People have often asked whether Jesus intended to found a church. There are two statements in Matthew’s Gospel that seem to suggest that he did.

Matthew 16:18-20
Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.  And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

Matthew 18:17
If the person still refuses to listen, take you case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

Some scholars ascribe the above scripture to Matthew, and not directly from the teaching of Jesus. They found it impossible to think that Jesus intended to found a church, for they believed that Jesus expected the immediate end of the world. But even those who do not share this opinion have often rejected the notion that Jesus was intent on starting any kind of organisation. Some people during the early twentieth century who viewed Jesus as a simple ethical teacher and, because they regarded the concept of a church as inconsistent with this, they concluded that it was a later, alien intrusion into the original simple gospel.

Though very few people today would agree with this point of view, however it does highlight two important facts that need to be borne in mind in any discussion about Jesus and the idea of ‘CHURCH’

1.The ‘church’ needs not imply the kind of religious hierarchy that evolved in the second century and is familiar in institutionalized Christianity today. Matthew 18:20 “ For where two or three gather together in my name, there shall I be”

2. In the strict sense it is probably anachronistic to speak of the existence of the church in the lifetime of Jesus. The Church in the NT saw itself as more than just a social grouping of like-minded people organised as a religious society. Its own self- consciousness was of being a group of people who shared in a common life because of the events of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus himself, and their participation in the empowerment that came from the Holy Spirit. In this specific sense, therefore, the church could only have come into existence after the foundational events of Jesus’ death and resurrection, which is why the NT depict the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost as the real ‘founding’ of the Church. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses telling people about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”; (Further reading: Acts 2:1-4)

Clearly, then, any statement about Jesus as the church’s founder needs to be carefully qualified. But, at the same time, there are strong indications in the gospels that he certainly intended to form a community of those who followed him.

How?

1. All the gospels show Jesus as the person in whom the messianic promises of the OT had been fulfilled. The Messiah had come in Jesus, and a significant element of traditional expectation was the belief that the Messiah would set up a new community, in which people would enjoy a close relationship with God as well as with one another. No matter how vaguely Jesus might have seen himself as a messianic figure, it would be a natural part of such an image for him to envisage the foundation of a community among his followers.

2. When Jesus describes his own work and the work of God’s kingdom, his words often suggest that he is talking about a group of people linked not only to God, but to one another.

Luke 12:32 
So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives the Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

KEYWORDS:

‘FLOCK’ meaning- A group of people under the leadership of one person, especially the members of a church
‘KINGDOM’ meaning – Church.

Also in John 10:1-18, Jesus compares himself to a vine and his disciples to its branches. What was he implying? In my opinion he meant that branches would have some kind of connection with each other as well as with the main stem (further reading John 15:1-11).  Many of the things Jesus says about the kingdom would be difficult to understand without assuming that he had a visible group of followers in mind.

Matthew 23:13
What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees? Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of heaven in people faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.

What door? The Church. The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees prevented others from hearing the truth about the messiah. How? By Forbidding people to gather together in Jesus Name. When we gather together in Jesus name, the kingdom of heaven is established (The Church). An important reason why Christians cannot distance themselves from the gathering of believers.

Luke 16:16
Until John the Baptist, the Law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News (Gospel) of the Kingdom of God is preached. And everyone is eager to get in.

Where is everyone eager to get into? Do not be surprised when people seek the word of God in church. It is an inherent process.
There is also the striking fact that some of the parables of Jesus suggest the kingdom of God is to be a visible entity.

Mark 4:30-32
Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in it shade.

Most churches start out as fellowships in a living room to become a worldwide entity. This is the will of God.

The parable of the wheat and Weeds in Matthew 13:24-30 is also a common feature in the Church. We got the wheat and the Weed doing their things. Another feature in the church predicted by Jesus Christ.


Further study
The fishing net (Matthew 13:47-50)
The workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)
The wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14)

CONCLUSION
While it might be doubted whether Jesus ever expected the church to become the sort of establishments it did in the days of Christendom, it is certainly reasonable to conclude that he did expect there to be a continuing community of his followers, and that the kind of churches his disciples later founded were an attempt to give tangible expression to that.

What do you think?

God bless

The church that Jesus founded was the bride , the collection of TRUE Believers worldwide.


