Was the church of Christ established in Jerusalem on the First Pentecost After Jesus Ascended?

Was the church of Christ established in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost after Jesus ascended? This question is of great importance for any member of the church of Christ and certainly for those who are seeking the church of the Bible. We will seek to prove the following concepts as we answer this question. First, if each congregation of the churches of Christ is not aligned with the New Testament pattern, it cannot be a church that belongs to Christ. Secondly, if the Scriptures prove that the church of Christ was established on the day of Pentecost after Jesus ascended, then it is the only church that has a divine origin. Third, when we say church of Christ, we do not mean a religious group, tribe, or denomination (not even what some call non-denominational). When we state the church of Christ, we mean the predenominational church you read about in the New Testament. We are confident that if we do what the church in the Bible did, we will be what they were–Christians only (cf. Acts 11:26; 1 Cor 1:10-13). 

The church of Christ was Prophesied by Isaiah 

The prophets Isaiah, Daniel, and Joel all prophesied concerning the establishment of the church that Christ built. Isaiah’s description is as follows. 

And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.

(Isaiah 2:2-3)

Some observations must be made concerning this passage. First, let us consider some realities of the description. The origin of this location was said to be on the top of mountains, and hills, and all nations would flow unto it. When studying the church of Christ, you would be quick to understand that it consists of many people of all nations, all of whom are drawn to the saving power of God’s Son. Those who are drawn by God’s Word are to be taught His ways and be changed to walk in his paths. When one is added to the church of Christ, a new creation is made, and each is called to walk in newness of life and be transformed by the renewing of their mind (cf. Acts 2:41, 47; Romans 6:4-6, 12:1-2). The location of the house of Jehovah is affirmed by the Spirit to be the same as the church of Christ (cf. 1 Tim 3:15). 

The church of Christ was Established on Zion in Acts 2 as Joel Prophesied

Next, we want to turn our attention to the location from which the law, the teaching of Jehovah, will go forth from. That location is clearly designated as Mount Zion, or Jerusalem. This location is the location where the church of Christ was established on the first Pentecost after Jesus ascended. This is recorded in Acts 2. The events of that day had long been prophesied before in the days of Joel. 

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call.

(Joel 2:28-32)

If you were to consult the preaching of the Apostles in Acts 2, you would recognize that the Holy Spirit identifies the occurrences of that day in Jerusalem, on Zion, as that which Joel prophesied. It is written, “but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel” ( Acts 2:16). Yes, on that day, the miraculous signs prophesied by Joel were present among those gathered to hear the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. Thus, if we consider the time,  location, and the actions that took place in the text, we are forced to conclude that the only church belonging to Christ was established in Acts 2, at Jerusalem, on Pentecost.  

Does the Same church of Christ Exist Today? Ask Daniel. 

You might suppose that, due to the great growth of apostasy over the centuries, the church of Christ is not the same as the church of Christ in the first century. To that notion, I refer you to another prophecy, as our Hebrew brother Daniel interpreted the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. 

And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

(Daniel 2:44-45)

From Daniel’s inspired interpretation, we can assess that the kingdom, the church of Christ, is the only kingdom that matches the description given here. We will soon discuss in another article about the church of Christ and the kingdom as the same entity. Now we ask this question: What other kingdom shall never be destroyed or have its sovereignty turned over to another? In history, we can recall how former kingdoms and even empires that once stood strong have been conquered and become subject to a different rule. The only kingdom that could survive intact has to be one of an eternal nature. So, we must accept that the church of Christ (in the universal sense) cannot be destroyed;  it has not ceded its sovereignty to apostate groups or governments; rather, it has broken in pieces (congregations in every place) and consumed those lands that came before (the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greeks, Romans in this interpretation). The church of Christ has never been sent out to conquer physical lands by military might, but rather to use the sword of the Spirit (cf. Eph 6:17) to spread the Gospel to every land. We know that there are congregations and individual Christians who depart from the faith, but that does not mean that all the faithful have ceased to exist today or at any point in history. Certainly, if we can do what the New Testament Christians did in the 1st century, nearly 2000 years later, then others who came before our day could do the same. If the New Testament is the pattern (which it is), then we can insist on the following. The New Testament alone produces Christians alone, and never sectarian heresies (cf. Jude 3; 2 Tim 1:13; Rom 16:17). 

The church of Christ, established on Zion as recorded in Acts 2, not only exists today but remains the pillar and ground of truth (cf. 1 Tim 3:15). The Hebrew writer was assured of this truth. “but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect” (Heb 12:22-23). God has affirmed this truth. Christ has bought His bride with His blood, the church of Christ was founded and remains faithful today, where all hold to the saving truth of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice.