Why Did Jesus Establish The Church?
Why Did Jesus Form The Church?
What do you think of when you hear the word “church”? Do you think of a building with a steeple and a cross? Or do you think of people? People who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ? How we think of church impacts what we think the purpose of the church is.
So, why did Jesus establish the church? The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia which means “called out ones, congregation, or assembly.” The church is a group of people from every tribe, tongue, language, and peoples who have been called out of darkness into Christ’s marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). This group is comprised of both Jew and Gentile who have put their faith in the Messiah. The purpose of this group of people is to worship God and to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). This assembly of redeemed individuals is being made a kingdom and priests to God (Revelation 5:10). As ministers of reconciliation, God is making His appeal through men to be reconciled to God through Christ, His Son (2 Corinthians 5:16-20). The church was also established to make Israel jealous that they would repent and believe the gospel when the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled (Romans 11:11-12).
The church plays an important role today in the world. Let’s go to the Scriptures to discover what it is.
Church: The People, Not the Building
In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John sees some amazing visions and imagery. Often people make much about the imagery of the plagues, the beast, the false prophet. But the greatest imagery in Revelation is that of Jesus Christ and His people.
In Revelation 5, John weeps because no one is worthy in their own merit to open the seal of judgment. He is told to,
Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals. (Revelation 5:5)
As the scene unfolds, the Lamb who was standing as though He had been slain approaches the throne of God and takes this scroll out of His right hand (Revelation 5:6-7). When this happened, Jesus the Lamb of God was proven to be worthy. He was given the authority to judge the world in righteousness because of who He is and what He has done. Heaven worships Him. Singing a new song,
“Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10, bold added)
Jesus’s death on the cross made a way for people to be purchased from under the wrath of God. Not so that people can be free to do whatever they please. But so that people could be free to yoke themselves to a perfect Master. To no longer live for themselves, but being freed to live for the glory of their God and Savior. To be a kingdom of priests.
Because of our sin, we incurred a debt. A debt that we could not pay. A debt owed to God for we trespassed against Him. Jesus the Son of God canceled that debt by paying it Himself. Thereby, purchasing a people for God. A people who have a very specific purpose. To be a kingdom and priests to God.
For more on these topics, see our resources:
People from every tribe, tongue, language, and peoples who were all purchased by the blood of the Lamb. Set apart as a people unto God. Made a kingdom and priests. These redeemed are the church.
In Revelation 7 there is a beautiful scene recorded,
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10, bold added)
This great multitude of people that no one can number is all of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Not just the Gentile nations, although they are present. But also those of the nation of Israel who were also redeemed by faith in God and Jesus the Messiah.
In the first epistle of Peter he writes,
As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a Cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The Stone that the builders rejected
has become the Cornerstone,”and
“A Stone of stumbling,
and a Rock of offense.”They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:4-10, bold added)
Those who believe in Christ are being described. By faith in Jesus the Cornerstone they are made:
a chosen race,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
a people for His own possession.
We, the church, have been purchased by Christ from God and for God. To be set apart for a purpose. That purpose is NOT just to gather and worship one day a week. Although this is a part of what the church does. This is what we will be doing for eternity. Worshiping God and the Lamb who was slain.
We need to keep reading. We have been made:
a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9, bold added)
The purpose of God making us these things is so that we would proclaim Christ to the world. Are you participating in this purpose? We have a free video series to help people get equipped and motivated to participate in the ministry of reconciliation.
The Purpose of Christ’s Church
Jesus established the church for a purpose. The purpose was not solely to worship in the sense of offering praises to His name in air-conditioned buildings with comfortable seating. If this was the case, then when people were saved, He would remove them and bring them in His presence to sing praises. Yet, this is not what happens. The redeemed remain in this broken world with a great purpose.
The purpose of the church was similar to that of the nation of Israel. To be a light to the world, people who point the world to the God who could save them.
For more information as to the purpose of the nation of Israel, see our article, Why Did Jesus Become Angry In The Temple Courtyard?
This was evident in the last Scripture noted above. In 1 Peter 2:9,
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9, bold added)
The purpose of the church is to proclaim the gospel of Christ. To tell this lost world who will perish under the wrath of God to repent and believe in the Messiah. If they do not, they will die, for the wages of sin is death. Death is much more than a physical death. It is an eternal death. Cursed by God. Perishing under the punishment of God for sin for all of eternity.