Obviously we are to fellowship with like minded believers , but the physical church we see today is heresy.

"He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault." - Ephesians 5:27

"For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." - Hebrews 10:11

The architect of this spiritual church is not MAN but GOD.


"you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 2:25


God is not the author of confusion, what we see today with over a million denominations each stealing members from each other is nothing but man made tower of Babel.

At topic: Jesus founded the church.

The problem arises from the centuries old and tradition-filled connotations of the word "church".

As used in the scriptures; it means "called out" and occurs 111 times in the KJV (or 112 times if counting the Greek ἐκκλησία itself). It does not refer to some sort of hierarchical ecclesiastical structure, nor is the biblical usage with regard to physical buildings.

Mickelson's enhanced Strong's Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries:
G1577 ἐκκλησία ekklesia (ek-klay-see'-ah) n.
1. (properly) a "calling out"
2. (concretely) a called out assembly of citizens
3. (specifically, of Christ) the community of the Redeemed of Christ whether being on earth or in heaven or both
{used only of people, not a location, structure, etc. Of Christ, used only of the Redeemed, not of the unredeemed in their midst}
[from a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564]
KJV: assembly, church
Root(s): G1537, G2564
Compare: G4864
See also: G2822

Thus: Heb 12:22-24 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

@frosbel

The architect of this spiritual church is not MAN but GOD.

The above is true.

"you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 2:25

"Living stones" - Can be compared to blocks that make up a building or a number of trees that make up a forest, Not a living stone but LIVING STONE[b](S)[/b] ----- It is these living stones that make up a spiritual house to become a holy priesthood.

What is this holy priesthood? Christ.

What is the church? The body of Christ,

Meaning, you have to be in the body of Christ to really belong.

God is not the author of confusion

Truth!

what we see today with over a million denominations each stealing members from each other is nothing but man made tower of Babel.

So what are you going to do about it? Are u going to sit at home and allow satan to take over or form an alliance with true believers which the gates of hell cannot prevail against.

Sorry brethern, I am tried of listening to complaining right, left and centre while satan is having a fill day.

Matthew 18:20  "where two or three gather in my name, there shall I be.

Meaning get two or three believers together, link up with others, stay true to the faith and start something. Build a network of true believers and see the glory of God take over. I am starting something and if you are based in the UK, we can link up.

fret not bro The devil is already defeated. His time is short.

@ aletheia

At topic: Jesus founded the church.

The problem arises from the centuries old and tradition-filled connotations of the word "church". As used in the scriptures; it means "called out" and occurs 111 times in the KJV (or 112 times if counting the Greek ἐκκλησία itself). It does not refer to some sort of hierarchical ecclesiastical structure, nor is the biblical usage with regard to physical buildings.

In essence, the church is a gathering of believers in Christ. Meaning without Christ, there is no church. But there must be a gathering. This is the harvest of saved souls. The building of living stones into a holy priesthood.

That's my point

yommyuk:

Matthew 18:20  "where two or three gather in my name, there shall I be.

Meaning get two or three believers together, link up with others, stay true to the faith and start something. Build a network of true believers and see the glory of God take over. I am starting something and if you are based in the UK, we can link up

More and more I am meeting christians who no longer go to 'church' but meet weekly with small groups of fellow believers. I am very pleased with this development.

yommyuk:

@frosbel

The above is true.

"Living stones" - Can be compared to blocks that make up a building or a number of trees that make up a forest, Not a living stone but LIVING STONE[b](S)[/b] ----- It is these living stones that make up a spiritual house to become a holy priesthood.

What is this holy priesthood? Christ.

What is the church? The body of Christ,

Meaning, you have to be in the body of Christ to really belong.
Truth!

So what are you going to do about it? Are u going to sit at home and allow satan to take over or form an alliance with true believers which the gates of hell cannot prevail against.

Sorry brethern, I am tried of listening to complaining right, left and centre while satan is having a fill day.

Matthew 18:20  "where two or three gather in my name, there shall I be.

Meaning get two or three believers together, link up with others, stay true to the faith and start something. Build a network of true believers and see the glory of God take over. I am starting something and if you are based in the UK, we can link up.

fret not bro The devil is already defeated. His time is short.

We are on the same page here ,