The question of “when did the church start,” has caused arguments for almost two thousand years. It has divided and destroyed families, friends, and neighbors. If you Google “When did the church start?” you will get over 800 million hits. Therefore, if you arrived here, you are one-in-a-trillion. So, what is the answer?
Let me start by saying I don’t know the exact answer and neither does anyone else because there is no verse in the Bible that says, “Today, on such and such a date, God started the church.” If you disagree with me, or know of such a verse, or a reason to be 100% certain of the answer, please write to us or join the conversation below.
Sadly, this question is sometimes used to divide people into different theological camps based on their understanding of the Bible. Some churches use this as a litmus test for fellowship. It is almost as bad as a Shiboleth (see Judges 12) that will get you killed for the wrong answer. This kind of dogmatism violates every principle of love in the Bible.
- The fear of religion is a dangerous trap
- We told him to stop because he isn’t in our group
- Gnosticism and the altar of special knowledge in the church today
My first response to anyone who asks this question is:
- Does it change sin?
- Does it change the gospel?
- Does it change our salvation?
- Does it change our responsibility to live godly?
- Does it change God’s command for us to love one another?
If this is another gospel (Galatians 1:6-7; 2 Corinthians 11:4; 1 Timothy 1:3) then we need to figure it out. Otherwise, I want to live in love (Acts 11; Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 13; Galatians 5) and let God reign in my life.
Some of the confusion is due to terminology.
- Different people in the Bible
- Gentiles, Jews, Samaritans, other nations, and Christians
- Different periods in the Bible
- Humankind after the creation, humankind after the flood, humankind after Babel, Jews living in Israel, Jews in captivity, Jews in dispersion, and someday soon when the Jews are gathered into Israel with Jesus Christ on the throne (Revelation 20)
- Different groups in the Bible
- The Greek word ecclesia is used, as it had been in the LXX. (Deuteronomy 18:16; Deuteronomy 23:1; Psalm 26:12), for the “congregation” of Israel (Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers), the Greek word ecclesia is usually translated church or assembly in the NT, and there will be a church in heaven (Rev 7:9-17)
Therefore, I want to be careful to avoid causing problems or giving “offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:32)
Personally, I understand the Church to be formed by the baptizing work of the Spirit, which adds believers into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). In Acts 1:5, Jesus said the baptizing work would start soon, which means the Church had not yet started. In Acts 11:15-16 Peter rehearsed that the Spirit fell on the Gentiles just as He had upon them “at the beginning.” Therefore, the beginning would have to be Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit fell on believers and added them to the Church. This unique work of the Holy Spirit included not only Jews, but also Samaritans (Acts 8:14-17) and Gentiles (Acts 10:44-48; 19:6). This was dramatically different than becoming a Gentile Proselyte Jew although it took some time before the Apostles understood what had happened.