For more on this, see our articles:
If the purpose of the church has not been made clear enough above, the Apostle Paul makes it even more clear in 2 Corinthians 5.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:16-20, bold added)
This describes the ministry of one who is truly born-again by faith. It describes those found in Christ. The Scriptures declare that he/she is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come. The former days of self-seeking, self-preservation, and self-proclamation are over. The new days of seeking after God in Christ, denial of self, and of proclamation of the gospel have come.
The church is comprised of all who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Who have been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Every member of the church of Christ are ministers of reconciliation!
The church is made up of those who proclaim Christ. Who proclaim His excellencies. Who point the world to the Lord and Savior. To the One who will judge them by their deeds. The One who will save them who believe by grace through faith by His deeds.
We are ambassadors of Christ! Ministers of reconciliation! Pleading with people to be made right with God through Christ!
This is our purpose. This a big reason for the establishment of the Church. This is also our spiritual worship.
For some more on this topic, see these articles from our site and one of our ministry partners,
The Olive Tree
In Romans 9-11 (which I strongly encourage you to read on your own time, in one sitting), there is an explanation of how Israel and the church are different and interact. God did not abandon Israel in place of the church. Rather the church is brought into what God has been doing all along. While believing Jews are part of the church (Ephesians 2), it would be a mistake to think that the nation of Israel has been replaced by the church.
Paul uses an olive tree in Romans 11 as a picture of what God is doing in saving a people for Himself. Israel (God’s chosen people) is the natural branches in this image. They are to remain in the olive tree by faith. If they reject God’s Messiah, Jesus, then they are cut off from the nourishing root. This is the current state of most of Israel. There has been a partial hardening of their hearts.
The Gentiles, of whom currently make up the majority of the church, are grafted into the olive tree by faith. By faith, people who were once not God’s people are brought into the tree of salvation. Nourished and given life. Grafted in to the covenant promises originally made with the nation of Israel (see, for example, Jeremiah 31:31 and Hebrews 8:8). Promises that were always intended to extend to all the families of earth (Genesis 12:1-3).
Paul tells us that a purpose of the Gentiles in the church is to make Israel jealous as foreign branches are being grafted into the tree.
So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. (Romans 11:11-16, bold added)
The Scriptures go on to tell the church not to be arrogant towards the unbelieving Jews. But to fear. Just as the Jews, God’s chosen people, were cut off because of unbelief, so too, we Gentiles who were grafted in are not to be proud or arrogant. Lest we find ourselves cut off because of our own hardness of heart.
The nation of Israel and all the nations of the world must be told the good news of salvation in no other name but Christ Jesus. As we, the church, ministers of reconciliation plead with all - both Jew and Gentile - to be reconciled with God through His beloved Son: Jesus the Christ!
What the Church is NOT
The Scriptures describe what the church is and why it was established. It is important to address what the church is NOT. These common misconceptions are dangerous.
The church is NOT Roman Catholicism. Often there is a confusion over the word, “catholic.” Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines it as, “of, relating to, or forming the ancient undivided Christian church or a church claiming historical continuity from it.” This is true. Jesus established one church. Not a multitude of mini-churches. Just as there was one Israel there also is one church. Jesus’s true church is catholic in this sense. It is universal. However, this catholic church is not to be confused with Roman Catholicism. Contrary to the teaching of Roman Catholics, the church and her teaching magisterium does not have the authority they claim. Christ does. In fact, the true, universal church is a group of people under the headship of Christ Jesus. Not under popes, or bishops, or pastors, or teachers. The church and its leaders, therefore, have no authority outside of the Scriptures, the words of Christ. The true catholic (universal) church is made up of all peoples, everywhere who are born-again by the Spirit of God and purchased with the precious blood of Jesus the Christ. Making the mistake that Roman Catholicism is the universal church leads people to submit to the pope instead of Christ, among many other problems. For more on why I can’t be a Roman Catholic, check out this linked article series on our ministry partner site.
