Acts 1-2:47. The promise and prophecy of Matt. 16:16-18 is here
fulfilled. Here is the account of the first Christian Church in
its glorious beginning, and as it actually existed in Jerusalem.
When a man became regenerate by believing in Jesus Christ he was
thereby constituted a member of the Church. There was no question
as to whether he ought to join himself to the Church or not; that
was a fact taken for granted. So we read that the Lord was adding
to the Church daily such as were being saved. The Church was already
a concrete institution to which every believer in Christ united
himself.
"The Apostles' doctrine" formed the standard of faith--a fulfillment
of Christ's prophecy and promise in Matthew 16:16-18: "On this rock
I will build my church," etc.
The Church had _stated places of meeting:_ the upper room (Acts
1:13), the temple (5:12), the homes of members (2:46, 12:12), and
the synagogue; _stated times of_ meeting: daily (2:46), each
Lord's Day (20:7), the _regular hours_ of prayer (3:1; 10:9);
_a regular church roll:_ 120 (1:15), 3,000 (2:41), 5,000 (4:4);
_daily additions_ (2:47).
That there were definitely, regularly organized churches is clear
from the fact that the Apostle Paul addressed many of his epistles
to churches in different localities. The letters to the Corinthians
(e.g., 1 Ep. 12-14) show that the churches had already recognized
certain forms of service and liturgy; those to Timothy and Titus
presume a regularly organized congregation of believers. That there
is a Church in the world is clear from 1 Cor. 5:9-13. The Christian
Church is as much an entity as the Gentile, or the Jew (1 Cor.
10:32). The existence of church officers proves the existence of
the Church in an organized form: bishops and deacons (Phil. 1:1),
elders (Acts 20:17), the presbytery (1 Tim. 4:14). Church letters
were granted to members (Acts 18:27).