2.

 What Scripture describes the beginning of the history of the New Testament Church?

            The history of the New Testament Church begins at Pentecost (circa 33 AD), with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.

And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:2-4).

Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos makes the important notation that Pentecost is the birthday of the Church from the point of view that it was then that the Church became the Body of Christ, that Pentecost was when the Church acquired substance. He goes further into the matter, though, and points out that the beginning and existence of the Church is actually found in the time before Pentecost.

            The metropolitan notes that it is the teaching of the Holy Fathers that with the creation of the angels, there is the emergence of the first Church, for the angels too are members of the Church. God is the Creator of “all things visible and invisible,” and among the invisible are listed the angels, who sing in praise of God. This witness is preserved in the book of Job, which states: “When the stars were born, all the angels in a loud voice sang in praise of Me” (Job 38:7). The fact that angels are members of the Church is also witnessed by the saints, many of whom saw angels worshiping with them at the Divine Liturgy.

            Archimandrite Panteleimon of Jordanville goes on to explain that the name of the Church of Christ is used in two ways. In the narrower sense, he states, it is composed strictly of people professing the faith of Christ, whether they live on earth or have already parted into the future life. Those living on earth compose the kingdom of grace, the earthly or militant Church, while those departed compose the heavenly or triumphant Church. Fr. Panteleimon continues, saying that in a more general or inclusive sense, however, the Church is a society of all free, intelligent beings, both angels and people, who believe in Christ the Savior and are united to Him as the Church's one Head. The Apostle Paul understands the Church in this way when he instructs that God has ordained the union of all things in Heaven and on earth under Christ the Head and placed Him as the Head of the Church (Eph 1:10,23; Col 1:18). The angels believe in Christ as the true God-Man. They also serve as His ministers in establishing the Church on earth, and they are sent by Him to assist every man in inheriting salvation (Heb 1:14).

            Thus it can be said that the history of the Church dates to the creation of angels and the creation of men, that it continues in the Old Testament, and that with the Incarnation of God the Word, the Church becomes the Body of Christ. One can speak of the Church in this sense.

            Dr. Ivan Andreyev adds the following substantive explanation concerning the relation between the Old and New Testament periods of the Church:

Of all the religions in the world, only the Christian religion possesses all the inner and external indications of divinely revealed dignity and possesses true prophecies and miracles. Christianity is the sole, true, divinely revealed religion. This religion is subdivided into the Old Testament and the New Testament, composing, however, one organic whole, and represents the development of one divine plan for the salvation of mankind. The difference between the Old and New Testaments lies not in its nature, but in the degree of its fullness and perfection.

            The Old Testament revelation pertains to the New Testament as a preparation does to a performance; as a promise does to a fulfillment; and as a symbol does to an image. The aim of New Testament revelation was the preparation of mankind in its historic life for the acceptance of a higher Christian revelation. This was spoken of by the Old Testament prophets themselves, for they it was who expressed the thought that the Messiah will come and will Himself announce to the people the New Covenant (see the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-35) [Orthodox Apologetic Theology, p. 115-16].