Mystery of the Church

PERHAPS the greatest mystery of all will not seem, at first glance, to be a mystery to most readers of this volume. The reason that is true is the fact that the true purpose and meaning of the Church is as little understood as the Bible itself. The revelation of that mystery must come as a shocking truth. The real truth about the Church, the reason for its origin, and its purpose has remained hidden from even the professing Christian world.
This is inextricably intertwined with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a fact to stagger the mind of the reader that the gospel of Jesus Christ was not proclaimed to the world from about A.D. 50 until the year 1953. The apostle Paul foretold this when he said, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (II Cor. 4:3-4). Millions have read over this passage without grasping its real meaning.

Church Exclusive to Christian World

The term church is applicable only to the Christian religion. (The Christian religion, as is generally understood, is the largest religion in the world in number of professing adherents.) Other religions may have mosques, synagogues and temples. But is the Church a building? Many assume it is, which assumption reflects their ignorance of the purpose and meaning of the Church. But in this volume we are concerned only with the Church. For when stripped of its mystery, the Church is of paramount concern to all peoples of the earth.
The Church, founded by Jesus Christ, has an all-important meaning to every human life that ever lived. Yet almost no one has ever known that meaning.
Even within the Christian world, apostasy, division and changing times have blotted out the true original meaning and purpose that now is indeed a mystery.

The word church is an English-language word translated from the original Greek ekklesia. Ekklesia means called-out-ones. Old Testament Israel was usually called by the term "congregation." In some respects the word congregation is synonymous with the word church. Yet there is a distinct difference between the terms church and congregation. The congregation of Israel was separate, as a separate nation. But they were not called-out-ones spiritually in the same sense that characterizes the New Testament Church.
What has been hidden from even the professing Christian world is the real purpose of the Church--the real reason why Jesus Christ, the second Adam, founded the Church.

To the shocking surprise to nearly every reader of this volume, I will state first what the Church was not and is not. It is not the instrumentality by which God is trying to "save the world." Few may realize it, but Jesus made no attempt to gain converts or to invite people to "give their hearts to him" or to "accept him as their personal savior."
On the contrary, he "called-out"--drafted--twelve disciples. The word disciple means student. These twelve were students being taught by Jesus the true gospel of the kingdom of God. This involved the entire purpose of God in creating the human race on this earth. That meaning had been rejected, lost, by the first created man, Adam.

At this point let us recapitulate. God is the Creator and Supreme Ruler over his entire creation. He had placed the archangel Lucifer on earth's throne to administer the government of God. God's government is based on God's law. God's law is a way of life--the way of outgoing love.
God's government was repudiated by Lucifer, who became Satan, and Satan ruled with the opposite way of life--rebellion, self-centeredness and conflict.

Adam, the first created human being, was given opportunity to receive eternal God-life with obedience to God and total submission to the law of God and God's government. He could have replaced Satan on earth's throne. He rejected the government and way of God. Thus Satan was left on the throne where he still rules as of this day. Adam and the human family were kidnapped, deceived into living the self-centered hostile way of Satan. Thereupon God closed off the tree of life and the Holy Spirit of God, until Jesus Christ, the second Adam, should conquer and replace Satan on earth's throne. At his First Coming, appearing on earth as the human Jesus, Christ came, not to seize the throne, but to conquer Satan, qualify to replace him on the throne, and to ransom the kidnapped world with his shed blood.
Now, why the Church? Christ came also to call out selected and chosen ones from Satan's world to turn from Satan's way into the way of God's law and to qualify to reign with Christ when he comes to replace Satan on the throne of the earth. Those called into the Church were called not merely for salvation and eternal life, but to learn the way of God's government and develop the divine character during this mortal life in the Church age.
Seven annual festivals were given to Old Testament Israel and were ordained forever. Their true meaning had long remained a hidden mystery. They picture God's plan of redemption--the divine plan by which God is reproducing himself. The Passover pictures the death of Christ in payment for the penalty of human sin repented of. The seven days of the Festival of Unleavened Bread picture the Church coming out of sin, even as Israel came out of Egypt. The Day of Pentecost, originally called Feast of Firstfruits, pictures the Church as the first to be begotten and born as children of God during the Church age. The Feast of Trumpets pictures the Second Coming of Christ to take over earth's throne and to rule all nations. The Day of Atonement pictures the putting away of Satan. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the thousand-year reign under the rule of Christ and the born children of God. The Final Great Day pictured the final judgment which will be covered in Chapter 7. Let's return now to the subject of this chapter, the Church.

What is the Church? Why is the Church? The institution of the Church, at first mention, may not seem to be a mystery. The modern Western world takes the fact of the existence of churches for granted, as a part of the world's civilized life.
WHY the institution of the Church in the world?--WHY was it started, and for what purpose?
If you ask people in the non-Christian world where other religions are accepted they would probably have no answer. They know little about the Church. Those in the more modernist and liberal areas of traditional Christianity would probably say the Church exists merely as an emotional lift, having a psychological influence on those who have not embraced the evolutionary theory as accepted in modern higher education.
If you ask those who follow one of the evangelical Christian denominations they would probably say that the Church is God's instrument in his effort to save the world from an eternal hell fire. It has been assumed by those people that the Church is a sort of soul-saving station to get people "saved." If the Church came into existence as an instrumentality for "getting people saved," then, I ask, by what means did God try to save people prior to Christ's founding of the Church? Jesus did not appear until 4,000 years after Adam and the original sin. If God is and has been trying to convert the world, what means did he use during that 4,000 years between Adam and Christ? As we have seen in Chapter 3, God closed the tree of life at the foundation of the world. The Holy Spirit and salvation were shut off from the world during all these years.
But in view of the facts revealed by God Almighty in his Word, covered in the preceding chapters, all these suppositions are wrong. They only give vociferous testimony to the fact expressed in Revelation 12:9 that the whole world has been deceived by Satan the devil. Their minds have been blinded to the truth about God's purpose for humanity as stated in II Corinthians 4:3-4.
The existence of the Church, then, does indeed become a mystery to nearly everyone on the face of this earth.
News concerning some church appears frequently in newspapers and on newscasts. People think of a church on some near corner, or perhaps of some denomination in the news, but the fact of its existence would not occur to the mind to be a mystery. But when we ask, why do churches exist, how did the Church as an institution come into being?--what is its reason or purpose for its existence?--does it make any difference whether, or to which church you belong?--then, indeed, it becomes a mystery. The average person has no answer.
The facts of the Church's origin and its purpose are revealed in that book of mystery--the Holy Bible. To make clear that mystery may well require more pages in this book than any other subject.

I am reminded of my personal experience, probably typical of many others. My parents were members of the Friends Church, commonly known as the Quakers. The family had been Quakers for many generations. I was taken to church from babyhood, taking it for granted as a normal part of life. I was in church every Sunday because my parents took me. As a routine habit I continued until age 18. It never occurred to me to question why we should attend church or how the church came into existence, or what was its real meaning and purpose.
I never went through the experience in those years of being "converted." As I grew into the teens, I was told that I had a birthright membership in the church. I was led to take it for granted that I was an immortal soul and that when I died I would not really die, but rather pass away into heaven where I would have no responsibilities but only a life of idleness and ease in sublime glory forever and ever. But I was not religiously or doctrinally interested. I simply took churchgoing and a religious phase of life for granted. But I had no special or deep religious or spiritual interest, and by age 18 I started in the advertising business, lost all interest in religion or the things of God and gave up regular church attendance. I still believed in God--that is to say, I took the existence of God for granted since I had been taught of God's existence from earliest memory.
Then at age 25 I had met and married that one and only particular young woman. She was more seriously interested in the things of God. We began to feel that we should join a church. My wife's ancestry had been part Quaker and part Methodist. There was no Quaker church in the neighborhood where we lived in a Chicago suburb. We joined a Methodist church because it was located within walking distance, we liked the personality of the minister, and we liked the membership socially. I think our experience was typical of millions of others. But it never occurred to me to ask or even wonder why we ought to go to church, or why the institution of the church had ever come into being. Like millions of others I assumed that the "good people" went to church and so ought we.

