The New Testament only knows the one Church of Jesus Christ, which in itself is the pillar and foundation of the Truth (1. Tim. 3:15). His Church is composed of all the first-born who are written in heaven (Heb. 12:23), their names are in the Book of Life (Rev. 3:5). They are “… as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” All true believers in Jesus Christ are “… a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people …” (1. Pet. 2:5-10). Amen.

The true Church of Jesus Christ is “… built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:20-22). Only to this Church applies the statement, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Eph. 4:5).

Those who are born-again by the Spirit of God make up the real Body of Jesus Christ, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit …” Amen. The individual members are supernaturally placed into the Body of Christ by the real baptism of the Holy Spirit. Only thereafter is this fulfilled, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings …” (1. Cor. 12:4-30). Amen. Again we are told that God Himself places the different ministries into His Church.

“…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. 4:1-16). Amen.

The Church of Jesus Christ experiences the supernatural working of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, from the very beginning up to the moment she reaches her completion at the Return of Jesus Christ. “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” Amen.

In the Church of the living God the following applies to His servants, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

These are the ministries that are present in the Church, and they can only be brought about by the Holy Spirit:

“For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” Amen. The Holy Scripture does not know any liturgy.

The order of a divine service and the fullness of the harmony in the original Church are further described in 1. Cor. 14. There we see how spontaneously the Spirit of God works: “If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace … For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” Women were not to disturb the service by asking questions, instead they were supposed to ask their husbands at home. That was the irrevocable guideline. Thereupon follows the clear declaration, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.” (1. Cor. 14:38). Whoever does not acknowledge the New Testament Church order will not be recognised by God. And everybody knows that the same does not exist in any of the state or national churches on earth. They all have their own liturgy and their own way of conducting the services, which just give the appearance of being a divine service.

We must acknowledge that there is indeed a divine order assigned to the Church, as it is ordained and passed on to us by the man of God with the authority of a divine commission. In the beginning the original Church order applied to all local assemblies.

“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.”

In connection with the ministry of prophets and teachers, the following Scripture describes for us a service in the original Church:“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.” (Acts 13:1-4).

We can see the structure, the order, the ministries and the gifts as they were in the beginning within the Church of Jesus Christ. As shown forth in many chapters of the Book of Acts and then in the Epistles, that is the original pattern, that is the Church of the living God. In Acts 15 we find recorded how the elders of the Church and the apostles dealt with the much-debated question of circumcision. The answer was given through the ordained mouth of the Apostle Peter, “Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” It was a continuation, just as in the beginning with the true baptism of the Holy Spirit, which the believers received. Then the Apostle James continued in saying, “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written …” (Amos 9:11-12). Finally, it states, “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things …”

Then we read, “And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words and confirmed them.” (Acts
15:1-34). Since the inauguration of the New Testament Church by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we can see the supernatural working of God through the different ministries and gifts. At the very beginning, those witnesses who were chosen by the Lord shared with His Church the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and the whole counsel of God, “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit … And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things … According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ our Lord …” (Eph. 3). Amen.

The Apostle Peter admonished the believers, “… That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour.” (2. Pet. 3).

The Apostle John emphasises, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life …” (1. Jn. 1). Amen. The command of this hour is to return to the beginning!

Let us summarise briefly: The Church of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a religious organisation under the leadership of men, but rather the living organism of the Body of Christ, consisting of many members. Now, at the end of the time of grace, all things must be restored in the Church of the living God in conformity with the divine plan of Salvation. According to the testimony of the Holy Scripture, the promised Return of our Lord and Bridegroom (Jn. 14:1-3; Mt. 25:1-10) can only take place after the Church is brought back into its original state. “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:21). Amen.

Of the believers at the beginning it is said, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42). These are the characteristics of the true Church of Jesus Christ:

Firstly, the believers remain in the doctrines of the apostles.

Secondly, there is true fellowship among those who stay within the teachings.

Thirdly, they partake in the Lord’s Supper, which is called the “breaking of bread”.

Fourthly, they remain in fellowship through prayer services.

Our Lord and Saviour Himself gave us the example of the breaking of bread. He did not hand out wafers, but did as it is written of Him, “Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples.” (Mt. 26:26). Amen.

The true Church still celebrates the Lord’s Supper today as it was done at the very beginning. A loaf of bread is prepared, the size according to the number of participants. Furthermore, only one cup is used, just as our Lord did back then. The cup receives the blessing and all drink of it. Thus it is written and therefore it is for ever valid. After His Resurrection our Lord proceeded exactly as He had before, “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.” (Lk. 24:30). Amen. In Acts 20:7 we read, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread …” To the church in Corinth the Apostle Paul wrote, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1. Cor. 10:14-22; 1. Cor. 11:23-34). Amen.

