Finding Jesus in the Bible…So We Can Follow Him in Life
Bible Reading Plans
- Plan One: New Testament Only
- Plan Two: New Testament + Psalms
- Plan Three: New Testament + History
- Plan Four: The Entire Bible – Year 1 of 3, Year 2 of 3, Year 3 of 3
Don’t know which plan? Go to A Christ-Centered Bible Reading Plan: Quick Start.
Extras
Verse of the Day, Audio Capsule, and Video Minute
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The One True Church
Chapter 28 – The Unique Generation
The one true church was a one-generation church…and that one generation stands out as the most unique of all human generations. For it was the only human generation during which God visited the earth as a man. There will never be another such generation for there will never be a need for God to become a man again. Jesus accomplished a work that will never need to be repeated. His work was once for all.
This unique generation included all the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The one-generation church was a witnessing church. For it was not just the apostles who saw Jesus after He rose from the dead. Recall this from Paul.
1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
1 Corinthians 15:2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
1 Corinthians 15:6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
1 Corinthians 15:7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
1 Corinthians 15:8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
These five hundred would have been members of the earliest churches. So it was not the apostles alone who could testify that they saw Jesus after He was raised from the dead.
Years later, Paul had to testify before the Roman governor Festus and the king Herod Agrippa II – that is, both Roman and Jewish authorities. King Agrippa in particular would have been familiar with the Christian movement of which Paul was a part.
Acts 26:22 “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place;
Acts 26:23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Acts 26:24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad.”
Acts 26:25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.
Acts 26:26 “For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.
The one true church was the one-generation church who could testify to the words and deeds of the apostles – and a sizable number of them to the words and deeds of Jesus Himself. This is a claim no other human generation or church can make.
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