The history of the Church of God is the history of the Church that Jesus Christ established. The biblical name of the early Church that believed in Jesus and followed Him is the Church of God.[1] In the New Testament, there are some records about the Church of God where Jesus’ disciples and apostles attended.[2] The early Church of God preached Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh to save mankind, and kept the New Covenant Passover that Jesus established through His blood.[3] As the gospel of the new covenant was rapidly preached not only to Israel but also to the Gentile countries, the Church of God was established in many regions. However, as the church became secularized after the Apostolic Age, all the truth, including the Passover, was destroyed, and the Church of God disappeared from history. About 1,600 years later, in the middle of the 20th century, the Church of God, which keeps the new covenant as written in the Bible, was rebuilt by Christ Ahnsahnghong.[4][5] The Church of God, which has been restored, is following the teachings of Jesus and the faith and traditions of the early Church.
The Church Bought with God’s Blood
The Church of God is the only church that God Himself built on the earth. The Bible explains that the church that God established was bought with God’s own blood.
Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
In the Bible, the blood of God refers to the sacrifice of the Passover. On the Passover, the day before Jesus died on the cross, Jesus established the new covenant by giving His disciples the bread and wine, representing His flesh and blood. As Jesus said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,”[6] He opened the way to salvation for mankind by allowing them to keep the New Covenant Passover established through His sacrifice so that they can receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.[7] The Passover of the new covenant is a ceremony of eating Christ’s flesh and drinking His blood. Therefore, the truth of the Passover that liberates us from sins is in the Church God bought with His own blood.
“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” . . . after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. . . . While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
The New Testament, including the book of Acts, describes the church’s keeping the New Covenant Passover and receiving salvation from God.
Early Church of God
The church that God bought with His blood—the church that Jesus established and the apostles of the early Church attended—is the Church of God.
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, . . .
For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I [Apostle Paul] persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
As Jesus taught, the early Church of God kept the seven feasts in three times of the new covenant, including the Passover,[8] the Day of Pentecost,[9] the Feast of Tabernacles,[10] and the Sabbath[11] which is the weekly feast. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the members of the early Church received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and began to preach the gospel. As a result, the number of people who received Jesus as their Savior increased explosively, and churches were established in many regions.[12] The fact that the gospel was rapidly preached to Gentile nations and cities beyond Jerusalem and Israel, is evident in the record of Apostle Paul’s missionary journeys. Churches were established in Ephesus,[13] Corinth,[1] Antioch,[14] etc., and the seeds of the gospel were sown in many European regions, including Thessalonica,[15] Athens,[16] Malta,[17] Perga,[18] Cyprus,[19] and Rome.[20]
Secularization of the Church and the Dark Ages
The early Church was persecuted by the Roman Empire, which believed in polytheism as a hegemon of that time.[21] After the apostles of the early Church died, the church gradually became secularized due to the persecution of the Roman Empire and the influence of pagan culture. Since the church in Rome began to accept pagan doctrines in the 2nd century, the churches were divided into the Western Church, which followed the changed doctrine, and the Eastern Church, which kept the truth of the early Church.[22]
After the Roman Emperor Constantine I legalized Christianity in AD 313 as a means to rule the empire, the polytheism that had prevailed nationally flowed into the church more quickly.[23][24] Sunday worship, Christmas, and cross-reverence, which originated from of the sun god, took its place as church customs. On the contrary, all of God’s truths, such as the seven feasts in three times, including the New Covenant Passover and the Sabbath, disappeared. The saints who wanted to follow the truth of the early Church lived ascetic lives in the mountains, caves, or deserts.[25] However, their faith was cut off, and the new covenant and the Church of God established by Jesus disappeared into history.
| Abolition of the New Covenant Passover | After the apostles died, the Western Church had the Holy Supper on Sunday to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.[26] At the Council of Nicaea[27] in 325, the New Covenant Passover was completely abolished, and the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox was appointed as the Resurrection Day when the Holy Supper was celebrated. |
| Change of Worship Day from Sabbath to Sunday | The Western Church abandoned the Sabbath to escape persecution and had worship on Sunday, the holy day of the sun-god Mithra, which was popular in the Roman Empire.[28] In 321, Roman Emperor Constantine I issued the Sunday Legislation, which made all churches worship on Sunday. |
| Introduction of Cross Reverence | After the persecution of the Roman Empire ceased, many pagans converted to Christianity. As a result, the symbols of pagan religions such as the cross[29] were also introduced. Around the 5th century, the cross was set up in the church. |
| Introduction of Christmas | In the 4th century, December 25, the winter solstice in Rome and the birthday of the sun-god Mithra began to be celebrated as the birthday of Jesus.[30][31] |
Around the 16th century, Martin Luther and John Calvin led the Reformation, demanding the renewal of the church that became corrupt by losing the truth. They made efforts for the reformation of faith, crying out for return to pure faith of the early Church through repentance and change of the church, but they could not restore the truth of the new covenant Jesus established for the salvation of mankind. Since then, many Protestant churches appeared, but they also followed the vestiges of Gentile religions, such as Sunday worship, cross reverence, and Christmas.