And so now I ask, does anyone question the reason or purpose for the church as an institution? I ask, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY there are churches? Is there a REASON for it? The very existence of the church known as "Christianity" is one of the great mysteries of our time. This very subject brings to mind again the fact that, not having lived through and seen events of the past 6,000 years that led up to the present, we do not grasp the real meaning or purpose of the Church. In this chapter we shall view the Church in its TRUE relationship to all the events described in the first five chapters of this book. Again, what is the Church?
Most think of the CHURCH as a building with a sharply sloping roof, a steeple pointing heavenward atop and a cross on its face. Indeed Webster defines the word church as a building. It was something altogether different when originally founded.
People suppose a church is a building to which people--some of them--flock on Sunday morning for "worship." They think people go to the church. As founded in the New Testament, the Church went to a building, at first a private home. And the Church assembled on a Saturday, not Sunday.
The churches of today have changed drastically from Christ's pattern! This fact, also, is cloaked in mystery, understood by virtually no one. But for WHAT PURPOSE did Christ found the Church? What has happened to it since?
Some may know Christ started the Church. But who and what is Christ? And if he was the founder of the Church, for what purpose did he start it? But Jesus founded only one Church. Yet in the Western world today there are many different churches--Catholic, Protestant, independents. And within them many denominations, sects and divisions or congregations, each with its differing beliefs, teachings, rituals and programs.
The Church started out as one Church. As it is recorded in I Corinthians 12 the Church consisted of many members, but only the one body--the one Church--of which Jesus Christ was the Head.
At the outset of this chapter we are primarily concerned with four basic questions that constitute a mystery that needs to be revealed with understanding.
1) Who and what is Christ? Why did he appear on earth?
2) What is and why was the Church brought into existence?
3) What is the gospel the Church is commissioned to proclaim?
4) What is the history of the Church? Why is Christianity so different today than at its inception in the first century?
Institutionally the CHURCH is thought of today as a religious organization, association or society. One--if "good"--is supposed to join the "church of his choice." Of course there are the "good guys" and the "bad guys" and the "good" go to church. But does it make any difference which church--which denomination?

I am reminded of an incident of more than 50 years ago. I was still in Eugene, Oregon. An ex-minister came to me who had just recently been married. His wife had money, but he was too proud to let her support him. He had not been employed in the ministry for some time but now needed a job.
"Do you know of any pulpit vacancies in Lane County?" he asked. "I want to support my wife, and she wants to remain here in Lane County."
"Well, yes," I replied. "I do know of one vacancy, but that wouldn't help you because that is a Christian church, and you are a Methodist with different beliefs and practices."
"Oh, that won't make any difference," he assured me. "I'll preach whatever doctrines they want me to preach."
But does it really make any difference what we believe? Let the Word of God answer that question.
The Church seems to be something concerned with worshiping with others. Supposedly it refers to the worship of God.
But if GOD is related to the Church, what is his relationship? How did the Church start? All this is a mystery to today's world.
Back in the early part of 1927 when my intense Bible study was bringing me toward conversion, I asked myself such questions. I supposed questions of that sort never enter the average mind.
In the New Testament Greek, the Church is called the ekklesia, a Greek word meaning called-out-ones--an assembly, a congregation, a gathering, a group. There is no sanctity to the word ekklesia. The name of the Church, however, used 12 times in the New Testament, is "Church of God," which denotes that it is GOD'S Church--which NAME attaches sanctity. The Old Testament Church was the " Congregation of Israel," a human man.

The first place in the New Testament where the word church appears is Matthew 16:18, where, speaking to Simon Peter, Jesus said, "I will build my church." As noted above, the inspired Greek word for church was ekklesia, meaning called-out-ones. Stated in more clear English language, Jesus said "I will call out of Satan's world disciples, to grow into the altogether new and different world, which will be God's kingdom." And in Ephesians 5:23 it is stated that Christ is the Head of the Church.
So this we know. Whatever the Church is, it belongs to GOD and its name is the CHURCH OF GOD. Jesus Christ is its founder, and he its living HEAD.
But if it is GOD'S Church--if Jesus Christ founded it and today heads it--it is something IMPORTANT TO GOD, and therefore VITAL THAT WE COME TO UNDERSTAND! We must bear in mind what went before--what led up to it--to understand WHY the living Christ created it--WHAT it is, and where it fits into the divine PURPOSE being worked out here below.

Old Testament Israel had a function preparatory to ultimate establishment of the KINGDOM OF GOD. The first mention in the Bible of the Church, in time of existence, is Acts 7:38 where it speaks of "the church in the wilderness" at Mount Sinai, under Moses. So Old Testament Israel was the "Church." Most generally in the Old Testament, Israel, as a Church, is referred to as the "Congregation of Israel."
However, as we shall see, the Church of the New Testament is entirely different and has an entirely different purpose than the Old Testament "Congregation of Israel." Almost no one has understood that the gospel could not be proclaimed to the world, nor could God's called congregation of people have the Holy Spirit UNTIL Jesus a) had qualified by overcoming Satan, and b) had been glorified after ascension to heaven (John 7:37-39).
And that is something not even the theologians and church leaders of our day understand. It is, indeed, a mystery, which needs to be revealed and understood. Now let us understand clearly who and what is Christ.
We have already seen in chapter 1 that Christ, in the eternity before the world came into being, was the "Logos" who also was God, and as Jesus, was born as the Son of God. Now as the Son of God just what was Jesus? He was called the second Adam (I Cor. 15:45). Why should he be called the second Adam? The first Adam had the opportunity of taking of the tree of life, which meant God-life--obeying God and thereby replacing Satan on the throne of the earth. Jesus came to do just that, to qualify to replace Satan on that throne and to start the government of God on the earth through those called out from Satan's world. He came also with a message from God called the gospel. The word gospel means good news. And actually, his gospel--the message sent by him from God--was the good news of the kingdom of God. And the kingdom of God, as we shall see, is to be the restoration of the government of God over the earth and the ousting of Satan from that throne.
Jesus came also to build the Church. And he came to pay the ransom price for a kidnapped world and by that price--his death--to pay the penalty incurred by all humans for their sins.

Next, what nearly all "Christians," including theologians, did not realize: Jesus was born to become a KING!
On trial for his life before Pilate, Jesus was asked, "Art thou a king then?" And Jesus answered: "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world..." (John 18:37). Jesus also said (verse 36), "My kingdom is not of this world...[else] would my servants fight"--showing that this is Satan's world. Jesus came to call people out of this world to be prepared to teach and rule under him when he becomes King and takes over the throne of the earth.
Prior to the begettal and birth of Jesus, God had said to his mother-to-be, Mary, by his angel: "And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his KINGDOM there shall be no end" (Luke 1:31-33). His gospel was the good news of that kingdom--the kingdom of God.
It is vital that we understand, at this point, that Jesus, during his human life, was both God and man. In Isaiah 7:14, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was prophesied as the virgin who was going to bear a son. That Son's name, in this prophecy, was to be called Immanuel, which means "God with us." In other words, Jesus was God as well as human man. He had no human father. God Almighty was his father who begat him by means of the Holy Spirit. But though Jesus was actually "God with us," he was also human like all other humans. He was subject to being tempted just as all other humans are tempted. Although he was actually God in the human flesh, yet in his ministry he functioned as a human. Remember, he was the second Adam. It was necessary for him that he, as a human, reject the "forbidden tree" and accept the tree of life. It was necessary that he, as the first Adam might have done, choose to rely completely on God the Father. In fact, God was actually in Christ and Jesus obeyed the Father completely. He qualified to wrest the throne of the earth from Satan.

