The Day The Church Was Born
When was the church born? How was it born? When was the church’s beginning? Some say the church began on the day of Pentecost, but is that correct?
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: John 20:19-22 (KJV)
The Greek actually says that Jesus breathed IN them the Holy Ghost and they received the Holy Spirit. When they did this, they were born-again, the same as when God breathed into Adam the breath of life (Genesis 2:7) and he became a living soul. The disciples received the breath of life from Jesus, thus receiving the Spirit of Life. They became a new creation. When they received the Holy Spirit, they were born again, entering into a new covenant based on what Jesus did at the cross.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
When Jesus breathed in the disciples and they received the Holy Spirit, which is the spirit of Christ, they were born-again. Because the church is defined by the Bible not as a building or organization, but as the body of believers, the church was actually born when Jesus breathed into His disciples and they became believers- not at Pentecost.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8 (KJV)
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4 (KJV)
Pentecost was when these believers were clothed with power when the Holy Ghost came upon them and they began to speak in other tongues. They had to be believers first before they could be baptized in the Holy Spirit. So, Pentecost was when the power of God was released into and through the church, not when the church began. There are two distinct acts of the Holy Spirit.
When we are born of the Spirit (born-again) as noted in John 3:3 and John 20:22
When we are filled with the Spirit (baptized in the Spirit) as noted in Acts 1:8 and Acts 2:4
The church was born after Jesus’ resurrection, when He breathed into them and said “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” Then, on the day of Pentecost, the church was empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for Jesus. Just as being born-again is for all who receive Jesus, being baptized in the Holy Spirit is for those believers who receive the Holy Spirit after they are born-again.
To recap, the church began when Jesus breathed into the disciples. The church was then filled with the power of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
