The Early Church, What Was It?

        The Lord announced in Matthew 16:18-19 that He would "build" His ekklesia (gathering).  Was this "gathering" ("Church") a gathering with a heavenly calling and blessing, a "one body" consisting of believers called by God without regard to national or covenant status and advantage?  Or was it a "kingdom church" with an earthly, millennial expectation?  Consider the following:

• In Matthew 16:18-19 the Lord Jesus connected the "gathering" (ekklesia) that He would build with the millennial kingdom.
• Peter used the "keys" of that kingdom to radically alter the character of the ekklesia in the Acts, thus affirming the original kingdom nature of that ekklesia (gathering) in the Acts: 
  • Key #1 Peter replaced Judas with Matthias,
  • Key #2 he allowed the Samaritan believers to receive the Holy Spirit's gift,
  • Key #3 he opened the door of faith to Gentiles.
• After His resurrection the Lord taught the disciples for forty days "speaking of the things which concern the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3).
• The disciples therefore asked the Lord about that kingdom: "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6).
• Peter recognized that it was necessary to replace Judas so twelve apostles could sit on twelve thrones in the soon-to-come millennial kingdom (Mat. 19:28). [key #1 above]
• The Jewish feast of weeks (Pentecost) actually began to be "fulfilled" (Acts 2:1), signifying the first fruits of the prophesied kingdom harvest ("gathering") of souls had actually begun to take place.
• The power of the Holy Spirit was "poured out" on believers to fulfill Israel's last-day prophecies (Isa. 44:3; Ezek. 36:27; 37:14; 39:29; Joel 2:28-29).  Note, the indwelling of the Spirit was for Israel, not just for the "ekklesia" that has its calling and sphere of blessing "in the heavenlies."
• Peter identifies this outpouring of the Spirit as the actual fulfillment of Joel 2:28.  Note Peter's defining statement:

  "This IS that which was spoken through the prophet Joel."

• Those Jews of the Diaspora who returned from several nations (Acts 2:5) typified the beginning of Yahweh's promise to gather His scattered Israelites from many nations unto Himself. (See Jer. 23:3 etc.)
• Peter's message was exclusively to members of the Jewish nation (Acts 2:5, 14, 22, 29, 36, 39).
• Peter's gospel message was that God has made Jesus "both Lord and Christ [Anointed]" (Acts 2:36).
• Those who believed this gospel were told: "Repent, and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for remission of sins, and ye will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38, contrast Acts 16:31).
• Peter's second message (Acts 3) calls to mind the prophecy of Isaiah 35:6, where in the millennial kingdom a "lame" Israel will be spiritually restored and will leap as a hart.  (See also Mal. 4:2 "ye shall go forth and leap like fatted calves").  In Acts 3 the healed lame man "leaping up stood and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God", a fitting picture of a gathered, restored, healed, remnant of national Israel entering into God's presence in the millennium.
• Peter's second message (Acts 3) was also to the "men of Israel", not to Gentiles. (Acts 3:13)
• This message required a "response" and contained a "conditional offer."
  1. The required response: "Repent therefore and be converted, for the blotting out of your sins" (Acts 3:19).
  2. The conditional offer depended on their repentance: "so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and he may send Jesus Christ, who was foreordained for you, whom heaven indeed must receive till the times of the restoring of all things, of which God has spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets since time began." (Acts 3:19-21)

  The "times of refreshing" and "the restoring of all things, of which God has spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets" (Acts 3:19-21) is an unmistakable reference to the many Old Testament prophecies concerning the spiritual restoration of Yahweh's precious Nation during the millennial kingdom by His Anointed King, and the conversion of Israel and Judah in that kingdom under the terms of the new covenant (Jer. 31:31). It has nothing to do with the 'church' of the mystery which is blessed "in heavenly places", not on the earth. That is why the disciples asked the very pertinent question, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6)  The Lord Jesus had called this "the regeneration" (Mat. 19:28).

  The sending of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:20) refers to His coming to earth with power and great glory to restore Israel when He establishes His millennial kingdom.

