START OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
If you think Peter started the church as we know it today, the body of Christ, then he did it without the cross and w/o ever mentioning it by name. In Matthew 16 Peter did not want Jesus to go to the cross. Earlier in the same book, Matthew 10, the 12 were sent out to preach the gospel of the kingdom to Jews only. If the gospel of Christ, (only Paul uses this phrase), which requires the cross and the gospel of the kingdom are the same, how could the 12 preach a gospel that did not include the cross, seeing Jesus up to that point was still alive and had not yet ever mentioned His death? Peter not only didn’t want Jesus to go to the cross in Matt 16, he didn’t even believe in His resurrection AFTER He rose.
Remember doubting Thomas, he didn’t believe Jesus rose and it is recorded that he as well as the other 10 apostles didn’t believe Jesus rose from the dead. Yet they were preaching the “gospel of the kingdom” for about 3 years. But yet belief in the resurrection is required for us to be saved today. How could this be, unless they were preaching different gospels to different people?
How could our church we live by today, the body of Christ, be the same church as the 11, when the 11 didn’t even believe in the resurrection AFTER the resurrection, but yet still preached a gospel?
Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. A gospel being preached w/o the cross is not the gospel by which you and I are saved. (assuming you are saved and that you believe and put your trust in the finished cross work of Christ and that alone and nothing else?)
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
This is after the cross.
The answer is simple when we rightly divide God’s word. They were two different gospels and two different churches. The gospel of the kingdom – which was to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the son of God.
John 20:31 KJV But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
But the "gospel of Christ", Paul preached is to believe Jesus died, shedding His blood for our sins, was buried and rose from the dead. Only by believing this new gospel Paul was given by Jesus and putting our trust in that alone for the forgiveness of our sins – we are saved. I Cor 15:1-4. Romans 1:16
The “little flock”, (Luke 12:32) was the “church” of Jewish believers. They believed that Jesus was the Christ - the Messiah – the Son of God. And that Christ is to be their king on earth. But the body of Christ' “church” is where Christ is the head of the body, in the heavenlies. II Cor 5:1
We don’t get our doctrine or church beginnings from Acts 2. Acts, is an explanation of what happened to Israel. Without the book of Acts, heading into the books of Romans - Philemon (Gentile books), we would not know why Israel diminished and that salvation now was being offered to the Gentiles. After Jesus saved Saul and gave him a new gospel where anyone could be saved, w/o the Jews, w/o covenants and w/o the law, salvation now would come by faith, through grace, alone, as a gift, no works required. Eph 2:8-9, Titus 3:5 Thank you Lord. This had never happened before nor was it ever discussed it would happen in the OT or 4 gospel books.
How could our church – the body of Christ - start when it was the end of something? Peter said it was the last days. Acts 2:17. Also a church was in existence already before Act 2:47. Notice the word “ADDED” You cannot add to something unless it already exists. The church (group of little flock believers Lk 12:32) already existed that Jesus started while He was on earth. Note: Lk 12:33 all believers were required to “sell” all to go into the kingdom.
Another point: How could the body of Christ (our church) start in Acts 2 when the apostle to the Gentiles who gave us the gospel that saves us today, was not yet even saved nor given the gospel of the grace of God message by Jesus, yet? No gospel of the grace of God and no messenger to give it, means no body of Christ before Paul. So the church as we know it, the body of Christ could not have started in Acts 2 before Paul or his message was given, b/c Paul is the only bible writer to use the term “body of Christ” and the only one to speak of it. He also spoke of the BoC as a mystery given first to Paul. Rom 16:25, Eph 3:1-10, Col 1:26-27.
Until we learn how to rightly divide God’s word and realized there is more than one church, more than one baptism and more than the 12 apostles to just Israel, we will not get our understanding of the bible correct. Look at Peter’s audience in Acts 2, “ye men of Israel”, Vs 22, “house of Israel” vs 36. Also in: Acts 3:12,25; 4:1,10; 5:30,35 Peter is simply not and never was talking to the body of Christ.
Don’t forget this verse if you believe our church started in Acts 2.
Acts 2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. Have you done this? If you believe the church started in Acts 2 you must sell all, to be true to the context.
Unless we rightly divide God’s word we will never get the bible understood correctly.