No — in the early chapters of Acts, there was no church structure or instructions for church leadership.
Les points out that there is no church language in these chapters — no bishops, deacons, pastors, or instructions for how to behave in the house of God. Peter and the Eleven were still operating under the Jewish program, and God had not yet revealed the Church or a gospel based on Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. They could only act on what God had spoken.
Romans 10:17 — Faith comes by hearing the word of God, so the early believers could not have known or proclaimed church leadership before God revealed it.
Deuteronomy 29:29 — The secret things belong to God; what He has not revealed is not something His servants are responsible to teach.
In the opening chapters of Acts, the biblical narrative records Jewish believers in Jerusalem confessing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. There is no mention of bishops, deacons, or pastors, and no instructions about how to behave in the house of God. The emphasis is on the person of Jesus—who He was—rather than on a death-and-resurrection gospel. The Bible also states that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17), and that the secret things belong to the Lord while revealed things belong to His people (Deuteronomy 29:29). These principles explain why the first believers were not expected to know truths God had not yet made known.
Les teaches that throughout the early chapters of Acts there is not a word of church language — no bishops, deacons, or pastors, and no guidance on how to behave in the house of God. He says the record at that point is an extension of Judaism, not a church with government. Peter and the other eleven, Les explains, were operating only on what God had revealed in the Old Testament. They had no concept of the Church, which is the Body of Christ, no idea that God would turn to the Gentiles, and no gospel presentation based on Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Since faith comes by hearing the word of God, they could not be expected to believe or preach what God had not yet spoken. Later, according to Les, church leadership instructions come from Paul, who describes the office of the deacon and the requirements for pastors and elders. The early chapters of Acts simply do not contain that material.
Les says there is no word of church language in these early chapters. There is no mention of bishops, deacons, pastors, or how to behave in the house of God. He describes the setting as an extension of Judaism rather than church ground or the Body of Christ.
Les emphasizes that Peter and the Eleven operated only on what God had revealed, which was the Old Testament program. God had not yet said that believers were no longer under law, and He had kept the Church a secret. Because faith comes by hearing what God has said, they were not at fault for not knowing what was hidden.
In the early chapters, the confession centered on who Jesus was — the Christ, the Son of the living God, the promised Messiah. Les notes that Peter, Martha, and the Ethiopian eunuch all made this same confession. There was no mention yet of the shed blood or of salvation based on His death, burial, and resurrection.
Les says local churches get their ideas of church government from Paul. Paul describes the office of the deacon and the requirements to be a pastor, elder, or deacon. In the early chapters of Acts, none of that is present.
God Reveals Before He Requires Faith
Les explains that no one can believe or preach what God has not said; Peter was not wrong to limit his message to Israel, because God had not yet revealed the grace program.
No Church Language in Early Acts
Les directly answers the question: the early chapters contain no word about bishops, deacons, pastors, or behavior in the house of God; those instructions come later from Paul.
Peter and the Body of Christ
Les shows that Peter and John had no knowledge of the Church which is the Body of Christ; they were still part of the Judaism that Christ and John the Baptist addressed.
Faith Was in Who Jesus Was
Les points out that the early preaching did not center on Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, but on His name and identity as Israel's Messiah.
Jerusalem Assembly, Not Church Ground
Les describes the believers as the Jerusalem assembly of Jewish believers who believed Jesus was the Christ, with salvation not yet based on the shed blood.
The Common Confession
Les links the confessions of Peter, Martha, and the Ethiopian eunuch — all confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Loyalty to Christ, Not a Man
Les warns believers not to center their hearts on a pastor or leader, but on the Word of God and Christ himself; this shows the later church-age emphasis rather than the early Acts structure.
Operating Only on Revealed Truth
Les explains that Peter and the Eleven were limited to the Old Testament program God had revealed; they had no concept of the Gentile church and were not at fault.
Romans 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Les uses this verse to show that the early believers could only respond to what God had actually spoken.
Deuteronomy 29:29: The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Les quotes this principle to explain that hidden truths were not required of Peter and the apostles.
Colossians 1:26: Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Les references this verse to show that the church was a secret hidden until God later made it known.
No. Les says there is not a word about bishops, deacons, or pastors in these chapters. This portion of Acts is an extension of Judaism, not church ground.
Les teaches that God had not yet revealed that salvation would be based on the shed blood of Christ. Faith comes by hearing what God has said, so Peter could only preach what had been revealed up to that point.
Les says they come from Paul, who describes the office of the deacon and the requirements to be a pastor, elder, or deacon. The early chapters of Acts do not contain those instructions.
Watch the Teaching: What Peter Really Preached in Acts 3 — Israel's Call to Repent