Why was it necessary that Jesus be actually God in the human flesh? Why was it necessary that he be God? Why was it necessary that he be human? As God, he was the Maker of all mankind. In Ephesians 3:9 it is revealed that God created all things by Jesus Christ. When Jesus was born as a human, his life as our Maker was greater than the sum total of all human lives. Since it is humans who have sinned and come under the death penalty, God's law required human death as the penalty for human sin. But, as our Maker Jesus was the only human whose death could pay the penalty for the sins of all humans.
In no other way could the Creator God have redeemed a vast humanity condemned to the penalty of death.

We need to bear in mind that though Jesus was God in the human flesh, he was also human even as you and I. He could suffer the same physical pains. He had been condemned to death by the Roman governor Pilate on clamorous demand of shouting Jews.
He was a strong, vigorous, young man of about 33 years of age, in the peak of health. Because he had never broken even a law of health, he suffered the process of dying as no other human ever did. He had been up all night without sleep during the trial before Pilate. Pilate, later that morning, delivered him to be scourged before being put to death.
Scourging consisted of being stripped to the waist, bound over in a bent position, tied to a post. He was beaten by whips made of leather thongs weighted down by pieces of lead, broken shards of bone and sharp jagged pieces of metal attached at intervals of four to five inches, along the leather thongs. They were designed to imbed themselves deeply into the flesh as the thongs wrapped themselves around the body. He was whipped until his flesh was torn open and even his ribs appeared. Scourging was intended to weaken the victims so they would die quickly on the stake of crucifixion. As foretold in Isaiah 52:14: "His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men."
This indescribable scourging was endured that believers might be healed from physical transgression, sicknesses or disease (Isa. 53:5; I Pet. 2:24). What a terrible price our own very Maker paid that we might, by believing, be healed. Yet nearly all professing believers totally ignore what their Savior provided for them, and instead of relying on him, put their faith in human doctors, drugs, medicines and knives.
Jesus was so weakened by this terrible chastisement that he was unable to carry his cross, as he was required to do, but for a short distance. Another was appointed to carry it for him.

Outside the city walls, at the Place of the Skull (Golgotha), Jesus was nailed to the cross. He was humiliated, spat upon, ridiculed, and jeered at.
More than that, because at that moment he had taken on himself our sins, in order to pay the penalty in our stead, he was forsaken by even his Father, God. As he hung on the cross, helpless, a soldier stabbed him with a spear, he screamed in pain (Matt. 27:50, Moffatt) and then died. He did this because you and I have transgressed the law of God. He paid the supreme possible sacrifice for you and for me.
One more supremely vital truth. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead was that of a human being and the only one that could make possible the resurrection of humans, once dead, to immortal life.
Now another vital prophecy. In Isaiah 9:6-7: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, There everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." Notice the government would be on his shoulder. Jesus is going to be King over all the earth. And one of the purposes of his coming was to announce that kingdom. Jesus' gospel was not only good news--it was an announcement, or good news proclamation of the coming kingdom of God. What a tragedy that a "traditional Christianity" has forsaken and lost that vital and glorious gospel message and substituted their own gospel about the person of Christ.
Jesus was born as a human, to become a KING, ultimately to establish the KINGDOM OF GOD, ruling the whole earth with the GOVERNMENT OF GOD! But that RULE required more than the individual JESUS. The king, president, prime minister or ruler over every nation governs with and through a more or less vast organization of others who rule various phases and departments under him. Likewise, Christ must have an organized government with numerous others trained and qualified to rule under him. Jesus said, "I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18). The Church was to consist of many to be called out of Satan's world to be taught and trained for numerous governmental positions under Christ when he comes to rule over all the nations.

Jesus came also as spiritual Savior, to save God's people in their due time from their sins, that they might be BORN into the very divine FAMILY OF GOD (Matt. 1:21)).
Remember, the tree of life, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, had been cut off from mankind at the foundation of the world after the sin of Adam. What the world does not understand is that the Spirit of God was cut off from humanity as a whole UNTIL the second Adam actually removes Satan and restores the government of God on the earth.
As for humanity as a whole, it was appointed at the time of Adam's sin for humans once to die and after death, by resurrection, shall come the judgment (Heb. 9:27).
The Holy Spirit was not given to the people of ancient Israel. Since God called and raised up prophets for a specific purpose preparatory to the salvation of humanity, it was necessary, in order for them to perform their called function, that an exception be made and they be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
In the same manner since God through Jesus was now calling out his Church for a specific function preparatory to the establishment of his kingdom and government over all nations, it was now necessary that the same exception be made for the Church and that they be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
God emphatically did not empower the prophets with his Spirit merely for the purpose of giving them salvation. Likewise, God did not call saints out of this world merely for their salvation and entrance into his kingdom. Otherwise God would be a respecter of persons to have called the few of his Church at this time, while refusing to call others to salvation.
If God is opening salvation to the few in his Church only to give them salvation, while he excluded the preponderance of the world as a whole until later, then God certainly would be a respecter of persons, discriminating against the world as a whole. Jesus said plainly no man can come unto him except God the Father draws him (John 6:44). A professed Christianity believes precisely the opposite. This false Christianity teaches that God is calling and trying to save everybody in this present time. If that were so, then Satan is certainly winning a great victory over God. For the overwhelming majority of mankind know little or nothing about Christ or salvation through him.

God's master plan calls for offering salvation and eternal life to every person ever born, but his plan calls for doing that in a time-order.
Those called out of the world and into the Church at this time are called for a specific purpose and a specific work. This specific work was to make possible the spiritual training to aid in the conversion of humanity as a whole. They are called at a time when they are persecuted and fought against by Satan and by the rest of the world. The rest of the world will be called at a time when Satan is removed and they are aided and helped by Christ and the saints then made immortal in the kingdom of God.
Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelieving world and the professing traditional "Christianity" to this fact (II Cor. 4:4). Satan has deceived the entire world, including a professing traditional "Christianity" (Rev. 12:9).
Neither professing Christians nor their scholarly theologian leaders today comprehend the major PURPOSES for which Jesus Christ came!

Jesus did not come to save Satan's world while Satan sits on the throne deceiving them. Jesus will save the world at his Second Coming, when Satan shall be put away. Why, then, did Jesus come more than 1,900 years ago? Not to rule, not to reign over all nations, not to save the world while Satan still rules over them.
His human birth was the arrival of the "second Adam." He had come 1) to qualify, where the first Adam failed, to replace the former archangel Lucifer on the THRONE OF THE EARTH, ruling with the GOVERNMENT OF GOD. He had come 2) to announce the future establishment of the KINGDOM OF GOD and teach that prophetic good news (gospel) to his chosen future apostles. He had come 3) to take on himself, as our direct Creator, the penalty for our sins by his death on the cross--that we might share in that world. And he had come 4) to be resurrected from the dead by God, making possible ETERNAL GOD-LIFE for the people of God and after his Second Coming for all who are willing, of all humanity, who have ever lived on this earth. And he had come 5) to establish GOD'S CHURCH, to be trained to rule under him.

Meanwhile, for 4,000 years since the first Adam, the wily and evil Satan had been invisibly swaying and ruling a mankind CUT OFF from all contact with and knowledge of GOD! He still sits at that throne of POWER--though not administering God's government, but subtilely swaying all humanity to live under the precise opposite to the law of God's government--that is, the ways of vanity, coveting, competition, strife and violence, instead of God's way of outflowing love, cooperation, peace, happiness and joy.
Immediately after the birth of the Christ-child, Satan sought, through the Roman-appointed King Herod, to physically slay the future KING (Matt. 2:13-15). But God warned Joseph and Mary to flee with the Christ-child into Egypt until King Herod was dead.
When Jesus was about age 30, he was ready to begin choosing his apostles, and proclaiming and teaching them his message from God to man--his gospel. But first, it was imperative that he QUALIFY to replace Satan and set up the KINGDOM OF GOD, by overcoming the devil.
This perhaps was the most important, momentous, decisive confrontation and battle ever fought in all time in the universe. It is described in detail in Matthew, chapter 4.

Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights--with neither food nor water. But in his physical weakness he was made spiritually strong. Satan now used his most cunning, subtle, masterful powers of deception. He must have thought he really could outwit and spiritually strike down the Christ. Satan knew well he was now fighting to prevent his dethroning over the earth.
Satan struck his first blow at what he regarded as the most vulnerable points both physically and spiritually. Surely a man without food or water for 40 full days would be weakened to yield to almost any temptation for food. And the most vulnerable spiritual weakness is VANITY!
"If," sneered Satan tantalizing--he used that effective little word IF--"IF thou be the Son of God"--a normal human would have been insulted, indignant. He would have defiantly hurled back: "What do you mean, IF I be the Son of God? I'll show you that I am the Son of God!"
But Satan in this first attack, said, "IF thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." In other words, "The Son of God can produce miracles. PROVE to me you are the Son of God! You are desperately hungry. Perform a miracle. Feed yourself by a miracle!"
But Jesus only answered by quoting and obeying the Word of God: "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Satan's first and most effective strike was parried. But Satan never gives up. He took Jesus into Jerusalem and sat him on a high pinnacle of the Temple. He continued to QUESTION that Jesus was the Son of God.
"IF thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." Now Satan quoted Scripture. But he misapplied it, twisted its contextual meaning, just as Satan so frequently influences scholars to do.
Jesus came back to him, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." This is quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16 and refers to tempting YHWH (Hebrew), who became Christ.
But still Satan did not give up.
Next he took Jesus atop a high mountain, showing him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."
Jesus did not deny that Satan was now over the nations of this world. This was a temptation for gaining immediate power. Satan well knew Jesus would inherit all these kingdoms more than 1,900 years later. But he tempted Jesus to take Satan's word that he would turn them over and give Christ world power IMMEDIATELY. But Jesus decided it was time to END this titanic battle for the rulership over the earth.
Jesus now snapped out an ORDER--a COMMAND showing that he was MASTER over Satan!
"Get thee hence, Satan!" he commanded with supreme AUTHORITY! Satan slunk away defeated. But Satan did not give up. Nor has he given up yet. He battles against God's CHURCH still today!

Jesus Christ, the second Adam, had QUALIFIED! Never until that minute could the GOOD NEWS of the coming KINGDOM OF GOD be announced to the world. Now the Son of God resisted and conquered Satan--had QUALIFIED to reestablish GOD'S GOVERNMENT and set up the KINGDOM OF GOD on the earth! But now the CHURCH must also qualify to rule with him!
Jesus came, among other purposes, to call out of the world his CHURCH. Those called out had been in--and OF--this world. Each had brought on himself by sin the supreme DEATH PENALTY. But God had created ALL THINGS by the WORD who became Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus' life was greater in value than that of all humanity collectively!
Picture a human son of the wealthiest, most powerful man on earth. The tycoon's son is his heir--to inherit his immense wealth. He has been allocated a sizable portion of it already while an heir. This young man feels deep affection for another young man. His friend has committed a crime, plunged into debt for millions of dollars, which he cannot pay. He is deeply repentant but unable to save himself from imprisonment for the theft. In compassion for his friend, the son pays the multimillion-dollar debt out of his own money. His guilty friend's debt is PAID IN FULL. His guilt--his tremendous obligation--no longer hangs over him--he is freed from that obligation and its heavy penalties!
All humanity had followed father Adam--had brought over it the supreme DEATH PENALTY. Before Jesus (the "WORD"), now the Son of GOD, could found his CHURCH, those called out of the world into that CHURCH must be freed from the supreme DEATH PENALTY, so that they might inherit ETERNAL LIFE!
One of the purposes for which Jesus came as a human to earth was to PAY THAT PENALTY--that supreme DEATH PENALTY--for those called into his Church not only, but ultimately to free ALL HUMANITY each in his due time!
But since that DEATH PENALTY he would pay for sinning humanity would END his human life, paying it was reserved as his final human act after all other purposes of his human life had been finished.
Nevertheless this gives the reader a grasp of HOW GREAT is the Jesus who came to found the CHURCH OF GOD!
Continually bear in mind that, although his earthly ministry began when he was barely 30 years old (in his HUMAN life) yet he was the EVER-LIVING--the ETERNAL--who had ALWAYS existed. How GREAT was that 30-year-old human life!
And this Jesus, who had grown up in the town of Nazareth, had since human birth resisted and overcome SATAN--had rejected Satan's self-centered way of "GET," and in the final titanic confrontation had QUALIFIED to RESTORE the GOVERNMENT OF GOD and to establish on earth the KINGDOM OF GOD, to rule that government! Where the first Adam had failed to do this, Jesus the second Adam succeeded.

Immediately after the decisive battle to overcome Satan, two of the disciples of John the Baptist saw, with John, Jesus. Jesus asked them to follow him to his home. One of these was Andrew, son of Jona. He called his brother, Simon bar-Jona.
Jesus looked on Simon, and said to him, "Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas [in Greek, PETER]," meaning a stone (John 1:42).
In Mark 3:14, 16, we read: "And he [Jesus] ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach....And Simon he surnamed Peter." A surname is, according to Webster, "an added name derived from occupation."
The surname Peter had for centuries been a surname or TITLE, designating a religious LEADER, HEAD or HEADQUARTERS. Peter was the first and chief apostle. An apostle is "one sent forth to proclaim or preach."
So, at the very beginning of his earthly ministry, preparing the FOUNDATION for the Church, Jesus Christ chose his chief human apostle and the other original 11. They, with the prophets whose writings were preserved from the days of God's first chosen Congregation (and NATION), Israel, were to form the very FOUNDATION of God's CHURCH. Jesus himself was to be not only Founder but HEAD, and chief "corner stone" of the CHURCH (Eph. 2:19-21; 5:23).

Prior to age 30, Jesus had been a carpenter--also building with stone as well as with wood. He well knew the FOUNDATION should be laid first, before the structure itself.
But Jesus had himself chosen his apostles. He said to them later, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" (John 15:16, 19).
Now Jesus began proclaiming the gospel MESSAGE God the Father had sent into the world by him as God's Messenger (Mal. 3:1).
We read of it in Mark chapter 1: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God....Jesus came into Galilee, preaching [proclaiming, teaching] the gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:1, 14-15).
And, from Matthew, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom" (Matt. 4:23).
This prophetic message (gospel) of the KINGDOM OF GOD will be explained in detail in Chapter 7. It was the GOOD NEWS of the future establishment on earth of the GOVERNMENT OF GOD, restored and administered by the divine GOD FAMILY--the KINGDOM OF GOD, to replace the present evil world of Satan.
Jesus' proclaiming of this amazing future NEWS--combined with his miracles of healing, turning water into wine and others, caused great excitement. Immense crowds followed him and his disciples. He was teaching his disciples to become the future apostles, while he preached this message to the public.

