Hi bro. Louis, I’ve got a question that have bothered us (Komarock South church of Christ). We’ve tried discusions during Bible classes but we have not come to solid conclusion. We were discusing about establishment of Church when these questions were raised. 1. When was Church established? 2. Is Church the same with Kingdom? 3. Does Mark 9:1 support that the kingdom came later after Christ had ascended? 4. Was the promise in Matthew 26:29 fulfilled, and if yes, when? 5. The act of bread breaking in Luke 24:30 by Christ, was it a Lord’s Table or just an act to enable those disciples recoqnize Him? 6. In between the institution of Lord’s Supper and the day of Pentecost, did disciples partake the Lord’s Table? Moffat Kibethi
From Mark 9:1 it is clear that the Lord’s church was not established during the ministry of Jesus Christ, but the words of our Lord indicate when and under what circumstances that the church would be established. “And He said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power’” (Mark 9:1 NKJV). First, the church was not yet established when Jesus uttered these words, and it was to be established within the lifetime of those to whom He was speaking. Second, the church was to be established with power.
The first time that the word “church” appears in the Bible where it refers to something in existence (i.e., not future) is Acts 2:47, “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (emphasis added). Only 50 days since the crucifixion of our Lord, the events of Acts 2 fall well within the lifetime of those to whom Jesus spoke in Mark 9:1. In addition, the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles in Acts 2:1-4 corresponds to the “power” of which our Lord spoke in Mark 9:1. This event is the same happening addressed by Jesus to His apostles on more than one occasion (John 14:16; 16:13; Luke 27:49; Acts 1:8). Therefore, the church was established in A.D. 33 – nearly 2,000 years ago (in Jerusalem).
One recorded promise of Jesus Christ to establish His church shows Him using the words “church” and “kingdom” interchangeably to refer to the same divine institution. “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19 emphasis added). Likewise, the apostles of Christ also used the words “church” and “kingdom” interchangeably (Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9). Therefore, the Old Testament kingdom prophecies apply to the Lord’s church, which also place its establishment in Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-3) and identify the general historical time when it was to be established – during the Roman Empire (Daniel 2:31-45).
Following the resurrection of Jesus Christ and prior to His Ascension, Jesus ate with His disciples, and they recognized Him (Luke 24:30). That is all that the occasion was; it was not the observance of the Lord’s Supper. In Matthew 26:29, our Lord said that He would not observe the Lord’s Supper with His disciples again until after the establishment of the kingdom. Since the words “church” and “kingdom” refer to the same thing, and since the church was not established until after the Ascension of Christ, Luke 24:30 could not be a fulfillment of Matthew 26:29. The church or kingdom was established after the incident of Luke 24:30. In addition, there is no biblical record of the disciples practicing the Lord’s Supper prior to the establishment of the church.
When, then, did Jesus Christ observe the Lord’s Supper with His disciples as He had promised? First Corinthians 10:16 refers to the Lord’s Supper as the “communion,” which means fellowship or partnership. This “fellowship” includes the Lord’s Supper, but it comprises the whole of Christian interaction with other Christians as well as intercourse between Christians and all three Persons of the Godhead (1 John 1:3). Jesus literally shared the initial Lord’s Supper with His apostles, but subsequently He spiritually participated with the apostles and participates with Christians today in observance of the Lord’s Supper.
