The Baptist Pillar © Brandon Bible Baptist Church 1992-Present www.baptistpillar.com
"...The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
I Timothy 3:15
When Did the Church Start?
Ten Reasons Why Jesus' Church
was in Existence Prior to the Day of Pentecost
Here are some Scriptural reasons why the Church was not established on the day of Pentecost, but rather, was established during the lifetime of Jesus:
1. It had a rule of discipline before Pentecost (Matthew 18:17).
2. We read that Jesus sang in the church (Heb. 2:12). The only time that Jesus ever
sang, so far as we have any record of it, was at the institution of the Lord's Supper
(Mark 14:26). This was before Pentecost.
3. They had a business meeting before the day of Pentecost and elected a successor
to take the place of Judas (Acts 1:15-26).
4. The apostles were in the church before the day of Pentecost (1 Cor. 12:28). The
first ones who were put in the church were the apostles, and this was at least three
years before the day of Pentecost.
5. The church had its commission to preach before Pentecost (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark
16:15).
6. The church had its authority to baptize before Pentecost (John 4:2).
7. The church had the Lord's Supper before Pentecost (Matthew 26:30).
8. The keys of the kingdom were given to it before Pentecost (Matthew 16:19).
9. It had a church roll before Pentecost with names on the roll (Acts 1:15).
10. To this church there were about 3,000 additions on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:42). If I were to tell you I was going to add $200 to my bank account, this would imply that I have a bank account to begin with. In view of the fact that 3,000 were added to the church on the day of Pentecost then we are led to believe that the church was in existence before Pentecost.
Let any other man who believes that the church was founded on the day of Pentecost, answer these ten reasons. Until such an answer is forthcoming, accept only the Word of God, and not the words of men.