Did Jesus come to establish the Church?

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I am leading a bible study group and I got the “stump the leader” question:

Did Jesus come to establsih the Church?

Where is the acknowledgement either in Scripture or in Catholic teaching to support or deny this?

Thanks for your help!
 
Jesus Mission was to redeem us

"This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”–1 Timothy 1:15
The angel said of Mary, “And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus told Zacchaeus, “For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10)

christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/spirit.html

727 The entire mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the fullness of time, is contained in this: that the Son is the one anointed by the Father’s Spirit since his Incarnation - Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.
Everything in the second chapter of the Creed is to be read in this light. Christ’s whole work is in fact a joint mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Here, we shall mention only what has to do with Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit and the gift of him by the glorified Lord.

Holy **Spirit and the Church **

737 The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This joint mission henceforth brings Christ’s faithful to share in his communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit prepares men and goes out to them with his grace, in order to draw them to Christ. The Spirit manifests the risen Lord to them, recalls his word to them and opens their minds to the understanding of his Death and Resurrection. He makes present the mystery of Christ, supremely in the Eucharist, in order to reconcile them, to bring them into communion with God, that they may “bear much fruit.”[132] 738 Thus the Church’s mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity …

739 Because the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is Christ who, as the head of the Body, pours out the Spirit among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father and to his intercession for the whole world. Through the Church’s sacraments, Christ communicates his Holy and sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body.
 
Gabriel’s tells His mission in Luke 1:32-33
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33* and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."
Click to expand...
His kingdom is the Church.
 
mwalch said:
I am leading a bible study group and I got the “stump the leader” question:

Did Jesus come to establsih the Church?

Where is the acknowledgement either in Scripture or in Catholic teaching to support or deny this?

Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Hi. Of course Jesus came to establish his church. 🙂

Mt 16: 18 is sufficient confirmation for this.

How would his followers live the Christian life without the Church?
 
Thank you so very much for your expertise!!

I have to admit that when the question came up, all I could think of was Matt 16:18. I knew there had to be more information!!

Thanks again!!
Kindly,
Meg
 
Adding on Mt 16:18-19, this Church must be one, Jn 10:16; there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Eph 4:3-6; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God & Father. Rom 16:17; avoid those who create dissensions. 1Cor 1:10; I urge that there be no divisions among you.
 
Specifically Jesus came to redeem mankind and to establish His Church so that we would not be left as orphans but have His teaching through His Church to lead us to heaven.

Jesus gave this mission to the Twelve, but to St Peter alone by the Son Of God, A.D. 33 was given:

All four promises – to Peter alone:

“You are Peter and on this rock I will build My Church.” (Mt 16:18)

“The gates of hell will not prevail against it.”(Mt 16:18)

I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven." ( Mt 16:19)

“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” (Mt 16:19)

Sole authority:
“Strengthen your brethren.” (Lk 22:32)
“Feed My sheep.”(Jn 21:17).

Vatican I (1870) in *Pastor Aeternus *proclaimed the dogma on papal infallibility and this was reiterated in Vatican II (Lumen Gentium, 25).
 
Jesus did establish the Church; in Matthew 16:18 he asks His disciples "who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answers: “you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answers him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, nd the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keyes of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” There are other verses wherein Jesus grants particular authority to the disciples (Luke 10:16, Luke 22:25, John 20:21-23, etc.) and in Matthew’s gospel (ch28) He commissions them to go and bapitze in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, making disciples of all nations. Baptism marks “birth” into the Church as members.

St. Paul confirms this in numerous places; one may note that the letters (epistles) following the gospels were all written to the various Church “branches”. Paul refers to the Church also as the “Body of Christ” in various places (1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4). In Eph. 4 he states that there is (verse 4) “one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism,…” In Colossians 1:18 Paul states: He (Christ) is the head of the body, the Church."

The authority Christ gave to his apostles maintains what they teach as True; 2 Thess. 2:15 "so then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us,either by word of mouth (verbal instruction/tradition) or by our letter (epistles in Scripture). 1 Tim 15 “…in the household of God, which is The Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.”

Blessings!
 
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