the timing of Christ’s building of His Church in Matthew 16:18?

My claim was simply that Christ began building His Church during His earthly ministry, beginning with the calling and constituting of the Twelve (Luke 6:13). If you are suggesting a different starting point, could you state it plainly and show how these passages support that conclusion?

I’m not trying to be difficult, I just want to understand the argument you’re making.

 

[Alan Dale Gross]

n Matthew 16:18 Christ uses the verb οἰκοδομήσω, which refers to forming and establishing a people.

Bill Mounce elaborates on the intended meaning of our Lord, when He says, "I Will Build".

He is certainly saying, "I Establish" and what He has Established, He has Edified and Will continue to Edify and "Build"

Gloss
to build, build up, rebuild, a physical edifice;
by extension: to edify, strengthen, develop another person's life through acts and words of love and encouragement

Definition
pluperfect, ῳκοδόμητο (3 sg), to build a house; to build, Mt. 7:24;
to construct, establish, Mt. 16:18;
met. to contribute to advancement in religious knowledge, to edify, 1 Cor. 14:4, 17;
to advance a person's spiritual condition, to edify, 1 Cor. 8:1;
pass. to make spiritual advancement, be edified, Acts 9:31;

The first act of building is recorded in Luke 6:13, where Christ calls His disciples and chooses the twelve, whom He names apostles.

That is the beginning of the assembly Christ promised to build.

That is where Jesus God Set the Apostles into His Divinely Organized Corporate Unit (ekkelesia)
is the very beginning of when the Lord Founded His first church assembly,
Acts 2:28a; "And God hath set some in the church, first Apostles...",
as you know.

 

[Anthony Pritchard]

Bill Mounce elaborates on the intended meaning of our Lord, when He says, "I Will Build".

He is certainly saying, "I Establish" and what He has Established, He has Edified and Will continue to Edify and "Build"

Gloss
to build, build up, rebuild, a physical edifice;
by extension: to edify, strengthen, develop another person's life through acts and words of love and encouragement

Definition
pluperfect, ῳκοδόμητο (3 sg), to build a house; to build, Mt. 7:24;
to construct, establish, Mt. 16:18;
met. to contribute to advancement in religious knowledge, to edify, 1 Cor. 14:4, 17;
to advance a person's spiritual condition, to edify, 1 Cor. 8:1;
pass. to make spiritual advancement, be edified, Acts 9:31;



That is where Jesus God Set the Apostles into His Divinely Organized Corporate Unit (ekkelesia)
is the very beginning of when the Lord Founded His first church assembly,
Acts 2:28a; "And God hath set some in the church, first Apostles...",
as you know.

Brother, thank you for the lexical expansion, I agree that οἰκοδομήσω carries the sense of establishing and edifying. My point was simply that Christ began that building work during His earthly ministry, beginning with the calling and constituting of the Twelve in Luke 6:13.

Regarding the apostles being “set” in the church, the passage you cited is 1 Corinthians 12:28, which describes roles within an already‑existing assembly rather than the founding moment. My focus is on the initial act of formation, when Christ organized and named the Twelve as His apostles. That is the beginning of the assembly He promised to build.

 

[JD731]

Acts 4:11 identifies Christ Himself as the cornerstone, not the resurrection event. The cornerstone is a person, not a moment. Colossians 1:18 says Christ is the beginning because He is preeminent, not because the church began at the resurrection.

Read Col 1:18 again. It says he is the beginning BECAUSE he is the firstborn from the dead. Jesus Christ is the God MAN. He is a tripartite man from his physical birth, body, soul, and Spirit. The purpose of the coming of Jesus Christ and dying for the whole world is to regenerate the family of Adam one at a time, who are by- partite through the fallen Adam, body and soul, and thus separated from God. God does this by imparting the Spirit of Jesus Christ to any and all who will receive Jesus Christ as their substitute by faith, the Spirit who is eternal and who is life, whom he poured out on the cross and emptied himself for our sakes, being separated from God and suffering our eternal death for us. He is the firstborn from the dead and all who trust the testimony of God are given his Spirit and are born again as well because Jesus could choose to die for sins but he could not be held in death by sin and God raised him from the dead.

The argument that Paul makes in Ga 3 is if God could have forgiven sin any other way besides the death of his son, then he would have chosen that way. So, the beginning of the church of Jesus Christ depends upon his death, burial, and resurrection and there is no church of Jesus Christ without it. This is my hope of eternal life.

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Acts 11:15 refers to the beginning of Gentile inclusion, not the beginning of the church.

Read Acts 11:15 again and add these following verses.

Acts 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, (the Holy Spirit) who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also (in addition to) to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Common logic and reasoning and comparing scripture will instruct us that the beginning is the church of Jesus Christ is what is in view here because the issue is receiving the Spirit which is the new birth and is the requirement for acceptance into the church. It the church could have had it's beginning in the days before the cross then Jesus would not have had to die for it.

Jesus Christ and his apostles spent three and one half years preaching "the gospel of the kingdom." The kingdom of God must begin in the heart. The church illustrates it.

 

[kyredneck]

I see the passages you listed, but I cannot discern the point you are making. How do Acts 15, Ezekiel 37, Ephesians 2, and 1 Peter 1 relate to the timing of Christ’s building of His Church in Matthew 16:18?

