15.Christ's continuing Promise
Christ’s continuing Promise: ’I shall keep on building My Church!’
Now the first indications of this development of the Old Testament system of graded
Courts into their counterparts within the New Testament Christian Church, are found in Mat 16:19; Mat 18:15-20. In the former verse, Christ announces: "I will build My Church." The above expression cannot mean, as Dispensationalists allege: ’I shall start building My Church’ (although only after Calvary). It can only mean: ’I shall continue building My Church’ (also and especially after Calvary). For Christ had started to build His Church in the garden of Eden (Gen 1:26-28; Gen 1:3Gen 1:15f), and had continued building it ever since (cf.Acts 7:38f). In Mat 16:19, the word "build" translates oikodomeesoo which here apparently means: I shall keep on building.’ The tense is future-continuous. It suggests that the Son of God who had been building His Church ever since 4004 B.C., would also in the future keep on building and indeed continue to expand it even until the very end of world history. Cf.Mat 28:16-20.
Owen himself writes (XV:335 & XV:512) that "all Christians were originally of one mind in all things needful unto joint communion.... The discipline of the Church...consists in the due exercise of that authority and power which the Lord Christ, in and by his Word, hath granted unto the Church for its continuance, increase and preservation in purity, order and holiness according to his appointment. Matth. xvi.19; Rom 12:8:2 Cor. 10:4-6; Rev 2:2; Rev 2:20. In XVI:1O6, Owen also states: "The rule and government of the [New Testament] Church, or the execution of the authority of Christ therein, is in the hands of the Elders. All Elders in Office have rule, and none have rule in the Church but Elders. As such, rule doth belong unto them. The Apostles, by virtue of their especial Office, were intrusted with all Church-power; but therefore they were Elders also. 1Pe 1:1; 2Jn 1:1; 3Jn 1:1. See Acts xxi.18; I Tim. v.17. There are some of them, on other accounts, called ’Bishops, Pastors, Teachers, Ministers, Guides’ but what belongs unto any of them in point of rule, or what interest they have therein, it belongs unto them as [Presbyters or] Elders and not otherwise. Acts 20:17; Acts 20:20. "So [too] under the Old Testament, where the word [Elder] doth not signify a difference in age but is used in a moral sense, Elders are the same with Rulers or Governors whether in Offices civil or ecclesiastical. Especially the Rulers of the Church were constantly called its Elders. And the use of the word, with the abuse of the power or office intended by it, is traduced to signify men in authority (’Seniores, Aldermanni’) in all places.
"Church-power, acted in its rule, is called ’The keys of the kingdom of heaven’ by an expression derived from the keys that were a sign of office-power in the families of kings.
Isa 22:22.... It is used by our Saviour Himself to denote the communication of Church- power unto others, which is absolutely and universally vested in Himself under the name of ’The Key of David.’ Rev 3:7; Mat 16:19."