The news proclamation had spread to Jerusalem. There the Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees became alarmed by it. The Pharisees were a Jewish religious sect some of whom occupied minor--yet to them important--government offices. The Roman Empire then ruled over Palestine. The Romans sent a district king and a limited occupation army to supervise rule in Judea. But the Romans set some of the Jewish Pharisees in offices of lower civil rule, under the Roman king. These were well-paying political jobs, and these Pharisees did not want to lose their jobs or their power over the people. These Jewish rulers and their chief priests completely MISunderstood Jesus' gospel message. They knew he proclaimed a government that would take over and rule ALL NATIONS of the earth. What they MISunderstood was the TIME and NATURE of that kingdom of God. And a professing "Christianity" still misunderstands it today. They assumed Jesus was a subversive, intending himself, immediately in his human lifetime, to overthrow the Roman Empire and set up his own kingdom.
Immediately they feared being accused of sedition and disloyalty, losing their jobs and probably being executed as subversives. So they opposed and denounced Jesus.
Traditional Christianity has really never understood this basic reason for Pharisaical opposition and persecution of Jesus. The Pharisees included unscrupulous politicians.
At the time of the first Passover to occur during Jesus' ministry, the spring of A.D. 28 (almost exactly 100 time cycles--1,900 years--before I kept my first Passover), Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover.
While there, a notable Pharisee named Nicodemus came to see Jesus secretly by night. He feared having fellow Pharisees know he had talked personally with Jesus.
Nicodemus said, "Rabbi, we know [we Pharisees know] that thou art a teacher come from God."
The Pharisees KNEW JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH! They were familiar with Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 53. The Pharisees KNEW Jesus was the prophesied Messiah. But they understood only one Messianic appearance. So they supposed he was planning to overthrow the Roman Empire then!
Of course Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he launched immediately into the fact that the KINGDOM OF GOD, ruling all nations, could not be set up UNTIL the time of the NEW SPIRIT BIRTH--the time of the RESURRECTION!

Jesus answered immediately, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
But Nicodemus did not understand this. He knew that being born was an actual BIRTH--parturition from the womb of the mother. Today's theologians do not know even that! They deny a real second birth as a spirit being. They spiritualize away the real truth by assuming that merely saying that one accepts Christ as his Savior constitutes being born again. In this, Satan had deceived them and in turn they have deceived millions of others.
Nicodemus said, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
Jesus now made the meaning PLAIN--but Nicodemus did not receive his PLAINNESS of speech, nor do theologians or religious leaders today.
"Verily, verily," replied Jesus, "...except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh IS FLESH; and that which is born of the Spirit IS SPIRIT" (emphasis mine--John 3:5-6).
The Pharisees knew about water baptism. They had used it for years in converting gentile proselytes to Judaism. They knew of John the Baptist's baptism--a baptism of repentance "for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4). Jesus' meaning should have been PLAIN to Nicodemus--that water baptism was an initiatory rite preparatory to the start of being BORN of the Spirit.
Jesus made it doubly PLAIN when he said, "That which is born of the flesh IS flesh." That which is born of humans IS mortal HUMAN--composed of flesh and blood--composed of MATTER from the ground. "That which is born of the Spirit IS SPIRIT"--no longer human but composed of SPIRIT, immortal! No longer composed of matter or flesh.
Jesus explained even further.
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." Then he compared one born again to INVISIBLE WIND--invisible to human eyes. "The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8 RSV).
But Nicodemus did not understand such plainness of speech, nor do religious leaders today!
See What Do You Mean--Born Again?
To this representative of the Pharisees Jesus referred to the "salvation" or "spiritual" phase of the kingdom of God. That kingdom will NOT be composed of mortal humans! It is NOT composed of mortal flesh-and-blood persons who have "accepted Christ" and joined a church of their choice! Yet millions of church members are deceived about that today.
These millions of church members do not understand WHAT the Church IS, nor WHY--its PURPOSE--the REASON for it!
Compare Jesus' explanation to Nicodemus with the "resurrection chapter" of the Bible, I Corinthians 15: "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living [mortal] soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earth, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God..." (I Cor. 15:45-50).
I repeat again and again, GOD IS REPRODUCING HIMSELF!
The popular teaching in churches today is that THE CHURCH is the kingdom of God. But "flesh and blood [mortal humans] cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (I Cor. 15:50).

But WHAT, then, IS the Church? And WHY is the CHURCH! Why should there be the Church of God?
To many--and probably most--the Church plays no part in their lives. Indeed God plays no part in their lives. God is not consciously in their world. Just people, material things and interests. Of course, far back in the subconscious recesses of many minds may lie the dormant supposition that God exists. But he does not seem REAL to them.
That means also that the average person has no conception of what he is, why he is, or of any purpose or meaning for his being alive. Yet the CHURCH, too, does exist. But, again, WHY? WHAT is it, really? What PURPOSE does it serve?
We have seen that there is indeed a PURPOSE being worked out here below. Winston Churchill stated that before the United States Congress.There is a REASON for the presence of humanity on the earth. And for the working out of that PURPOSE there is a MASTER PLAN. The CHURCH is an important part of that plan.
Never lose sight of the setting that led up to the raising up of the Church. Keep in mind WHO and WHAT God is--the divine creating family, now reproducing himself in man.
Bear in mind further: In order for Christ to RESTORE God's government over the earth, he would need with and under him a qualified and organized personnel of GOD BEINGS--all having rejected Satan's false way and having proved their loyalty to the government and righteous ways of GOD!
God's CHURCH was designed in his supreme master plan to prepare that dedicated and organized personnel of GOD BEINGS. The Church, then, became God's instrumentality for aiding him in bringing about the salvation to humanity.
Remember God has set out a 7,000-year master plan for accomplishing his purpose. We have stated that his purpose is to reproduce himself. But actually reproducing himself means converting the world from sin into God's righteousness. It means instilling within God's potential children the perfect spiritual character of God. They would become finally born sons in the God family.
And just as God has not created all at once, but in successive stages, so he is bringing salvation to the world in successive stages. The Church is a necessary instrumentality preparatory to, and in order to, bring salvation to humanity. Therefore, once again, let it be emphasized that the purpose of the Church is not merely to give salvation to those called into the Church, but to teach and train those predestined and called into the Church as instruments God shall use in bringing the world to salvation.

Let us illustrate by an analogy. Many states in America have state teachers' colleges. The states could not start or conduct schools until they had first trained teachers for those schools. The Church may be called God's teachers' college to prepare rulers and teachers for the kingdom of God when God does offer redemption and eternal life to the world as a whole.
The CHURCH was planned to be God's instrumentality for calling predestinated human beings out of this world to be trained for positions of leadership in the world tomorrow, when they shall teach and train others. That is why in the New Testament, the Church is called the firstfruits of God's salvation.
All this necessitated certain vital steps--one at a time--in the procedure of God's supreme master plan!
Now we remind the reader that the Holy Spirit was closed to humanity at the time of Adam's sin at the very foundation of the world. It was closed to humanity as a whole UNTIL Christ the second Adam should restore the government of God and unseat Satan from the throne of the earth. That fact is made clear by Jesus' statement in John 6:44, applying to this Church age, that no person could come to him except the Father that sent him draws them. That is why repeatedly in the New Testament those in the Church are referred to as having been called or chosen. That is why the Church is called a chosen generation. That is why predestination is mentioned twice in the New Testament--that the called were predestinated to be called. Indeed, they have been drafted. They are not volunteers.

