Question: "What is the origin of Christianity?"
Answer: "And he is the head of the body, the
church; he is the beginning and the firstborn
from among the dead . . . the mystery that has
been kept hidden for ages and generations, but
is now disclosed to the saints . . . Christ in you,
the hope of glory" ( Colossians 1:18 , 26-28 ).
Discussing the origin of Christianity requires the
review of an intricate story spanning time and
eternity. Instead of a simple beginning, we
consider Christianity's origin from several points
of view. Acts 2 records the birth of the church
at Pentecost. This was indeed a Feast of
Harvest ( Exodus 23:16 ), because a harvest of
about 3,000 souls took place on that day when
the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and
disciples ( Acts 2:1-41 ). Biblically, Christianity is
not a building or religion but the church, or
household of God. It is embodied in Christ and
His people, individually and collectively. Before
time began, the church was conceived in the
mind of God. Then, “when the time had fully
come" ( Galatians 4:4 ), God sent His only son,
"born of a woman, born under law" to be the
church's true founder, foundation, and head ( 1
Corinthians 3:11 ). As the first of the chosen
ones ( 1 Peter 2:6 ), Jesus, the anointed one
(that is, the Christ) died as the perfect
Passover lamb fifty days before the events of
Acts 2. Before that, He prepared the apostles
for three years, giving them the Father's Word
and keeping them in His name ( John 17:12 , 14).
After His resurrection He breathed into the
apostles the breath of eternal life in the form of
the Holy Spirit, who was to indwell them ( John
20:22 ; cf. John 14:25-26 ). They became the
seeds of the new church, which sprouted into
thousands when the Holy Spirit came upon
them, empowering them to witness, preach, and
carry out the mission Jesus gave them. Rising
from the dead, Jesus was the first fruits of
God's Kingdom; ''then, when he comes, those
who belong to him will also rise, never to die
again ( John 11:25-26 ). Thus, Jesus is the one
foundation and source of the church.
The Old Testament had prophesied that a
“shoot” would come from the “stump” of Jesse
(King David's father) and that this “branch”
would bear fruit ( Isaiah 11:1 , 10). Jesus is that
Messiah or Christ. He is the hope of Jews and
Gentiles. "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one
who will arise to rule over the nations; the
Gentiles will hope in him" ( Romans 15:12 ; cf.
Revelation 5:5 ; 22: 16). Peter learned that
Jesus is not merely a human being, the Son of
David, when God showed him that Jesus is "the
Son of the living God." To this, Jesus added
that He Himself is the Rock or foundation upon
which He would build His church ( Matthew
16:16-18 ; see also Isaiah 26:4 ). The building of
the church upon Jesus, the Rock of Israel
( Isaiah 30:29 ), is taught in 2 Corinthians 6:16
(see also Ephesians 2:21-22 ).
Some writers mention that the word for “church”
in the original Greek is ecclesia, meaning “a
called-out assembly” ( εκκλησιαν – Matthew
16:18 ) and that the church is formed by the
“elect” or chosen ( Mark 13:20 ; Luke 18:7 ;
Romans 8:33 ). Yes, the elect have been called
out from the kingdom of darkness, but we have
also been called into God’s family as adopted
children. “The Spirit himself testifies with our
spirit that we are God’s children” ( Romans 8:16 ;
cf. Ephesians 5:1 , 8). We are chosen, but Jesus
is the first of the chosen ( 1 Peter 2:6 ), and He
lives in us as we live or abide in Him ( John
8:31 ; 15:4-9 ).
Christians are individually in Christ even as the
church as a whole is in Christ ( Romans 12:5 ; 1
Corinthians 1:2 , 30). The mystery of Christ and
the church is brought out in Paul’s discussion of
the mystery by which two become “one flesh” in
marriage, in Ephesians 5. There the apostle
writes that “this mystery is profound,” referring
to Christ and the Church ( Ephesians 5:32 ). The
tense of the Greek word translated
“mystery” ( μυστηριον ) is singular. This
grammatical detail shows that in their unity
Christ and the church are one mystery. They
are not a mixture or compound; rather, their
union is like that of a man and woman in holy
matrimony who become “one flesh” or a new
family unit without giving up their individuality
( Genesis 2:24 ). In marriage a couple becomes
legal “kin,” even though they are not blood
relatives as Adam and Eve were. Similarly,
through Christ God legally adopts the chosen as
children ( Ephesians 1:5 ). Because of this, and
because Christ lives in each member of the
church, His spiritual body, He is our hope of
glory ( Colossians 1:18 , 26-28 ). Christ’s presence
in Christians answers Jesus’ prayer in John 17:
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for
those who will believe in me through their
message, that all of them may be one, Father,
just as you are in me and I am in you” ( John
17:20-21 ; see also John 17:11 ).