Was such a monumental event/establishment as the Church foretold by the prophets, or do you consider the Church to be a hiccup, a 'paragraph', in the grand scheme of things?

 

[JD731]

Was such a monumental event/establishment as the Church foretold by the prophets,

No! The church of Jesus Christ is not revealed by the prophets of the OT, not because it's creation was not the eternal purpose of God but because it was hidden during those days by God. If it was hidden by God, that just simply means it was there in the OT unrevealed. Okay, if it was there how was it there? It was there in type because typifying things is one of the ways of God. He says the secret things belong unto God. Even after the Jews rejected his message of the kingdom and assigned him to death, he spoke of the "mysteries" of the kingdom of God and outlined it in 7 progressive metaphors, beginning to end, in a single chapter, Mt 13. One can find himself in there as either a tare or wheat. The one sure way to know if your doctrine of the church is truth or error is if there is an underlying metaphor in the OT for the doctrines it teaches.

Romans 15:4
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

or do you consider the Church to be a hiccup, a 'paragraph', in the grand scheme of things?

Speaking of the church as a mystery hidden from other ages and made known only now he says this.:

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

This was written in AD 60 after Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead in AD 30 and Paul, the one who revealed the mind of God, began his Christian pilgrimage in AD 37/38 and wrote his first letter in AD 49.

So, the answer to your question is there are no divine hiccups.

 

[Anthony Pritchard]

Read Col 1:18 again. It says he is the beginning BECAUSE he is the firstborn from the dead. Jesus Christ is the God MAN. He is a tripartite man from his physical birth, body, soul, and Spirit. The purpose of the coming of Jesus Christ and dying for the whole world is to regenerate the family of Adam one at a time, who are by- partite through the fallen Adam, body and soul, and thus separated from God. God does this by imparting the Spirit of Jesus Christ to any and all who will receive Jesus Christ as their substitute by faith, the Spirit who is eternal and who is life, whom he poured out on the cross and emptied himself for our sakes, being separated from God and suffering our eternal death for us. He is the firstborn from the dead and all who trust the testimony of God are given his Spirit and are born again as well because Jesus could choose to die for sins but he could not be held in death by sin and God raised him from the dead.

The argument that Paul makes in Ga 3 is if God could have forgiven sin any other way besides the death of his son, then he would have chosen that way. So, the beginning of the church of Jesus Christ depends upon his death, burial, and resurrection and there is no church of Jesus Christ without it. This is my hope of eternal life.

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Read Acts 11:15 again and add these following verses.

Acts 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, (the Holy Spirit) who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also (in addition to) to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Common logic and reasoning and comparing scripture will instruct us that the beginning is the church of Jesus Christ is what is in view here because the issue is receiving the Spirit which is the new birth and is the requirement for acceptance into the church. It the church could have had it's beginning in the days before the cross then Jesus would not have had to die for it.

Jesus Christ and his apostles spent three and one half years preaching "the gospel of the kingdom." The kingdom of God must begin in the heart. The church illustrates it.

JD, you are shifting the discussion away from the actual point. The question is not whether Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are essential to salvation. The question is the scope of Colossians 1:18 and Acts 4:11.

Colossians 1:18 does not say the church began at the resurrection. It says Christ is the beginning because He is preeminent, “that in all things He might have the preeminence.” His being “firstborn from the dead” is the ground of His supremacy, not a timestamp for the origin of the church.

Acts 4:11 identifies Christ Himself as the cornerstone, not the resurrection event. The cornerstone is a person, not a moment. Christ was rejected during His earthly ministry, chosen by the Father from eternity, and began building His assembly when He called and constituted His disciples (Luke 6:13). That is the first act of the building He promised in Matthew 16:18.

Your soteriological discussion of tripartite anthropology, regeneration, and Galatians 3 does not address the actual issue. Salvation depends on Christ’s death and resurrection; the beginning of the church does not. Christ began building His assembly during His earthly ministry, and His exaltation vindicates Him, it does not initiate the church.

The topic here is ecclesiology, not anthropology or soteriology. The cornerstone is Christ Himself, and the building began when He constituted His disciples as an assembly.

 

[Anthony Pritchard]

Was such a monumental event/establishment as the Church foretold by the prophets, or do you consider the Church to be a hiccup, a 'paragraph', in the grand scheme of things?

You are shifting the discussion again. The question I asked was very specific: How do Acts 15, Ezekiel 37, Ephesians 2, and 1 Peter 1 relate to the timing of Christ’s building of His Church in Matthew 16:18? You have not shown any connection.

Whether the Church is foretold by the prophets is a different topic entirely. The issue here is not prophecy, dispensational structure, or whether the Church is “monumental.” The issue is the timing of Christ’s building as stated in the New Testament text.

Matthew 16:18 concerns Christ’s own act of building. Acts 4:11 identifies Christ Himself as the cornerstone, not a future event. Luke 6:13 records Christ calling and constituting His disciples as an assembly. These passages address when Christ began building, not whether the Church appears in prophetic literature.

Your question does not answer the one I asked. I am still asking how the verses you listed relate to the timing of Christ’s building in Matthew 16:18.