Rebuilding of the Church of God
The Church of God, which had disappeared for over 1,600 years, was restored again in the mid-20th century. As the Bible prophesied that Jesus would appear a second time for salvation in a world where there is no truth, Christ Ahnsahnghong appeared as the Second Coming Jesus.
Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Christ Ahnsahnghong restored all the truths of God that mankind lost such as the seven feasts in three times, including the New Covenant Passover that promises eternal life, and the Sabbath. After being baptized in Nakseom Island, Incheon, in 1948, Christ Ahnsahnghong began His gospel ministry. In 1964, He established the Church of God in the Republic of Korea, which is the restoration of the early Church that followed the teachings of Jesus. On the foundation of sacrifice and devotion of Christ Ahnsahnghong, the Churches of God were established in all regions, including Busan and Seoul.
Growth and Development of the Church of God
![The Sacred Assembly of the Passover held at Lincoln Center in New York, U.S. In the world, the Church of God is the only church that keeps the Passover of the new covenant according to the teachings of Jesus.[32]](https://churchofgod.wiki/images/thumb/2/29/%EB%AF%B8%EA%B5%AD_NY_%EB%89%B4%EC%9A%95%EA%B6%8C_%ED%95%98%EB%82%98%EB%8B%98%EC%9D%98_%EA%B5%90%ED%9A%8C-%EC%9C%A0%EC%9B%94%EC%A0%88_%EB%8C%80%EC%84%B1%ED%9A%8C%28%EC%84%B1%EC%B0%AC%EC%8B%9D%29.jpg/1000px-%EB%AF%B8%EA%B5%AD_NY_%EB%89%B4%EC%9A%95%EA%B6%8C_%ED%95%98%EB%82%98%EB%8B%98%EC%9D%98_%EA%B5%90%ED%9A%8C-%EC%9C%A0%EC%9B%94%EC%A0%88_%EB%8C%80%EC%84%B1%ED%9A%8C%28%EC%84%B1%EC%B0%AC%EC%8B%9D%29.jpg)
![The Sacred Assembly of the Passover held at Lincoln Center in New York, U.S. In the world, the Church of God is the only church that keeps the Passover of the new covenant according to the teachings of Jesus.[32]](/File:%EB%AF%B8%EA%B5%AD_NY_%EB%89%B4%EC%9A%95%EA%B6%8C_%ED%95%98%EB%82%98%EB%8B%98%EC%9D%98_%EA%B5%90%ED%9A%8C-%EC%9C%A0%EC%9B%94%EC%A0%88_%EB%8C%80%EC%84%B1%ED%9A%8C(%EC%84%B1%EC%B0%AC%EC%8B%9D).jpg)
As more people wanted to keep the new covenant as the early Church kept 2,000 years ago, the number of registered members exceeded 10,000 in 1988 and 100,000 in 1996. Following the words of Christ, “Love your neighbors as yourself,” the Church of God continues volunteer service with love and a spirit of self-sacrifice and devotes to helping families, neighbors, and countries. Since the free meal service after the collapse of Sampoong Department Store in 1995, the church started systematic volunteer service in response to disasters, incidents, accidents, diseases, economic hardships, and environmental problems. The church began its overseas mission work in 1997 and established churches in three countries. With the completion of the New Jerusalem Imae Temple in 2000, the Church grew even more. In 2001, the first Overseas Visiting Group (from North America) came to Korea, where Christ appeared a second time, the Church of God was rebuilt, and the gospel of the new covenant was restored. The number of registered members increased from 500,000 in 2003 to 2 million in 2013. As members increased in number, requests for the establishment of churches around the world continued, and the pastoral staff were produced and dispatched to all parts of the world much faster. In addition to building new temples in Korea, large-scale training facilities such as Elohim Training Institute, Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute, and Dongbaek Training Institute have been opened one after another. They are used as a place of harmony for local communities and citizens as well as for church events, education for members, and Korean cultural experience for overseas visiting groups.
