Was the church already present at the beginning of the New Testament, or was that time still an extension of Israel's Old Testament program?
The New Testament period at its opening was still an extension of Israel's Old Testament program. It continued the covenants and promises God had made with Israel. It was not yet the appearance of the church as we know it, and the church was not already present at that beginning.
Les explains that as the Old Testament comes to an end and the New begins, this period must be understood as an extension of the Old Testament program. It is an extension of the covenants and promises God made with Israel, not yet the appearance of the church as we know it. He notes this is where many people get confused. To illustrate, he recalls a young man in class who said people put the book in a blender, turn it on high, and ladle out the result, wondering why they get indigestion. Les often put it less extremely: people put the book in a mixing bowl, stir it all up, and pick out whatever they like. Either way, the result is a mix mash, and no wonder people are confused.