The one church over which Jesus alone is head and which bears divinely given names is divine in
its origin. Two factors primarily attest the divine origin of the church, namely: (1) The first conception of
the church is attributed by Scripture to the mind of God before creation, and (2) The divine hand mandated
and established the church by the power and authority of heaven. Especially after a careful examination of
these points below, the earnest student should experience little difficulty identifying the church of the Bible,
in spite of abundant denominational confusion in the religious world.

Origin in the Mind of God

    Many people mistakenly believe that the church was an after-thought of God, devised somewhat
reactionary to the Jews' rejection of Christ as their Messiah. Not aware that the words church and kingdom
are interchangeable terms (Matthew 16:16-19), they also view the church as a substitution for the kingdom.
This scenario would defraud God and Christ of both their omniscience and omnipotence.
 The apostle Paul explained to the Ephesians the unfolding of God's plan for man's redemption
through the church (Ephesians 3:3-12). In verses three through five, he noted that God's plan had formerly
been a "mystery." ". . . by revelation he made known unto me the mystery . . . 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."
This mystery provided for the inclusion of the Gentiles; "That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of
the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel" (verse 6). Though unnoticed by the
Jews and men in general, several prophecies acknowledge that both Jews and Gentiles together were always
intended to be the beneficiaries of God's plan (Genesis 12:3; 22:18; Isaiah 62:2; Joel 3:1-2; Luke 2:25-32).
 The explanation and declaration of God's plan, first called a mystery, here said to be the Gospel,
is charged to the church. Furthermore, the church is attributed to the eternal purpose or mind of God. "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 by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers
in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal
purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (verses 9-11). Titus 1:1-3 and 1 Peter 1:18-20 each
also address God's eternal plan for the redemption of man, which was clearly proclaimed only after the
establishment of the church.

    The church was God's idea, not man's idea. God planned to build the church from before the
creation of the world and man himself. God determined Christ should be the head and Savior of the church
(Ephesians 5:23). It was always God's plan to redeem fallen man through the church. Hence, the saved are
added to the church by the Lord (Acts 2:47); the Lord's church is, therefore, the body of the saved.
Established by God

    Not only did God establish the church in his mind from the dawning of eternity, but he chose a
time suitable to himself to establish that divine institution on the earth. Fundamental to comprehending the
transfer of the church from the mind of God to its establishment on earth, are: (1) The church and kingdom
are synonymous terms for the same divine institution, (2) Therefore, all prophecies about the establishment
of the kingdom equally pertain to the church, and (3) The kingdom (church) of prophecy is spiritual, not
material in nature.

    The suggestion that the church and the kingdom refer to the same institution appears absurd to
many sincere religious people. A careful review of the pertinent passages, though, will reveal this is biblical
fact. Observed already, kingdom and church are used interchangeably in the same conversation of the Lord
(Matthew 16:18-19). That text portrays Jesus promising "the keys of the kingdom" to Peter, which keys
(authority to bind and loose, Matthew 16:19) he used in the first recorded Gospel sermon (Acts 2). Acts
Two chronicles the birthday of the church; from that point forward all reference to the church is as a present
entity, not yet future. Since Peter used the keys of the kingdom essentially to unlock the church, the church
and the kingdom are the same institution.