  Finally, Peter explicitly states that this regeneration, this offer of Israel's refreshing, regeneration and restoration, was the subject of prophecy, not of the two distinct mysteries later revealed to Paul the apostle.

  "And indeed all the prophets from Samuel and those in succession after him, as many as have spoken, have announced also these days" (Acts 3:24).

  1. Peter specifically stated that the fulfillment of the entire body of prophecy was taking place at that very time period.  The term "these days" refers to the time of Acts 2 and 3, not to today (thousands of years in the future).
  2. This was an actual offer of the millennial kingdom to Judah and Israel, and had absolutely nothing to do with the "administration of the mystery hidden throughout the ages in God" (Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:26).  The "mystery" that was revealed to Paul (Eph. 3:3) after this offer of Israel's restoration had been withdrawn (Acts 28:28) concerned a heretofore unrevealed blessing "in heavenly places in Christ", not a blessing on earth which was spoken of multiple times through Old Testament prophets.
  3. At the time of Acts 2 & 3 Gentiles had not yet been invited to participate in this earthly kingdom blessing. Gentiles were still "unclean" at that time. Only Jews, the sons of the prophets, had been invited, although the blessing of Gentiles through faithful Israel was fully in the mind of God. 

       "Ye are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God appointed to our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. To you [Israelites] first God, having raised up his servant, has sent him, blessing you in turning each one of you from your wickedness." (Acts 3:25-26)

  Summary of the dispensational timeline:

  1.     The earthly kingdom offered to Israel.  (Acts 2 � 7) � God makes a bonafide offer of the millennial kingdom to Israel.  God's "gathering" (ekklesia) consists of an elect remnant of believing Jews and proselytes.  No unclean Samaritans or uncircumcised Gentiles are part of that gathering.  Their promised sphere of blessing is in the millennial kingdom on earth foretold by all the prophets. 

  2.     The kingdom as a mystery (Acts 8 � 28) � God introduces 'the mystery of Israel's blindness' (Rom. 11:28), through which unbelieving Jews are "provoked to jealousy" by the inclusion of non-Jews in God's gathering.  These Gentile believers now occupy the parts of the Olive Tree left vacant by unbelieving Jews who by covenant relationship had rightfully owned the Olive Tree blessing (Rom. 10:19; 11:11, 14).  Thus Gentiles as equals participate in Israel's Olive Tree blessing, which includes the millennial kingdom on earth.  This is something new, a mystery not revealed in the Old Testament: God's "gathering" (ekklesia) for the first time consists of believing Jews and Gentiles, united in Christ in one body (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 10:17; 12:13).  There has not as yet been any change in the promised sphere of blessing. It is still the millennial kingdom on earth, and after the millennium they would enjoy the blessings of the City of God, the New Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven to sit on the new earth.  Believing Gentiles are grafted into that earthly olive tree blessing belonging to Israel, whereas some of the natural (Jewish) branches have been broken off.  The Jew continues to be "first" because the kingdom offer to National Israel is still on the table. 

  3.     Israel blinded, the kingdom offer withdrawn (Acts 28:28 to the present day) � The Holy Spirit Himself pronounces God's sentence of blindness on all National Israel (at Jerusalem and at Rome upon the scattered Diaspora).  The Jew is no longer "first" because God's offer of earthly blessings for them has been withdrawn.  Gentiles and Jews no longer participate in the earthly, prophesied, covenants and blessings that once were offered to Israel.  The Olive Tree of Romans no longer exists.  But God's "gathering" (ekklesia) continues to consist of believing Jews and Gentiles, united in Christ in one body (Eph. 2:16; 3:6; 4:4, 16; 5:30; Col. 1:18, 24; 2:19;  3:15).  However, a new non-prophesied calling and sphere of blessing ("in the heavenlies", Eph. 1:4) replaces God's prophesied millennial blessings for His earthly nation.  This heavenly blessing is revealed as part of the Great Mystery which includes God's invitation to all, without regard to nationality, former covenant status, or any other preconditions.