It is only through Christ that sinning humanity may be reconciled to God the Father. They must first come to Christ. But no person can come to Christ except God the Father selects and through his Holy Spirit, draws them.
That may come as an astonishing new truth, but the more you study the New Testament, and how this truth is constantly borne out throughout the New Testament, the more clear this will become to you.
No wonder the Church and its purpose has been a mystery. Satan has blinded the minds of a deceived and counterfeit Christianity.
Anyone who "joins the church of his choice" has not come into God's true Church. One cannot just "join" the TRUE Church of God. One is first selected and drawn by God the Father through his Spirit, brought to a complete heartrending repentance and changed in his total life-style, and has also not only believed in and accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior, but also has believed Christ. Remember Christ is the Word of God. Jesus was the Word of God in Person. The Bible is the same Word of God in writing. To believe Christ is to believe what he says--in other words, to believe God's Word the Holy Bible.
So, once again, WHAT and WHY is the CHURCH? The Church is the called out (from this world) begotten children of God. It is the Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:27; Eph. 1:23). It is the spiritual organism that shall be the "Bride of Christ"--after its resurrection to immortality. Then it shall be married to Christ! It is the spiritual TEMPLE to which Christ shall come at his second appearing (Eph. 2:21).
The Church could not be actually founded UNTIL Jesus had ascended and been glorified (John 7:37-39). But in a sense God began calling out some to form the foundation of the Church with Abraham and the prophets of the Old Testament--even, perhaps, with Abel, Enoch and Noah (Eph. 2:20).
And Jesus, immediately after qualifying by overcoming Satan, began calling out his future apostles. They were to form, with the prophets, the very FOUNDATION of the Church, under Christ who himself is the real foundation and HEAD of the Church (I Cor. 3:11; Eph. 5:23).
The average person has no conception whatever of the tremendous, supreme supernatural achievement Almighty God has undertaken in REPRODUCING HIMSELF--ultimately into billions of spiritual GOD BEINGS! Or of the many-faceted stages of development necessitated in this pinnacle of all divine accomplishments!

God could not hurry. It required a master plan, which must proceed a step at a time. It required PATIENCE and never-deviating determination on the part of the divine Creator!
Few UNDERSTAND this!
God put it in my mind and heart when I was a child only 5 years old to desire--to literally crave--UNDERSTANDING! Solomon desired wisdom and God gave him wisdom above all who ever lived.
What, then, is the necessary prerequisite to receiving UNDERSTANDING? A good understanding have all they that do him commandments" (Ps. 111:10). The one test commandment is the fourth--keeping God's Sabbath. My conversion resulted from a struggle to resist that commandment! But when a merciful God conquered me--brought me to surrender to him on that point--he revealed also the necessity of observing his ANNUAL Sabbaths and festivals. These picture the seven major spiritual steps in the great master plan. (This truth is explained here Pagan Holidays or God's Holy Days--Which?) Through this and other revealed knowledge of the Holy Bible, God gave me UNDERSTANDING of the working out of his great PURPOSE! And also the necessary part of his CHURCH in fulfillment of that glorious purpose!
After Adam's rebellion, with Satan still on earth's throne, only God could have known how gradually, cautiously, a step at a time, must be the procedure.
Such righteous men as Abel, Enoch and Noah undoubtedly were used to play some part in the ultimate creation of the KINGDOM OF GOD. But the Eternal began laying the actual foundation of that ultimate GOD FAMILY through the patriarch Abraham. Isaac, Jacob and Joseph formed part of that prefoundation.
Then through Moses, God raised up the nation Israel--God's first Congregation or Church. That Old Covenant Church was given God's government, but NOT his Holy Spirit! Israelites were not begotten to become future GOD BEINGS. Yet ancient Israel fulfilled a necessary part in God's supreme program.
Nevertheless, during those years, God continued to call and prepare individual PROPHETS to become part of the FOUNDATION for his CHURCH.

And WHAT, then, was to be the CHURCH? As pictured by the third of God's annual Holy Days (festivals) it was to provide the FIRST ACTUAL HARVEST of mortal humans being translated into Spirit-composed GOD BEINGS! Again, the Church is the instrumentality prepared to be used with and under Christ in completing God's wonderful purpose of saving humanity and reproducing himself. However, the CHURCH is the BEGOTTEN (not yet born) children of GOD. But the CHURCH shall be the firstBORN harvest (Heb. 12:23) (Christ being the foregoing Pioneer) at Christ's coming in POWER and GLORY!
Through the years from Abraham until Christ, God had called out of Satan's world begotten and prepared PROPHETS, as the preliminary co-foundation of God's CHURCH! Jesus himself is the main foundation.
During Jesus' 3 1/2 year earthly ministry, he called out, chose and trained, to begin with, the second co-foundation, his original 12 apostles.
During his human earthly ministry, Jesus announced publicly the future KINGDOM OF GOD. He taught and trained his apostles as he proceeded.
But he DID NOT CALL to salvation the public to whom he preached. he spoke to them frequently in parables. And WHY in parables? To cloud, to hide from them the meaning (Matt. 13:10-16) that was given to his chosen apostles to understand. There was an all important reason why God's plan, a step at a time, did not, as yet, call for saving the world. God first called out the Church to be converted and changed to become kings and priests (Rev. 5:10) under Jesus WHEN Jesus comes to save the world. Consequently, much of the truth was revealed to the Church, which was being trained to assist Christ in saving the world. But the time had not yet come to reveal these truths to the world. Yet this world's churches are teaching doctrines diametrically contrary to this truth.

By the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus had completed preparations for founding his Church. He had finished the work he, as a human had come to do. Then he gave his life on the cross. He took on himself our human guilt for our sins.
Understand, however, Christ DID NOT take on himself Satan's primary share in all human sins. Satan will continue to pay his own penalty throughout all eternity!
The FOUNDATION for the Church of God had been laid. Christ himself is the Head and chief cornerstone--the main foundation. His apostles, with the prophets, formed the remainder of the foundation.
The apostles were chafing at the bit to GET STARTED--to go forth proclaiming the gospel message. But God has wisely used restraint, with patience, taking a proper step at a time. So Jesus cautioned his apostles to WAIT! "Tarry ye," he commanded (Luke 24:49), "in the city of Jerusalem, UNTIL ye be endued with power from on high."
Ten days later came the annual Day of Pentecost, originally named the Feast of Firstfruits (Num. 28:26).
On that day the Holy Spirit came! On that day THE CHURCH WAS FOUNDED!
That day symbolized the very firstfruits for God's kingdom. God's feast days picture God's spiritual harvest. The very first portion of God's spiritual harvest of humans finally to be born of God--made GOD BEINGS--is THE CHURCH! That's why even those who shall be born into the kingdom of God at Christ's return starting with ancient prophets are part of the CHURCH OF GOD. Even prophets of Old Testament times are part of the FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH (Eph. 2:19-21).
All--prophets, apostles and Church brethren in whom resided the Holy Spirit--shall be resurrected and/or changed to immortality at Christ's coming in GLORY and POWER!
Thus the WHOLE CHURCH constitutes the very FIRST of all humans who shall be finally BORN AGAIN into the kingdom of GOD. They shall be GOD BEINGS!
HOW DECEIVED (Rev. 12:9) have been all those who think they already have been "born again." The reader should see Just What Do You Mean--Born Again?

Now before proceeding further, UNDERSTAND WHY only the minute FEW have so far been called to salvation--WHY the world as a whole has been CUT OFF from God--WHY the world has not been yet judged--WHY neither "saved" nor "lost"!
Unless or UNTIL a son of Adam could qualify where Adam failed--could overcome and conquer SATAN--could pay the penalty of human sin and ransom the world from Satan--none could restore GOD'S GOVERNMENT--none could be given eternal GOD-life!
The supreme master plan for working out GOD'S PURPOSE--reproducing himself--called for the self-existing "WORD" to be born of human flesh as a son of Adam. But ALSO that plan called for him to be born as the only begotten Son of GOD!
The Messiah, and he alone, would be able to overcome and conquer Satan--to QUALIFY to replace Satan ON THE THRONE OF THE EARTH! Only through him could the sons of Adam be reconciled to GOD, receive God's Spirit, become GOD'S sons--become the GOD BEINGS by whom God should have finally reproduced himself!
What a superb incredible master plan for such a SUPREME PURPOSE! HOW GREAT IS THE ETERNAL GOD WHO DESIGNED IT!
This wonderful plan of God therefore of necessity called for the sons of Adam in general to be NOT YET JUDGED! God left them to their own devices--knowing full well they would willingly and willfully follow automatically Satan's "GET" way.
But meanwhile they would not be finally judged, but "reaping what they sowed." They would live this sinful life, die, and God would RESURRECT them in a special resurrection to JUDGMENT in the end of the 7,000 years of the master plan. Christ already having atoned for their sins--Satan having been removed--Christ and the kingdom of God having restored the government of God over the earth--then they could be CALLED to repentance, to reconciliation to GOD, to becoming, on their then free choice, GOD BEINGS!
And THAT'S WHY God has kept the world as a whole CUT OFF from him, even as their progenitor Adam had cut off himself and his human family.