The New Testament only knows the one Church of Jesus Christ, which in itself is the pillar and foundation of the Truth (1. Tim. 3:15). His Church is composed of all the first-born who are written in heaven (Heb. 12:23), their names are in the Book of Life (Rev. 3:5). They are “… as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” All true believers in Jesus Christ are “… a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people …” (1. Pet. 2:5-10). Amen.

The true Church of Jesus Christ is “… built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:20-22). Only to this Church applies the statement, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Eph. 4:5).

Those who are born-again by the Spirit of God make up the real Body of Jesus Christ, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit …” Amen. The individual members are supernaturally placed into the Body of Christ by the real baptism of the Holy Spirit. Only thereafter is this fulfilled, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings …” (1. Cor. 12:4-30). Amen. Again we are told that God Himself places the different ministries into His Church.

“…  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. 4:1-16). Amen.

The Church of Jesus Christ experiences the supernatural working of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, from the very beginning up to the moment she reaches her completion at the Return of Jesus Christ. “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” Amen.

In the Church of the living God the following applies to His servants, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

These are the ministries that are present in the Church, and they can only be brought about by the Holy Spirit:

“For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” Amen. The Holy Scripture does not know any liturgy.

The order of a divine service and the fullness of the harmony in the original Church are further described in 1. Cor. 14. There we see how spontaneously the Spirit of God works: “If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace … For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” Women were not to disturb the service by asking questions, instead they were supposed to ask their husbands at home. That was the irrevocable guideline. Thereupon follows the clear declaration, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.” (1. Cor. 14:38). Whoever does not acknowledge the New Testament Church order will not be recognised by God. And everybody knows that the same does not exist in any of the state or national churches on earth. They all have their own liturgy and their own way of conducting the services, which just give the appearance of being a divine service.

We must acknowledge that there is indeed a divine order assigned to the Church, as it is ordained and passed on to us by the man of God with the authority of a divine commission. In the beginning the original Church order applied to all local assemblies.

“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.”

In connection with the ministry of prophets and teachers, the following Scripture describes for us a service in the original Church:  “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.” (Acts 13:1-4).

We can see the structure, the order, the ministries and the gifts as they were in the beginning within the Church of Jesus Christ. As shown forth in many chapters of the Book of Acts and then in the Epistles, that is the original pattern, that is the Church of the living God. In Acts 15 we find recorded how the elders of the Church and the apostles dealt with the much-debated question of circumcision. The answer was given through the ordained mouth of the Apostle Peter, “Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” It was a continuation, just as in the beginning with the true baptism of the Holy Spirit, which the believers received. Then the Apostle James continued in saying, “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written …” (Amos 9:11-12). Finally, it states, “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things …”

Then we read, “And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words and confirmed them.” (Acts
15:1-34). Since the inauguration of the New Testament Church by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we can see the supernatural working of God through the different ministries and gifts. At the very beginning, those witnesses who were chosen by the Lord shared with His Church the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and the whole counsel of God, “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit … And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things … According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ our Lord …” (Eph. 3). Amen.

The Apostle Peter admonished the believers, “… That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour.” (2. Pet. 3).

The Apostle John emphasises, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life …” (1. Jn. 1). Amen. The command of this hour is to return to the beginning!

Let us summarise briefly: The Church of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a religious organisation under the leadership of men, but rather the living organism of the Body of Christ, consisting of many members. Now, at the end of the time of grace, all things must be restored in the Church of the living God in conformity with the divine plan of Salvation. According to the testimony of the Holy Scripture, the promised Return of our Lord and Bridegroom (Jn. 14:1-3; Mt. 25:1-10) can only take place after the Church is brought back into its original state. “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:21). Amen.

Of the believers at the beginning it is said, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42). These are the characteristics of the true Church of Jesus Christ:

Firstly, the believers remain in the doctrines of the apostles.

Secondly, there is true fellowship among those who stay within the teachings.

Thirdly, they partake in the Lord’s Supper, which is called the “breaking of bread”.

Fourthly, they remain in fellowship through prayer services.

Our Lord and Saviour Himself gave us the example of the breaking of bread. He did not hand out wafers, but did as it is written of Him, “Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples.” (Mt. 26:26). Amen.

The true Church still celebrates the Lord’s Supper today as it was done at the very beginning. A loaf of bread is prepared, the size according to the number of participants. Furthermore, only one cup is used, just as our Lord did back then. The cup receives the blessing and all drink of it. Thus it is written and therefore it is for ever valid. After His Resurrection our Lord proceeded exactly as He had before, “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.” (Lk. 24:30). Amen. In Acts 20:7 we read, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread …” To the church in Corinth the Apostle Paul wrote, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1. Cor. 10:14-22; 1. Cor. 11:23-34). Amen.