Church of God Works for the World
The Church of God has grown big, which has 2.5 million members at 2,500 churches in 175 countries. In 2016, with the establishment of the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple in Korea, the church proclaimed the movement to save seven billion people. As a global church, the church regards the people of the world as global villagers, preaching the blessing of salvation, and has expanded volunteer services to practice the love of Christ. The church has helped people suffering from disasters, accidents, poverty, and hunger in various places, including free meal services at the Sewol ferry disaster site in Korea, hurricane recovery efforts in the U.S., and earthquake relief efforts in Nepal. The church also holds various events for communication and harmony, such as the Global Bible Seminar, Messiah Orchestra Concert, “Our Mother” Writing and Photo Exhibition, and “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition. The international community, too, is showing great interest and support for the humanitarian activities of the Church of God. In 2010, when Kim Joo-cheol, General Pastor of the Church of God, visited the United Nations to deliver donations for Haiti earthquake victims, the UN suggested signing a partnership. In 2016, Pastor Kim Joo-cheol was invited to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund [CERF] High-Level Conference as a guest speaker and he promised continued cooperation with the United Nations. Since 2020, the church has been working closely with governments and agencies to combat COVID-19. As a result of their continuous and dedicated activities, the church has won awards from governments and agencies, including The Presidential Awards from the three governments of the Republic of Korea (Presidential Order of Merit, Presidential Group Citation, Presidential Citation), The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service from the U.K., The President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award, the highest honor for a group, 49 times from the U.S., and The International Green Apple Environmental Award.[33]
As of 2022, there are more than 7,500 Churches of God in 175 countries, and 3.3 million members are living the life of faith. The church keeps the perfect truth of the early Church, based on the Bible, and spreads the love and teachings of Christ for the bright future of mankind to the whole world.
History of the Rebuilt Church of God
Beginning Phase (1948–1985)
1948 Christ Ahnsahnghong was baptized in Nakseom, Incheon, Korea
1964 The Church of God was established in Busan
1984 Christ Ahnsahnghong celebrated His last Passover in Seoul
- Proclaimed God the Mother
- Declared Pastor Kim Joo-cheol as His successor
1985 Christ Ahnsahnghong ascended to heaven
- God the Mother was re-proclaimed at an extraordinary general meeting
- The successor of Christ Ahnsahnghong was re-announced at the extraordinary general meeting
Growing Phase (1986–2000)
1988 Registered members: 10,000
1995 Jeonyisan Training Institute was opened
1995 Free meal service at the Sampoong Department Store collapse in Seoul
1996 Seminars for Happy Family
1997 Three overseas churches were established
1999 Two overseas churches were established
2000 Registered members: 300,000
- The New Jerusalem Temple was established in Bundang, Seongnam, Korea
- The Messiah Orchestra was founded
Leaping Phase (2001–2013)
2001 Seven overseas churches were established
2001 The 1st Overseas Visiting Group (U.S.)
2002 The Elohim Training Institute was opened.
- Supporters activities for the Busan Asian Games (4,400 volunteers)
- FESPIC Games (17,000 volunteers)
2003 Registered members: 500,000
- WMC, the Church of God Headquarters, was opened
- Awarded The Presidential Citation from the Korean government
- Supporters activities for the Daegu Summer Universiade (90,000 volunteers)
- Free meal services at the Daegu subway arson tragedy (3,000 servings for 24 hours, 55 days)
2004 Received the Order of Merit and the Medal of Honor from the Korean government
2005 The Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute was opened
2006 The Church of God History Museum was opened
- New Jerusalem Festival for Foreigners in Korea
2007 Restoration work of oil spill in Taean, Korea
- Peru earthquake recovery and relief activities: Building ten temporary housing units, medical and hairstyling service
2008 Registered members: 1,000,000
- New Jerusalem Festival with Families
2009 The World Campus Mission was held
2010 Donating disaster relief aid to the UN for recovering from the Haiti earthquake
- Orchestra concert for foreigners
- Charity concert to help Haitian and Chilean earthquake victims
2011 The Dongbaek Training Institute was opened
- Charity concert to help Thai flood victims and Turkiye earthquake victims
- The President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold Award, Lifetime Achievement Award) from the U.S.
2012 Student orchestra tour in 11 regions
- Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts in the U.S.