As the apostle Paul was inspired to write, in Romans 11: "I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery" (and it is a mystery to the world) "that blindness" to these mysteries has happened to this world--even to its "Christian theologians"--UNTIL the kingdom of God has been established in rule of the earth!
"For," continues Paul, "as ye [Christians] in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For GOD hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy UPON ALL"!
And at this point Paul shouted out in writing: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11:25, 30-32).
True, the apostle wrote the above concerning ISRAEL, and I have applied it to all uncalled humanity--but it is truly applicable.
God called and prepared the Old Testament prophets. He has called and still calls and prepares the CHURCH to overcome Satan--whereas those now blinded, uncalled and cut off from God have NOT had to overcome Satan. WHY?
WHY the CHURCH?
That we may QUALIFY to rule WITH and UNDER CHRIST in the kingdom of God--that we may prepare the way for the ULTIMATE CALL AND SALVATION OF THE WORLD!
At this point let me quote two passages from the direct word of Jesus, which apply ONLY to the CHURCH:
To the CHURCH of this twentieth century Jesus says, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" (Rev. 3:21).
Then again to the CHURCH Jesus says, "He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron..." (Rev. 2:26-27).
In that passage of Scripture Jesus showed plainly why some are called out of this world into the Church at this present time. Not because he is trying to save the world, and we are part of the world. Not just that we may be saved and make it into his kingdom, but, as Jesus also said in Revelation 5:10, to be kings and priests and reign with and under Christ when he sets his hand to bring salvation to the world.

I cannot repeat too emphatically that those being called into the Church now are not being called merely and only for salvation. Nevertheless, in order that they may be kings and priests, as actual God Beings aiding Christ in the salvation of the world, those in the Church themselves must be genuinely converted.
I cannot make this truth too plain. I fear many, even in the Church, do not fully comprehend just what is a real conversion.
Conversion takes place in the mind, and that faculty of mind we call the heart. This could never be fully understood without an understanding of the actual makeup of the human mind, as explained in Chapter 3 of this work. It could never be understood, until the knowledge was revealed through the Bible, of the human spirit in man and the actual composition of the human mind.
As the human mind differs from the animal brain by the addition of the human spirit, so the converted person differs from the unconverted person by the addition of the Holy Spirit.
How much greater is the capacity and output of the human mind than that of the animal brain? The realization of that difference should make clear to us the vast difference between a converted mind being led by the Holy Spirit, and mind of the unconverted.
One does not receive the Holy Spirit until he has first of all repented. God grants repentance (Acts 11:18). The second condition to receiving the Holy Spirit is faith. That means not only believing in God and in Christ, but since Christ is the Word or Spokesman of the God family, it means believing what he says.
Repentance means a change of mind. Godly sorrow is a much deeper sorrow than remorse. And godly sorrow leads to repentance. It involves not only heartfelt sorrow for past sins, but a total change of attitude, of mind and direction and purpose of life. Actually, repentance is more concerned with future conduct than the past. The blood of Christ has atoned for the past. Repentance is not penance. Nothing you can do can make up for past guilt. The blood of Christ has paid the price of past guilt. It has washed the slate clean.
A converted person is a person with a totally changed, or converted mind. A converted mind in which the very mind of God is joined with the human mind. As God says through the apostle Paul, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5). The Holy Spirit is the spirit of a sound mind, which is a completely changed mind. It has made an about-face in its desires, purposes and intentions.

The "salvation" in what is called traditional Christianity does not actually change one into a new and different person. Too often ministers and evangelists tell people that if they have just "received Christ," "accepted Christ," or "given their heart to the Lord," they are saved. They are already "born again." It is as if some mystic switch has been flipped and the person will be shot instantly up to heaven upon death, which so many believe is not really a death after all. God, in the Bible, teaches no such thing. God reveals that as in Adam all die, even so the same "all" in Christ shall be made alive by a resurrection from the dead. Meanwhile, God reveals the dead are totally unconscious.
In ancient Israel God gave them knowledge of his law, but not his Spirit. Their minds were not converted or changed. They were still carnal. And the natural mind is hostile against God (Rom. 8:7). There was no conversion in ancient Israel--no salvation. The 37th chapter of Ezekiel reveals how those of ancient Israel will receive the Spirit of God, if willing, in the Great White Throne Judgment.
One receiving and led by the Holy Spirit is a changed person. He has undergone a renewing of the mind. Until the knowledge of the human spirit in man was revealed, and that God's Spirit can unite with human spirit, true salvation could not be fully understood. A Christian must grow and develop in grace, spiritual knowledge and godly character.

At this juncture let me explain further why the Church is called the firstfruits of God's salvation. Far from being a discrimination against the overwhelming majority of the world not yet called to salvation, it is for the very purpose of calling the rest of the world the salvation. Once again let me remind you there is a definite order in sequence in God's plan for saving the world--for reproducing himself.
Jesus Christ is the first of the firstfruits. He is the firstborn of many brethren (I Cor. 15:23; Rom. 8:29). The Church is being called to be changed, developed in character, and finally born at Christ's Second Coming as God Beings, to be kings and priests under Christ when he will set his hand to save the world.
In a sense, then, the Church shall become co-saviors with Christ. Two things basically were required of Christ to save the world. First it was necessary for him, who was the Maker of us all, to die for all, thus paying the death penalty in our stead. No one could do this but Jesus Christ alone.
But many have not realized that we are not saved by the blood of Christ. You will read in Romans 5:10 that we are reconciled to God the Father by the death of Christ, but we shall be saved by his life--by the resurrection. I am writing this particular passage on what the world calls "Easter Sunday." Today, the churches and the evangelists have said much about the resurrection of Christ, but virtually nothing about the resurrection of all who shall be saved, and of the resurrection by which people may be saved.
Jesus alone could make the sacrifice in payment of our past sins. But the world must look for salvation through his life after his resurrection. The Church is the affianced Bride of Christ to be married to the Son of God on his return, after the resurrection of those in the Church. After we have attained to the resurrection of the dead, as the wife of the Son of God, and members of the God family, we shall be not only heirs and coheirs with Christ, but in a sense, co-saviors.
The family of God will grow. As kings and priests, the Church in the resurrection will be co-rulers under Christ in restoring the government of God over all nations. But we shall also be, as priests, co-saviors with him in saving the world.

Now why was it absolutely necessary that the Church be called out of the world to receive salvation during this Church age, while the rest of the world was left in spiritual darkness and deception?
Before Jesus could qualify to become our Savior and future King, it was necessary for him, as the second Adam, to do what the first Adam failed to do--to overcome Satan and to choose the mind and government of God instead. If the Church is to rule with and under him--if the Church is saving the world, it was also necessary that those in the Church must also qualify by resisting and overcoming Satan.
That will not be required of the overwhelming majority of others when salvation comes to them. Salvation will not come to them until after Satan has been put away. So, you see, it was far from discriminating against the rest of the world, when Jesus said, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him" (John 6:44). It was necessary that the Church be called at a time when each member had to turn from, resist and overcome Satan. Otherwise we of the Church could not qualify for the wonderful position of becoming kings and priests in the kingdom of God during the 1,000 years.
This explains the WHY of the Church--its great PURPOSE.

