Jesus didn't establish a religion

[phil8888]

The title is not my own statement, but one I read. How do you respond to someone who says Jesus didn’t establish a religion, he gave us Himself, so that we can trust in Him and not in a religion. I came across this when I was visiting a site about certain pastors, and there was a guy there who said he went to seminary for 5 years, but he didn’t have a Bible, because “it wasn’t required reading”, and it went on to say how they (him and his wife) weren’t “fulfilled” at the Catholic church. And he also said the stuff about Jesus not establishing a religion. How do I respond to all that?

 

[davidv]

The title is not my own statement, but one I read. How do you respond to someone who says Jesus didn’t establish a religion, he gave us Himself, so that we can trust in Him and not in a religion. I came across this when I was visiting a site about certain pastors, and there was a guy there who said he went to seminary for 5 years, but he didn’t have a Bible, because “it wasn’t required reading”, and it went on to say how they (him and his wife) weren’t “fulfilled” at the Catholic church. And he also said the stuff about Jesus not establishing a religion. How do I respond to all that?

I would agree Jesus didn’t establish a religion. He established a Church. This Church is build on the foundation of Jesus as the corner stone and the apostles.

 

[Joel_Tunnah]

A seminary with no bibles? Hmm, I’m not surprised. I bet they had a lot of Che t-shirts though.

If someone wants to remain in ignorance, there’s nothing you can do to convince them, but if they want the truth, then they can start with the gospels and the CCC.

 

[DebChris]

The title is not my own statement, but one I read. How do you respond to someone who says Jesus didn’t establish a religion, he gave us Himself, so that we can trust in Him and not in a religion. I came across this when I was visiting a site about certain pastors, and there was a guy there who said he went to seminary for 5 years, but he didn’t have a Bible, because “it wasn’t required reading”, and it went on to say how they (him and his wife) weren’t “fulfilled” at the Catholic church. And he also said the stuff about Jesus not establishing a religion. How do I respond to all that?

As far as I know, seminaries do require reading the Bible. Scriptural passages would have been integrated into the various required readings whether recognized as such or not. The earliest Christians were known as followers of The Way. It was not so much that followers of The Way set out to form a new religion. Rather they were kicked out of the synagogues. The “religion” developed from shared experience and a desire to follow Jesus Christ. The Apostles formed the leadership of The Way. The Apostles learned directly at the feet of Jesus and it is His teachings that were handed down through the Catholic Church.

 

[Teflon93]

The title is not my own statement, but one I read. How do you respond to someone who says Jesus didn’t establish a religion, he gave us Himself, so that we can trust in Him and not in a religion. I came across this when I was visiting a site about certain pastors, and there was a guy there who said he went to seminary for 5 years, but he didn’t have a Bible, because “it wasn’t required reading”, and it went on to say how they (him and his wife) weren’t “fulfilled” at the Catholic church. And he also said the stuff about Jesus not establishing a religion. How do I respond to all that?

I’d love to know how they explain The Great Commission.

 

[cheddarsox]

tell them to go and read the Gospels carefully. It’s pretty clear. And I’m not even Christian.

 

[paarsurrey]

The title is not my own statement

Hi

Nevertheless it seems true, Jesus was a Jew and he did not establish a religion, nor he had a need to do so.

The founder of modern Christianity is Paul; it has nothing to do with Jesus, Jesus is absolved of this.

Thanks

 

[mschrank]

I don’t really get people like this. When you die, either that’s it, or you’re going to be seated in front of a God whose very being will sear your very existance to the core.

What, are you going to make up some bunk to tell to God? An excuse? Or dare lecture him? People like this really need to read the end of Job.

If it’s all just hokey, then no stupid theory of your own is going to make a mite of difference.

So people really need to stop thinking they can have their own opinions on things that really have nothing to do with them.

 

[mschrank]

Hi

Nevertheless it seems true, Jesus was a Jew and he did not establish a religion, nor he had a need to do so.

The founder of modern Christianity is Paul; it has nothing to do with Jesus, Jesus is absolved of this.

Thanks

You know, the thing I don’t get about Muslims is that they think their own guys, who lived 600+ years after Jesus and came from completely different cultures, know Jesus better than his best friends who knew him personally and were of the same blood.

Bizarre.

 

[VociMike]

I would agree Jesus didn’t establish a religion. He established a Church. This Church is build on the foundation of Jesus as the corner stone and the apostles.

And through which he continues to give us himself in the most tangible, substantial way.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

phil8888:

The title is not my own statement, but one I read. How do you respond to someone who says Jesus didn’t establish a religion, he gave us Himself, so that we can trust in Him and not in a religion…

Say sure… Jesus gave us Himself in the form of the Eucharist.

 

[Chipper]

The title is not my own statement, but one I read. How do you respond to someone who says Jesus didn’t establish a religion, he gave us Himself, so that we can trust in Him and not in a religion. I came across this when I was visiting a site about certain pastors, and there was a guy there who said he went to seminary for 5 years, but he didn’t have a Bible, because “it wasn’t required reading”, and it went on to say how they (him and his wife) weren’t “fulfilled” at the Catholic church. And he also said the stuff about Jesus not establishing a religion. How do I respond to all that?

