An argument for the pre pentacostal beginning of the church. Get the study notes in e book format here, http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Matter-Baptists-Interpretation-History-ebook/dp/B00IK7MZWG/ref=la_B005OZV81Q_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415865987&sr=1-16

1. Lesson 3
The Value of the Prize

2. I. DOES IT MATTER?
•“Was the church established during Christ’s
earthly ministry prior to His death, or later on the
day of Pentecost?
•Was the church established by the building
process of calling out disciples, assembling them
as a unit, and training them or
•Was it established by a sudden, abrupt act of
creation upon a gathering of about 120 persons?
•Did Christ personally establish the church or the
Holy Spirit?
•Did God make many churches throughout the
centuries or just the one with the capability of
propagation?”
[1]
[1] Wm. F. Bekgaard The Inauguration of the Church , http://nonprotestantbaptists.com/Church.Founded.html, Accessed 5-23-13

3. I. DOES IT MATTER?
This (that the church began on the
day of Pentecost) is a distinctively
Protestant position.
The Baptist position is that the
church began during the earthly
ministry of Jesus Christ. That He
built His church and not the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost

4. II. PRE-PENTECOSTAL ROOTS O
THE CHURCH
A. The proof of Christ’s testimony
Matthew 16:18 KJV
Jesus said, “I will build my church.”
•He did not say that the Holy Spirit
would build it
•He did not say the Apostles would
build it
•He said He would build it

5. II. PRE-PENTECOSTAL ROOTS
OF THE CHURCH
B. The proof of a functioning church
Matthew 18:15-17 KJV
C. The proof of an added
membership
Acts 2:41-47 KJV

6. III. THE IMPLICATIONS OF A
PRE-PENTECOSTAL CHURCH
BEGINNING
A. That church is unmistakably a
local church
That first church consisting of:
• Christ, the pastor
• Apostles, the scripturally baptized
and assembled and
• Judas Iscariot, having the bag,
served as the “treasurer”

7. III. THE IMPLICATIONS OF A
PRE-PENTECOSTAL CHURCH
BEGINNING
B. That church continues today under
the headship of Christ
Ephesians 1:22 KJV
Protestants emphasize the so called
baptism of the Spirit as uniting a
person to the body.
Baptist churches emphasize that
Christ is still the head of the church.

8. III. THE IMPLICATIONS
OF A
PRE-PENTECOSTALthrough
C. The local church is the body and
it other churches
CHURCH are propagated
If we believe that the church started on the day of Pentecost,
BEGINNINGappears to belong to all
then the Great Commission
•
•
•
•
believers.
Any believer can possess the power of Christ outside
of church
Any believer can go as a missionary without a church
Any believer may baptize those he has led to the Lord
Any believer is a teacher of the Bible, even without a
church

9. III. THE IMPLICATIONS
OF A
PRE-PENTECOSTAL
C. The local church is the body and
through it other
CHURCH churches are propagated
If we believe that the church already existed when
BEGINNING
Jesus gave this Great Commission, then it is not
difficult to see the Commission as belonging to
local churches.
•
•
•
•
Local churches possess the power of Christ
Local churches go into the world
Local churches baptize the converts
Local churches teach those converts to observe all things

10. III. THE IMPLICATIONS
OF A
PRE-PENTECOSTAL
C. The local church is the body and
through it other
CHURCH churches are propagated
If we believe that the church already existed when
BEGINNING
Jesus gave this Great Commission, then it is not
difficult to see the Commission as belonging to
local churches.
•
•
•
•
Local churches possess the power of Christ
Local churches go into the world
Local churches baptize the converts
Local churches teach those converts to observe all things