The connection between the words “church”
and “Christianity” is old and complicated, but we
can simply say that Christians do not go to
church; rather, they are the church. Most
disciples who first joined the growing church
were Jews. Like Paul ( Philippians 3:5 ; Romans
11:1 ), they considered themselves Israelites,
descendants of Abraham, to whom belonged the
covenants, the giving of the law, etc. ( Romans
9:4-5 ). They acknowledged the Lord Jesus as
Messiah and God but did not (at first) call
themselves “Christians.” At Antioch in the first
century, outsiders first called the followers of
the Christ “Christians” ( Acts 11:26 ). They
thought “Christ” was the proper name of the
God whom they worshipped, not aware that
“Christ” means “anointed” and that Jesus is the
Christ. As for “church,” some early Christian
writers used this word to refer to the place
where people worshipped (i.e., the church
building). But in the New Testament, the word
translated “church” refers to the “household of
God.” In Ephesians 2:19 , the Greek word
translated “household” is οἰκεῖοι. This plural
form refers to the all those who belong to the
immediate family of God, i.e., those who are
spiritually family in the faith ( Galatians 6:10 ;
Ephesians 2:19 ). As members of this universal
household, Christians have taken root and
blossomed among the various peoples and in
almost every language group in the world.
Now, let’s look beyond history to reflect on the
eternal origins of the church (i.e., “Christianity”)
in the mind of God. Even as God chose Israel
( Deuteronomy 7:6 ; 26:18 ), He also elected the
church in Christ “before the foundation of the
world” ( Ephesians 1:4 ). In eternity past, God
willed that the elect would be saved and made
part of His household by adoption. “He
predestined us for adoption as sons through
Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his
will” ( Ephesians 1:5 ). However, the church born
on Pentecost has not yet realized its ultimate
purpose in its development. The church is not
yet the spotless bride of Christ ( Revelation
19:6-8 ), in accord with God’s purpose for it, as
we read in Ephesians 1:4 : “For he chose us in
him before the creation of the world to be holy
and blameless in his sight.” The fulfillment of
this prophetic purpose which God set forth in
Christ ( Romans 8:28 ; 9:11 ) “to be put into
effect when the times will have reached their
fulfillment” ( Ephesians 1:10 ) does not depend
on “… anything we have done but because of his
own purpose and grace. This grace was given
us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of
time” ( 2 Timothy 1:9 ).
One reason the “visible” church is not perfect is
because within its ranks there are false
Christians. Jesus told the apostles that within
the church there would be a mixture of “wheat
and chaff,” genuine saints and secret,
unrepentant, self-deceived sinners (hypocrites).
Considering that Christ has not yet returned in
power and glory ( Matthew 26:64 ; Mark 13:26 ),
and that the elect have not yet been revealed
as God’s children ( Romans 8:19 ; 1 John 3:2 ),
the mystery of Christ and the church, kept
secret for long ages ( Romans 16:25 ), remains
partially concealed. The unveiling of the church
will not take place until the moment we are
changed, as 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 says. The
real hope for Christians is not that we will be
immortal (the damned in hell will also be
immortal, but they will be without Christ), but
that Christ lives in us now ( Colossians 1:28 ).
This brings us to a final thought about the
church’s present hidden-ness and ultimate
unveiling. We have been redeemed, we are no
longer slaves to sin, and death no longer has
dominion over us ( Romans 6:5-9 ). Nevertheless,
our “body of sin” or “body of death” ( Romans
6:6 ; 7:24 ) has yet to be “brought to nothing.”
We still await the resurrection and redemption
of our sin-stained flesh. This will take place
when the Lord returns for us. Then “we shall be
like him; for we shall see him even as he is” ( 1
John 3:2 ). Then, our glorious, imperishable
spiritual bodies will be revealed ( Philippians
3:20-21 ), and we will no longer be burdened by
what remains of the carnal or sinful mind. Thus,
in a real sense, the church or Christianity in its
perfection, as the undefiled and glorified bride
of Christ, continues to wear a discrete veil, until
she is called to heaven in glory at the marriage
supper of the Lamb. This event is prophesied in
Revelation 19:6-8 , where we read, “Then I heard
what sounded like a great multitude, like the
roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of
thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God
Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and
give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb
has come, and his bride has made herself
ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given
her to wear.’ (Fine linen stands for the
righteous acts of the saints.)”