   Conclusions

          Christ's "ekklesia" (gathering) has thus far in historical time been revealed in three distinct stances or characteristics:

•  We should not read Ephesian truth into a Jerusalem-centered (millennial kingdom) time frame.
• Recognize that the "gathering" which Christ announced began as a "church" having an earthly, millennial, kingdom, sphere of blessing.  That blessing was directly tied to Yahweh's purpose for his earthly people Israel as revealed in the prophets.  This kingdom church is not "the pattern church" for us today.
• Recognize that the "church" on the day of Pentecost knew nothing about "all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ."  That sphere of blessing was not revealed until some 30 years later, after national Israel had totally rejected the Holy Spirit's message to them, thus committing the 'unpardonable' sin against the Holy Spirit (See Mat. 12:32; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10).
• Realize that the "gathering of saints" in the early Acts did not include unclean Samaritans or uncircumcised Gentiles, and that this exclusion must not be considered a 'fault' of Peter or of the other apostles.  As long as God was offering the prophetic blessings to Israel, and as long as they had not rejected this offer 'with finality', it was still possible the covenant nation might reppent and become the missionary arm of God to go to the Gentiles, and bring them into spiritual blessing, and into physical blessing as bonded servants to God's people, as spelled out in prophecy.
• We must distinguish between "prophecy" and "the mystery."  The two are mutually exclusive.  Do not fall into the error of so-called 'replacement theology' by interpreting national Israel's blessings described in the Acts as applying to the present-day "gathering" of Christ.
• The "mystery" of Romans 10, 11, & 16 was the fact that God brought Gentiles into His "gathering" to partake of the Olive Tree blessing which by covenant rightfully belonged to Israel.  This inclusion of Gentiles was intended to provoke Israel to jealousy.  (Notice in Acts 22:21-22 how quickly the Jews were provoked to a rabid jealousy as soon as the triggering word "Gentiles" was mentioned).  The Olive Tree blessing previously belonged exclusively to Israel (Rom. 11) which is why the Jew was "first."  Placing Gentiles into the Olive Tree blessing with the specific goal of irritating Israel and provoking them to jealousy is not found in the Hebrew scriptures, and is therefore a "mystery."  It is the "mystery" of Romans 10, 11, & 16.
• The "mystery" of Ephesians is not "the church" per se. This "mystery" is the fact that individual Gentiles and Jews who were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world can now equally participate in a blessing in heavenly places, entirely apart from God's earthly corporate nation. The "mystery" of Ephesians is not included in the "church" of Acts 2 and 3.  The "gathering" at Pentecost was part of God's prophesied earthly program, hence, was revealed in the scriptures of the prophets.  It was not a mystery "hidden in God."  It was not revealed first to the apostle Paul.  It was first declared by the prophets when they often spoke of how Jehovah would "gather" his people Israel unto Himself.  And this "gathering" (ekklesia) was also announced by the Lord Jesus (Mat. 16:18-19).  The prophesied "gathering" of Jehovah's people unto Himself fully agrees with Christ's pronouncement that He Himself would "build" his kingdom "gathering."
• The "mystery" of Ephesians and Colossians also is not found in the Hebrew scriptures.  This "mystery" differs from the "mystery" in Romans.  The "mystery" of Ephesians does not envision Gentiles partaking of Israel's Olive Tree blessing, because at the time Paul wrote Ephesians and Colossians, Israel's blessing had been terminated, and Israel had been blinded.  Israel's covenant blessing had temporarily ceased to exist.  The "mystery" of Ephesians is not simply "The Church."  Rather, this "mystery" envisions that anyone from any nation is acceptable to God on a completely equal basis, not because they had the oracles of God (Rom. 3:2), nor because they were included in any covenants or because they enjoyed some other national status (Rom. 9:4), but simply because they had none of these credentials.  Simply because they were chosen in Christ before (Gk. pro) the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4).  (By contrast, Israel's earthly blessing is from or since (Gk. apo) the foundation of the world, Mat. 13:35; 25:34; Luke 11:50; Heb. 4:3; Rev. 17:8).

For more information you might enjoy the following two papers:

How many "churches" existed during and following the Acts record? 

(A paper questioning the theory that two "churches" simultaneously existed during the Acts period.  This article makes certain logical conclusions raised by another paper  on the real meaning of the word ekklesia - church, gathering, assembly, meeting, etc.)