Ch. 24 - The Birth of the Church

Understanding the Scriptures

In this lesson, Carson shows how the birth of the Church is none other than the restoration of the Davidic Kingdom under the Son of David: Jesus the Christ. We spend our time analyzing the Christology (thinking and studying over who Jesus is) and the Ecclesiology (thinking and studying over what the Church is) that Luke presents to us in both his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, which is the sequel to Luke's Gospel. When we look carefully at the details, we discover that Luke presents Jesus in royal Davidic terms to show that he is none other than the promised descendant of King David who will take up David's throne! Then, we discover that he subsequently presents the Church as the restored Davidic kingdom, united under her enthroned king: Jesus the Christ! This Church is governed by Jesus' vice-regents: the apostles who "sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel" (Luke 22:30) and their successors, the bishops. She renews her covenant with God by celebrating the royal sacrificial meal that Jesus instituted at the Last Supper, a meal Luke aptly describes as "the breaking of the bread" (Acts 2:42).