    Additionally, the apostles made no distinction between the church and the kingdom. Paul called
Christians in Corinth "saints," comprising "the church of God" (1 Corinthians 1:2), whereas he addressed
Christians in Colosse as "saints," members of "the kingdom" (Colossians 1:2,13). The apostle John also
matter of factly stated he was a member of the kingdom (Revelation 1:9). All these were unquestionably
members of the New Testament church, yet they were members of the kingdom, too. They were members
of "one body" (Ephesians 4:4), variously called "the church" (Ephesians 1:22-23), "the temple of God" (1
Corinthians 3:16), "the house of God" (1 Timothy 3:15) and "the kingdom" (Colossians 1:13). Each
different designation merely employs another descriptive term for the same divine institution.
 Since the kingdom and the church are biblically interchangeable terms, every prophecy that
foretells the establishment of the kingdom refers also to the church. The establishment of the church or
kingdom in complete fulfillment of numerous prophecies is remarkable testimony of the establishment of
the church by God. Churches since Acts Two begun by men were not established in accordance with
prophecies of the church. God caused the first church to be built and established the only church
corresponding to age old prophecies.
    Isaiah 2:1-5; Joel 2:28-3:2 and Micah 4:1-3 identify the city of Jerusalem as the place of the
establishment of the kingdom or "house of the Lord." Daniel 2:31-45 teaches the Lord's kingdom was to be
established during the days of the fourth world kingdom from and including the Babylonian kingdom.
Universally, religious people note the Roman Empire was that fourth earthly kingdom. The establishment
of the church in Jerusalem in about A.D. 33 corresponds to the time and place prophesied for the
establishment of the kingdom of prophecy. Further, during his earthly ministry, Jesus told some they would
not die before the establishment of the kingdom (Mark 9:1); this statement of the Lord corresponds to both
the prophecies of old and the commencement of the church.

    Unlike humanly devised churches, the church of the Bible has Christ alone as its builder (Acts
20:28). Prophecy spoke of a stone cut from a mountain without the hands of men (Daniel 2:45), which stone
is the "rock" (confession that Christ is the Son of God) of Matthew 16:16-18 on which Jesus promised to
build his church, and the foundation of the church which is Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). Jesus, "a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God . . ." is "chief corner stone" (1 Peter 2:4-8; Acts 4:11),
making Jesus also head of the church, head of the body and king of the kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
 To the surprise of the Jews, and to the amazement of countless souls today as well, Jesus Christ did
not come to establish an earthly or material kingdom (John 18:36-37). Had Jesus intended to establish an
earthly kingdom in Jerusalem, Pilate as Caesar's governor could not have openly declared of Jesus, "I find
in him no fault at all" (John 18:38). Jesus botched one invitation to become an earthly king, were that his
desire, when he evaded those who wanted to take him by force and make him king (John 6:15). Still a better
opportunity to become an earthly king, which offer Jesus also declined, was when the devil offered all the
kingdoms of the world to him in exchange for adoration and homage (Matthew 4:8-10). (This would have
been no temptation were the devil unable to fulfill his promise because Christ could know through his
omniscience were the devil lying; nothing in the context indicates Jesus discounted the devil's claim, and
the devil does rule in the kingdoms of men as the prince of darkness in this world [Ephesians 6:12; John
12:30; 14:30].)

    Even the apostles were confused about the nature of the Lord's kingdom before their baptism with
the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-4. Their misgivings about the Lord's kingdom are apparent before the death of
Christ (Matthew 24:1-3) and immediately preceding the ascension of the Lord (Acts 1:6-9). Many of the
Lord's disciples deserted him when he taught them of the spiritual nature of the kingdom, but the apostles
remained with the Lord (John 6:22-69).

    The comparison of Zechariah 6:13 and Hebrews 7:14; 8:1-4 conclusively prove that Jesus Christ
is not now ruling on earth, nor shall he ever rule on earth, enthroned in Jerusalem. Zechariah said Christ
"shall rule upon his throne; and shall be a priest upon his throne." However, the Hebrew writer says of the
Lord, "For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts
according to the law" (Hebrews 8:4). The closest to the surface of this sphere any Scripture ever places the
Lord in the future is in the air and the clouds (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Revelation 1:7).
Conclusion

    Churches of human origin were begun by mere mortals instead of by the Holy Son of God himself.
They were begun after the establishment of the Lord's church, most of them outside the era and influence
of the Roman Empire, and in the wrong cities. Human churches are out of harmony with prophecies about
the establishment of the Lord's church. At best, churches of man's devising can only sadly mimic the one
true church, the one of the New Testament. The seed for harvesting a bumper crop of Christians and
churches of Christ (Romans 16:16) is the unadulterated Word of God (Luke 8:11). When something else is
planted in the hearts of men, or that heavenly seed is planted with an admixture of something else, a much
different crop results. Speaking of these different crops, not the result of the Word of God, Jesus said, ". . .
Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up" (Matthew 15:13).

This article and many more can be found at the following internet address: http://www.Bible-InfoNet.org/