2013 Registered members: 2,000,000
- World Mission Society Church of God Foundation was registered
- Global Bible Seminar was held
- Tour concerts for students in 21 regions
- “Our Mother” Writing and Photo Exhibition was held
Flourishing Phase (2014–Present)
2014 Year of Jubilee: 50th anniversary of the Church of God
- Free meal services at the Sewol ferry disaster site by providing meals for 15,000 people for 44 days
2015 Received the Korean Presidential Group Citation
- Nepal earthquake relief and recovery efforts (15,000 volunteers in 710 regions)
- Supporting 63 countries at the Gwangju Summer Universiade (10,000 volunteers)
2016 Preaching to Seven Billion Movement was proclaimed
- Resolution Rallies for World Evangelism
- The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service from the U.K. (The Church of God in the U.K.)
- General Pastor’s speech at the UN CERF High-Level Conference
- The New Jerusalem Temple was established in Pangyo, Seongnam, Korea
- The WMC Jeju Training Institute was opened
2017 ASEZ Global Forum for Implementation of UN SDGs
- Donation for the Pohang earthquake victims and free meal service (approx. 12,500 servings for 61 days)
- El Nino flood recovery and relief activities in Peru (approx. 5,000 volunteers for 9 days)
- Heavy rain recovery work in Chungcheong province (approx. 1,000 volunteers for 10 days)
- ASEZ “Green Campus” cleanups in 81 campuses worldwide
2018 100th Birth Anniversary of Christ Ahnsahnghong
- Awarded the International Green Apple Environment Award (Gold, Bronze)
- Arise & Shine Global Bible Seminar
- Global crime prevention project, “Reduce Crime Together Campaign”
- “Father’s True Heart” Exhibition
2019 The 75th Overseas Visiting Group
- Donation to wildfire victims in Gangwondo Province, Korea
- Participation in the 68th UN Civil Society Conference
2020 Awarded The President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold, 2 times) from the U.S.
- Support for COVID-19 response in each country by donating pandemic prevention supplies and supporting the living expenses of vulnerable communities
2021 The President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold) from the U.S.
- Support for COVID-19 response in each country by providing donations, pandemic prevention supplies, and living expenses
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "1 Corinthians 1:2".
- ↑ "2 Corinthians 1:1".
- ↑ "1 Corinthians 11:23–26".
- ↑ "World Mission Society Church of God "New Covenant Passover is a Light of Hope for the Voyage of Life". Woman DongA. March 18, 2022.
- ↑ Church of God Presents Hope to Global Village with Life’s Feast ‘Passover’, Monthly Chosun, March 29, 2021
- ↑ "John 6:53–54".
- ↑ "Ephesians 1:7".
- ↑ "1 Corinthians 5:7-8".
- ↑ "Acts 2:1–4".
- ↑ "John 7:2–38".
- ↑ "Acts 17:2".
- ↑ "Acts 2:1–41".
- ↑ "Acts 20:17".
- ↑ "Acts 13:1".
- ↑ "Acts 17:1–2".
- ↑ "Acts 17:16–17".
- ↑ "Acts 28:1–8".
- ↑ "Acts 14:20–25".
- ↑ "Acts 13:4–5".
- ↑ "Romans 1:7".
- ↑ The Early Church, The Fullness of Time, González, Justo L, The story of Christianity: volume 1 - The early church to the dawn of the Reformation, pg. 14, San Francisco : Harper & Row, 1984
- ↑ "[Special Feature] Church of God Biblical Truth, 500 Years After Lutheran Reformation". Monthly JoongAng. November 17, 2017.
- ↑ 5 Ways Christianity Spread Through Ancient Rome, History.com, July 27, 2022
- ↑ Introduction to Early Church History The First 500 Years, pg. 228, Wipf & Stock Publishers, March 14, 2023
- ↑ A history of the early church to A.D. 500, Wand, J. W. C. (John William Charles), London, Methuen, 1885-1977, pg. 195
- ↑ A history of the early church to A.D. 500, Wand, J. W. C. (John William Charles), London, Methuen, 1885-1977, pg. 82–83
- ↑ The Paschal Controversy (The Passover Controversy)
- ↑ A Study of Mithraism, Stanford, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, King, 1949
- ↑ Cross, Crucify, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Hardcover, Thomas Nelson; 38153rd edition, September 22, 1996
- ↑ The Influence of the Mystery Religions on Christianity, A Study of Mithraism, Stanford, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, 1949
- ↑ Christ is born?, THIS DAY IN HISTORY, DECEMBER 25
- ↑ World Mission Society Church of God “Mother, Who Becomes the Hope for All 7 Billion Mankind”, Shindonga, May 13, 2018
- ↑ Incheon Almanac, Incheonilbo, July 4, 2021