The church is NOT a replacement of Israel. Some confuse the Scriptural teaching about the church and Israel. In particular, they misunderstand the separation of and distinction between them. It is incorrect to think that the church replaced Israel. Scripture does not teach this. Although dynamically the church and Israel are linked together and are similar in many ways, they remain separate and distinct entities. Romans 9-11 gives clear teaching on this. Israel still exists. It must, because the New Covenant was made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah (see Jeremiah 33:27-31 and Hebrews 8:8). The church is grafted in to these promises, it does not replace them. God has for a time been working more so with the Gentiles in order to make His chosen people (Israel) who are hard in their heart jealous. This jealously is intended so they would turn to God’s Messiah Jesus and be saved. In the end times, once the church is removed, God will once again do a great work with His people Israel. Making this mistake can lead people to think that the Old Covenant blessings (and curses) are now directly given to the church. This is a serious error.
The church is NOT a building. Many have confused the building for the church. The building is NOT the church. The building was not redeemed, or purchased by the blood of Christ. The building was not called out of darkness and into the light of Christ. The building is simply a building. Christ’s church may use a place to be sheltered from the elements to worship the living God together. A physical place to be equipped to be ministers of reconciliation. To be stirred on to love and good deeds. The building in whatever size, shape, or form it takes hopefully contributes to the accomplishment of these purposes. But Scripture teaches that the true church is built by the redeemed themselves as living stones (e.g. 1 Peter 2:4-5). When we make this mistake, we tend to restrict the location of ministry to where the building is, instead of understanding that wherever Christians are (at work, in school, at home, on vacation, etc.) the church is also present.
The church is NOT a social club. For centuries this idea that the church is a social club has existed. In the early years of America, a great pastor named Jonathan Edwards was fired from his position. His grandfather had pastored before him there for many years. Edwards had pastored there for years himself. Why was he fired? Because he fought against the notion of the church being a social club. Membership in the church is for those who are born-again, not for someone who desires social status. There are also churches who raise a banner around serving, motorcycles, running, families, skin color, ethnicity, etc. This is all wrong. The only banner the church should fly is Christ Jesus. The one who purchased us as a people for His possession. When we make this mistake, we are in danger of abandoning our first love and exchanging the glory of God for created things.
The church is NOT an entertainment service. The seeker-friendly church service movement has no ground in Scripture. God is the only “seeker” as He seeks and saves that which is lost. Some have brought in rock bands, flashy lights, bounce houses, programs, and coffee and doughnuts. All in attempt to bring the lost into the church service. If one brings people in by entertainment, they must keep the people in with more entertainment. This is wrong according to Scripture. People are truly brought into the church by Christ and the power of the gospel. They are kept in the church by Christ. The church is a gathering of believers. A place where believers are fed, encouraged, rebuked, and edified. This error is usually only able to be made in connection with number 3 above. You can bring people into a “building” with entertainment but you cannot bring them to faith in Christ by filling them with refreshments and catering to the various lusts and impulses of their flesh.
The church is NOT a business. Contrary to the American church model, the church is not to be run like a business. The church is not just to target one group and advertise to a core demographic. Instead, the church is to offer the gospel freely to all people. Where people from every tribe, tongue, language, and peoples gather to worship and proclaim the living God together. (For more on this, see this article from our ministry partner: The Church Isn’t A Business and our video linked at the bottom of this article).
Related Questions
How did Jesus start the Catholic Church? The word “catholic” means universal. The Apostles Creed for instance says, “I believe in the holy catholic Church.” This creed is affirming belief in one universal church. What it is NOT affirming is belief in Roman Catholicism. Jesus started the universal, single church after He made a way through the cross for people to be reconciled to God. The church was established after He was raised from the dead on the third day. Before He ascended to heaven after 40 days on earth, He commissioned His disciples to go and make disciples, thereby establishing His church (Matthew 28:19-20). They began to fulfill this mission on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2). Jesus’s church and the Roman church are not the same thing.
What is the purpose of a church building? The purpose of the church building is simply to have a place to gather and worship the living God. From the establishment of the church they have been worshiping in a building and in the open-air. Sometimes, the building is a house, sometimes a barn, sometimes a small building, sometimes a large one. But the purpose is always the same, corporate worship.