But WHAT is the CHURCH--HOW ORGANIZED--HOW does it function?
When I came among the brethren of the Church of God, there were questions among the leaders respecting the nature of Church organization. At that time, 1927, the Church was organized on the pattern of a biannual general conference. Each local congregation could send one member to the biannual general conference and thus had one vote in election of officers, questions of Church doctrine and Church policy. A local congregation could consist of as few as five members.
But division over Church organization and government began about 1930. By 1933 the Church was divided right down the middle. Two leaders organized a new Church, departing from its headquarters at Stanberry, Missouri, setting up its new headquarters at Salem, West Virginia. They adopted a system of organization that they erroneously called "Bible organization."
This new organization consisted of twelve men named as apostles--designated as "the twelve." Seven men were appointed to the office of deacon, the chairman of whom was the treasurer handling the money. Then there were "the seventy"--or seventy leading elders. This was copied from the ancient Sanhedrin in Judaism. However, there were not enough ordained ministers within the church to make up more than half of "the seventy."
The Roman Catholic Church is organized on the hierarchical system with the pope in supreme authority, a college of cardinals next in authority, a curia at headquarters in the Vatican with archbishops, bishops and priests.
The Presbyterian Church is organized with the presbyters or ministers in control. The Congregational Church delegates top authority to the congregation--"government by the consent of the governed."
And so it goes. The churches of this world of Satan are organized according to humanly devised patterns. But the Bible gives explicit directions in regard to Church government. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. God's form of government is, indeed, hierarchical. God the Father is head over Christ--the sole Lawgiver and supreme authority.
God explains in I Corinthians 12 functions, offices, administrations and their officers as GOD set them in his Church.
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant....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....But all these worketh that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 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 baptized into one body, whether we [in the Church] be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free..." (I Cor. 12:1, 4-6, 11-13).

Notice especially, there is only the ONE CHURCH. Not MANY churches. The CHURCH is not divided. There is only one Church. Not a parent church and many little daughter churches that have split off in disagreement. Divisions splintering OFF are NOT STILL IN THE CHURCH. It is the CHURCH that is to marry Christ in the resurrection at his coming--not disagreeing churches--not groups who have broken off! Not a parent church and apostate daughters. That will become more obvious as we continue.
So notice, too, the Church conducts VARIOUS OPERATIONS. For these in the ONE Church there are also various ADMINISTRATIONS or executive departments, with an executive manager over each department or operation (verses 4-6). Remember, an executive administrator DOE NOT SET POLICY OR PROCEDURES OR DOCTRINES. He administers--he carries out and directs--what has been already set from above.
Even in this world, in the United States the President does NOT MAKE THE LAWS. He administers the policies as functions authorized by Congress-enforces the laws made by Congress. Administrators are set in the Church merely to supervise, direct, execute the policies, procedures, doctrines assigned to them from above.
The ONE Church, undivided, is emphasized again in verse 20: "But now are they many members, yet BUT ONE BODY"--ONE UNDIVIDED CHURCH! Even GOD is composed of more than one Personage, yet but the ONE GOD! GOD, remember, is the divine GOD FAMILY. Those in the Church are already begotten sons--begotten members of that GOD FAMILY. But not yet BORN as GOD BEINGS!
Notice verse 25: "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
To administer these many operations, God--not a vote of the members--"hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers." Or, as stated in more detail in Ephesians 4:11 (RSV): "And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers."
An apostle is "one sent forth" with Christ's gospel message, including the supervision of proclaiming that message to the world by means and persons other than himself. Also an apostle was given supervision over all the local congregations or churches (I Cor. 16:1). The apostle Paul had oversight over the churches of the Gentile world (II Cor. 11:28).
The prophets set in the foundation of the Church are those of the Old Testament, whose writings were used to form a considerable part of New Testament and gospel teaching and functioning. No prophets are mentioned as having either administrative, executive or preaching functions in the New Testament Church.
Evangelists were leading ministers, proclaiming the gospel to the public, even raising up local churches and having supervision over some churches under the apostle. Therefore an evangelist may hold executive functions under the apostle in the Church headquarters or work today. An evangelist is not necessarily stationary. Pastors are stationary pastors over a local church or contingent group of local churches. Then there were placed in the Church teachers--not necessarily preachers. Yet all ministers and teachers are called elders in other New Testament texts. Therefore, in God's Church today there are both preaching and nonpreaching elders. Preaching elders pastor local churches. Then some elders, not preaching, are called local elders in the Church today.

Now further about CHURCH ORGANIZATION.
The CHURCH is the spiritual Body of Christ--not a secular or worldly organization, club or institution. Yet it is HIGHLY ORGANIZED.
Notice how thoroughly organized: "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Notice the Church is a FAMILY, even as GOD is a divine FAMILY--"the household of God."
Continue: "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building"--(WELL ORGANIZED--all parts joined and functioning together in harmony and teamwork)--"groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19-22). This scripture plainly reveals the temple to which the glorified world-ruling Christ shall come at his soon Second Coming. There is no scripture foretelling the construction of a material temple in Jerusalem before Christ's appearing. The 40th chapter of Ezekiel, however, describes the building of a temple after the return of Christ.
The Church, then, is to grow into a HOLY TEMPLE--the spiritual TEMPLE to which Christ shall come--even as he came to a material temple of stone and metals and wood the first time.
Notice further: "...the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together"--ORGANIZED--"and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body..." (Eph. 4:15-16). Compacted means knit together, compressed together, as closely together as if welded together. This shows ORGANIZED UNITY, HARMONY! It is commanded that those in the Church be so united that they "all speak the same thing" (I Cor. 1:10).
Old Testament Israel, the Church of the Old Testament, was also a nation in the world--though not OF the world as God organized it. Its GOVERNMENT was HIERARCHICAL. It was theocratic government--government from the top down--the very opposite of "democracy."
The CHURCH is organized under theocratic government, hierarchical in form. The members do not set officials in the Church. God sets EVEN THE LAY MEMBERS in the Church (I Cor. 12:18).
Jesus said explicitly, "No MAN CAN come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him" (John 6:44). The world, except for the specially called, is CUT OFF from God!
We have just covered the truth that GOD set officials to serve on the human level under Christ, in the Church. Members do not elect them. Yet in the churches of this world some believe in government by the entire congregation--"democracy"--and call themselves "Congregational." Others have organized themselves into government by ministers or presbytery and call themselves "Presbyterian." Some follow Luther and call themselves "Lutheran." Some follow Wesley, who was strong on "method," and call themselves "Methodist." Some learned God's truth about baptizing and call their church after the name of that one doctrine, "Baptist." One wanted complete universal world dominion, and called itself "Catholic," which means "universal." What is the name of the Church Jesus founded?

Jesus prayed for his Church: "...Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be ONE, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name....And now come i to thee....I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not OF the world, even as I am not OF the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil [one]. They are not OF the world, even as I am not OF the world. Sanctify them through THY TRUTH: THY WORD IS TRUTH (John 17:11-17).
Jesus said his true Church was to be KEPT in the name of the Gather--GOD. Twelve times in the New Testament, the NAME of this one true Church is the CHURCH OF GOD! It is GOD'S Church, and Jesus Christ is its guiding, sustaining, directing HEAD!
In five passages where the true NAME of the Church appears, the entire body of Christ--the Church as a whole--is indicated. Thus when speaking of the entire Church, including all its individual members on earth, the name is "The CHURCH OF GOD." Here are these five passages:
1) Acts 20:28: The admonition to the elders is to "feed THE CHURCH OF GOD."
2) I Corinthians 10:32: "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to THE CHURCH OF GOD."
3) I Corinthians 11:22: "...Despise ye THE CHURCH OF GOD, and shame them that have not?"
4) I Corinthians 15:9: Paul wrote: "For...I perse