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278 ♦ Bible Writers'Theology Chapter Nine
discern the value of the blood and flesh, otherwise eating of His flesh and
drinking of His blood will destroy them (John 6:48-58; I Cor. 11:27-30).
The true Church that chooses to put on Christ and to eat of His flesh and drinkofHisbloodwillbecaughtawayatHiscoming. TheSpiritofGodwill act as a magnet to draw all that have put on His nature by faith.
The Church is not the building of men, but the temple of God founded on the revelation of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:9-ll;16-17; II Corinthians 6:16; ITimothy3:15;Matthew16:17-18;IPeter2:5-9). TheChurchisthedwelling temple of the Spirit of God. The Church does not consist of any certain race, language, or creed, but all those who put on Christ. Therefore, there is no Jew or Greek, bond or free; male or female; all are one in Christ (Galatians
3:26-29;Revelation 7:1-10; Isaiah 66:18-24; Isaiah 40:1-11). This is the revela tion of the glory of Christ in the Church, which is the body, made of all nations, tongues, tribes, and people. This is the one glorious Church!
9.1 The Foundation and the Founding of
the Church
In the beginning, the Church was in the eternal plan of God, hidden in Chnstfrometernity. Inthefullnessoftime,ChristHimselfrevealedthatHe would build His Church, and commissioned the apostle Peter as the chosen
vessel through whom He would initiate this heavenly undertaking. The birth of the Church took place "when the day of Pentecost was fully come" (Acts 2:1-4; Matthew 16:17-19; Joel 2:28-32; Luke 24:44-49). When people responded to the heavenly inaugural command, as recorded in Acts 2:38-39, a new race of heavenly origin, born of water and Spirit, was manifested for the first time on the face of the earth. Thus, God was taking out a people for His Name (Acts 15:14-18), baptized in the Name of Jesus and filled with the Holy Ghost.
The genesis of the church was unique, in the sense that all members com ing from the Adamic race were, "circumcised with the circumcision made withouthandsinputtingoffthebodyofthesinsoftheflesh bycircumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism," and put on Christ (Colossians 2:11- 12; cf. Galatians 3:27). Each member has become a son of God by faith, through baptism in the Name of Jesus (John 1:12-13), and partaker of the divine nature ofChrist (II Peter 1:4), being conformed to His image (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:4-11; 2:15-20; Colossians 3:9-10). Hence, the many mem bers who have put on Christ, beginning on the day of Pentecost, have become the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13).
The foundation of the Church is the revelation of Jesus Christ. The Churchisviewedintwosenses:universalandlocal. Jesussaid,"1willbuild