You know, on occasion I here about people saying ridiculous things like, I don’t do religion, I am in to spirituality.

Do these people actually understand the definition of religion. I don’t think so. It just seems so many people of late are completely ignorant of the english language that they use.

Definition of religion: From Meriam Websters:
1 a**:** the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> b (1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

Okay, so these alleged spiritual people, who don’t practice religion are in effect saying: “They don’t do “worhsip of God”, or they aren’t going to “serve” God.”

So everytime I hear this, that is exactly what goes through my head. It means I am hearing someone say, that they don’t worship or follow God, because they are spiritual. :banghead:

 

[mainusch]

Religion

Oxford dictionary definition (theistic): “1 the belief in a superhuman controlling power, esp. in a personal God or gods entitled to obedience and worship. 2 the expression of this in worship. 3 a particular system of faith and worship.”

Sounds a lot like what Jesus established in His Church. He was pretty clear about what we are to believe and how we are to exercise that faith.

Perhaps the groups who make this claim ought to invest in dictionaries (and Bibles).

 

[Church_Militant]

If they have a New Testament lying around somewhere, they’ll find the following written in James

James Chapter 1:26: If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27: Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

 

[Teflon93]

If they have a New Testament lying around somewhere, they’ll find the following written in James

James Chapter 1:26: If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27: Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Yet another example of what Christians must DO, rather than BELIEVE. Christ himself provides many more examples.

 

[rlg94086]

usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew16.htm
Matthew 16:

17 Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood 12 has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, 13 and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 14 Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Sounds pretty clear to me. Jesus came to build His Church…and He did.

Footnote

13 [18] You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: the Aramaic word kepa - meaning rock and transliterated into Greek as Kephas is the name by which Peter is called in the Pauline letters (1 Cor 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:4; Gal 1:18; 2:9, 11, 14) except in Gal 2:7-8 (“Peter”). It is translated as Petros (“Peter”) in John 1:42. The presumed original Aramaic of Jesus’ statement would have been, in English, “You are the Rock (Kepa) and upon this rock (kepa) I will build my church.” The Greek text probably means the same, for the difference in gender between the masculine noun petros, the disciple’s new name, and the feminine noun petra (rock) may be due simply to the unsuitability of using a feminine noun as the proper name of a male. Although the two words were generally used with slightly different nuances, they were also used interchangeably with the same meaning, “rock.” Church: this word (Greek ekklesia) occurs in the gospels only here and in Matthew 18:17 (twice). There are several possibilities for an Aramaic original. Jesus’ church means the community that he will gather and that, like a building, will have Peter as its solid foundation. That function of Peter consists in his being witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it: the netherworld (Greek Hades, the abode of the dead) is conceived of as a walled city whose gates will not close in upon the church of Jesus, i.e., it will not be overcome by the power of death.

 

[DebChris]

Yet another example of what Christians must DO, rather than BELIEVE. Christ himself provides many more examples.

In The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Boenhoeffer writes “only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.”
“Faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience.”
In other words, and reflecting St. James, “Show me faith without works and I will show you the faith that underlies my works.”

 

[Palladio]

Hi

Nevertheless it seems true, Jesus was a Jew and he did not establish a religion, nor he had a need to do so.

The founder of modern Christianity is Paul; it has nothing to do with Jesus, Jesus is absolved of this.

Thanks

This is all just ignorant and silly and, in the last claim, outrageous and offensive: read the NT for goodness sake.

Christ is God.

 

[Church_Militant]

Nevertheless it seems true, Jesus was a Jew and he did not establish a religion, nor he had a need to do so.

Really? This is as good a dose of baseless rhetorical propaganda as I’ve ever seen anywhere. (Notice the complete lack of any supporting scripture of any kind.)

However, in refutation to your post I will cite the following.
Matthew 16:18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

Since building a church in this case is also a de facto religion, your rhetorical assertion is proved baseless and biased propaganda.

The founder of modern Christianity is Paul; it has nothing to do with Jesus, Jesus is absolved of this.

(Again, notice the complete lack of any supporting scripture of any kind, making this simply more baseless rhetorical propaganda that only the grossly naive and ignorant will believe.)

Yet what does St. Paul actually say?
1st Corinthains 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you; but that you be perfect in the same mind, and in the same judgment.

11 For it hath been signified unto me, my brethren, of you, by them that are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith: I indeed am of Paul; and I am of Apollo; and I am of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided?* Was Paul then crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?* 14 I give God thanks, that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Caius; 15 Lest any should say that you were baptized in my name.

16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanus; besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made void. 18 For the word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness; but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God.

So again, the facts of the Word of God refute the modern propaganda of those who oppose the Catholic faith.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum,.

 

[Stillkickin]

The reason they cannot accept that Jesus established a church is that if they do they would have to admit that it is the Catholic Church and then where would they be?