Jesus and the New Testament Church – Matthew 16:18
I. When Was the Church Started?
A. Jesus founded the church during His earthly ministry.
1. “I will build my church” Matthew 16:18
a. “will build” = Greek oikodomeso, first person, singular, future, indicative, active.
b. The idea is something was started in the past and is continuing to be built up in the future.
 It is not that Jesus has yet to build His church, but that He will continue to build His already
existing church in the days ahead.
2. When did Jesus found the church?
a. Some believe this was on Mount Hatten (Mark 3:13) or in Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:12)
 However, a better choice is John 1:35.
 Why? Beginning in John 1 you have Jesus gathering baptized disciples unto Himself.
b. “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” John 1:37
3. What did this body of baptized believers Jesus had gathered look like in the gospels?
a. They baptized – “though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples” John 4:2
b. They took the Lord’s Supper – “And he took bread, … & brake it, & gave unto them…” Luke 22:19
c. They had ordained officers – “he ordained twelve, that they should be with him” Mark 3:14
d. They did evangelistic work – “sent them two and two before his face into every city” Luke 10:1
e. They were commissioned – “Go ye therefore…” Matthew 28:18-20
f. They had a pastor (“Greek: poimen – “shepherd”) – “I am the good shepherd” John 10:11
g. They were called a “flock” – “fear not little flock” Luke 12:32
h. They were called a “church” in Matthew 18:17 – “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it
unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man
and a publican.” (Notice, the disciples didn’t say, “Lord, what are you talking about?!?”)
i. Furthermore, Hebrew 2:12 declares “in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee”
 Question: When is the only time the Bible refers to Jesus singing?
 Answer: At the Lord’s Supper in Matthew 26:30 – Before the Day of Pentecost!
4. Quote: “The first thought I would impress upon the mind is that Christ alone founded His church. I
mean that the church was established in the days of His sojourn in the flesh … and that by the
close of His earthly ministry there existed at least one church as a model, the church at
Jerusalem.” B.H. Carroll, Founder, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
B. This is why Baptists commonly refer to the church as the “New Testament church.”
1. In the Old Testament there were saints, but not a church per say.
a. “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the
mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:” Acts 7:38
 “Church” – Greek: ekklesia = an assembly.
b. Moses was with the assembly of Israelites in the wilderness, but this ekklesia is totally
different than the New Testament church.
2. On the Day of Pentecost, the church was empowered, but not started.
a. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…” Acts 1:8
b. “…and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:42

On the Day of Pentecost the church was empowered with the Holy Spirit and added to, but
no scripture says it was founded on that day.
II. Who Was the Church Built Upon?
A. “That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church” Matthew 16:18
1. What is the rock? It is here the original languages can be very helpful.
a. “Peter” - Greek: Petros = a small piece of a rock
b. “Rock” – Greek: Petra = a massive stone.
2. Notice the difference between the two.
a. Peter was a small rock. He tried hard, but often failed in his walk with the Lord.
b. Jesus was the massive stone. He never failed.
c. The Bible often uses the picture of a rock to refer to Christ. (Isaiah 28:16, Psalm 118:22, etc.)
 “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that
followed them: and that Rock (Greek: Petra) was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4
B. Jesus founded the N.T. Church upon Himself!
1. Quote: “If it seems to violate the figure that He, the builder, should build upon Himself, the
violation is no more marked here than in the famous passage in John where He gives the bread to
the disciples and that ‘bread of life” is Himself.” B.H. Carroll
2. If Peter is the rock upon which the N.T. church is built, it has a very weak foundation!
III. What Would Happened to the New Testament Church?
A. “…and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
1. What are the “gates of hell”? Most assume it refers to the armies of Satan.
a. But no. A “gate” is not an offensive weapon. It’s a door.
b. “And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates…” Revelation 21:12
2. The word “hell” is the Greek word Hades which literally means the place of the dead.
a. Jesus is literally saying “the doors of the place of the dead” will not prevail against the church.
b. “I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave…” Isaiah 38:10
3. Jesus is declaring that the church He founded would not be swallowed up by the grave.
a. The New Testament church can never be destroyed. Jesus promised it would always exist.
b. “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages…” Ephesians 3:21
B. This is called the perpetuity of the church.
1. In every time period since the 1st century you can find churches holding to N.T. doctrine.
a. How do you identify these churches? By their doctrines (Salvation by grace through faith,
eternal security, believer’s baptism by immersion, a memorial Lord’s Supper, etc.)
 This is why we say Baptist churches are N.T. churches and Baptists are not Protestants.
b. This doesn’t mean only Baptists are saved because many are saved who never join a church.
2. Quote: “We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our
existence at the reformation, we were reformers before Luther or Calvin were born; we never
came from the church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the
apostles themselves.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Famous Baptist Pastor in London
Prepared by Pastor Ben Stratton for Farmington Baptist Church, Farmington, Kentucky on January 18, 2023