The founding of the Church took place in a supernatural way through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1, we are told that the resurrected Redeemer spent forty days with His disciples and spoke to them about the kingdom of God (v. 3). While doing so, He repeated the promise: “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” (v. 5).

In Lk 24:36-51, the risen Lord had shown His disciples which Old Testament Scriptures had been fulfilled. He opened their spiritual understanding so that they recognized all of the prophecies relating to His suffering, His death, and the resurrection. He said, “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (vv. 46-47), and concluded with the words: “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (v. 49). After that, He was lifted up to heaven before their eyes (Lk 24:51; Acts 1:9).

After the outpouring of the Spirit, the Apostle Peter could testify on the day of Pentecost: “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams …” (Acts 2:16-17).

Peter preached the first sermon under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. From verse 37 to 41, we are told what happened when the crowd was touched by the sermon: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” First the sermon, followed by the faith of the audience and the obedience through baptism. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41).

A voice is calling out loudly: Hearken, O people, every one of you: On the day of Pentecost, the fundamental sermon was preached that was valid everywhere during the apostolic age and is still valid today in the Church of Jesus Christ! From the first hour, from the first day of the New Testament, everything that belongs to the Plan of Salvation has come to pass as predicted in the Old Testament. Paul bore witness to this fact in his first Epistle: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures …” (Rom 1:1-2). Amen.

The evangelist Philip preached in Samaria. “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Acts 8:12). Upon hearing this, the apostles came from Jerusalem and “prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (vv. 15-16).

In Acts 10, Peter preached the message of salvation of Jesus Christ in the house of the Roman centurion named Cornelius: “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. … Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” (Acts 10:42-48).

When Paul preached to the disciples of John in Ephesus, we read in Acts 19:5-6+11: “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. … And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul …” (v. 11).

As long as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is on earth, that which Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost remains valid for all believers worldwide: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:39).

A voice is calling out loudly: In the Church of Jesus Christ, the first and the last sermon as well as the first and the last baptism must be exactly the same. This is the everlasting pattern for the proclamation: faith, baptism, baptism by the Holy Spirit. That which was taught and experienced on the founding day of the Church of the living God is the guideline until the end of the New Testament.

The Apostle Paul testified about the Church that it is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone …” (Eph 2:20). “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ …” (Eph 4:11-12).

The apostle wrote to Timothy: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Tim 3:15).

The Early Church was the body of the Lord, the place of the manifestation of God, endowed with the power of God, with spiritual gifts and various ministries (1 Cor 12:4-31) – unified into one body through faith, baptism, and baptism by the Holy Spirit (vv. 12-26). Only where that is the case, the following still holds true today: one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph 4:3-5).

At the Return of Jesus Christ, this Scripture will have been fulfilled with the Church: “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph 5:26-27). When we hear the preaching of the grace of God, believe it, and then experience salvation, justification, and reconciliation with God, it means: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Rom 5:9). In the Word of God, we must – and all Bible believers do – accept everything as it was ordained in the beginning.

The founding of the Church took place in a supernatural way through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1, we are told that the resurrected Redeemer spent forty days with His disciples and spoke to them about the kingdom of God (v. 3). While doing so, He repeated the promise: “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” (v. 5).

In Lk 24:36-51, the risen Lord had shown His disciples which Old Testament Scriptures had been fulfilled. He opened their spiritual understanding so that they recognized all of the prophecies relating to His suffering, His death, and the resurrection. He said, “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (vv. 46-47), and concluded with the words: “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (v. 49). After that, He was lifted up to heaven before their eyes (Lk 24:51; Acts 1:9).

After the outpouring of the Spirit, the Apostle Peter could testify on the day of Pentecost: “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams …” (Acts 2:16-17).

Peter preached the first sermon under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. From verse 37 to 41, we are told what happened when the crowd was touched by the sermon: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” First the sermon, followed by the faith of the audience and the obedience through baptism. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41).

A voice is calling out loudly: Hearken, O people, every one of you: On the day of Pentecost, the fundamental sermon was preached that was valid everywhere during the apostolic age and is still valid today in the Church of Jesus Christ! From the first hour, from the first day of the New Testament, everything that belongs to the Plan of Salvation has come to pass as predicted in the Old Testament. Paul bore witness to this fact in his first Epistle: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures …” (Rom 1:1-2). Amen.

The evangelist Philip preached in Samaria. “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Acts 8:12). Upon hearing this, the apostles came from Jerusalem and “prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (vv. 15-16).

In Acts 10, Peter preached the message of salvation of Jesus Christ in the house of the Roman centurion named Cornelius: “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. … Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” (Acts 10:42-48).

When Paul preached to the disciples of John in Ephesus, we read in Acts 19:5-6+11: “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. … And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul …” (v. 11).

As long as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is on earth, that which Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost remains valid for all believers worldwide: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:39).

A voice is calling out loudly: In the Church of Jesus Christ, the first and the last sermon as well as the first and the last baptism must be exactly the same. This is the everlasting pattern for the proclamation: faith, baptism, baptism by the Holy Spirit. That which was taught and experienced on the founding day of the Church of the living God is the guideline until the end of the New Testament.

The Apostle Paul testified about the Church that it is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone …” (Eph 2:20). “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ …” (Eph 4:11-12).

The apostle wrote to Timothy: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Tim 3:15).

The Early Church was the body of the Lord, the place of the manifestation of God, endowed with the power of God, with spiritual gifts and various ministries (1 Cor 12:4-31) – unified into one body through faith, baptism, and baptism by the Holy Spirit (vv. 12-26). Only where that is the case, the following still holds true today: one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph 4:3-5).

At the Return of Jesus Christ, this Scripture will have been fulfilled with the Church: “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph 5:26-27). When we hear the preaching of the grace of God, believe it, and then experience salvation, justification, and reconciliation with God, it means: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Rom 5:9). In the Word of God, we must – and all Bible believers do – accept everything as it was ordained in the beginning.