Throughout the Old Testament, prophecy after prophecy speaks of the coming Messiah and the work he was to do. He would rule and guide a people unlike any that had existed until that time. The minute fulfillment of those prophecies speaks to the integrity and authority of the Bible.

Old Testament Prophecies

Long before the Messiah came to the earth, Old Testament prophecies revealed the nature of his rule and the kingdom he would establish. The Lord told Abraham that all nations of the earth would be blessed at the coming of the Christ(Genesis 12:3). David stated that his kingdom would be "established forever"(II Samuel 7:12-13, 16). Isaiah predicted that such would occur in Jerusalem as the "word of the Lord" went forth(Isaiah 2:2-3).

Jesus Died To Establish His Church

Jesus Christ, while upon earth, stated that he would build his "church"(kingdom) in Matthew 16:18. When Jesus died upon the cross and rose from the dead, he paid the price for the establishment of the church. On the day of Pentecost when the apostles' had assembled after the ascension of Christ, the Holy Spirit came upon them, they spoke to the the people in the language they understood, and they revealed the benefits of the resurrection of Christ and what one must do to be saved(read Acts 2).

Kingdom, Body, Church

The kingdom, the body, and the church(Ephesians 5:25; (Acts 19:8) are one and the same institution. Each of the terms applied to the Lord's people identifies the different relationships the members sustain to Christ and God, as well as each other. Christ is the head(Ephesians 5:23) and Christians make up the body(Ephesians 1:23).

Christians Compose The Local Church

Christians in a community make up the local church. There is no higher organization as the Lord's people in that community work and worship together under the oversight of elders, men who are chosen in harmony with the qualifications set forth in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. There is no Pope or council that governs. Each local congregation answers only to Jesus Christ.

The Seed Produces the Lord's Church

The seed, which is the word of God, planted in the hearts of men will produce the same kind of disciples and the same kind of church that occurred in the beginning and growth of the early church. The characteristics of the church that Christ bought with his blood are set forth only in the New Testament.

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