Jesus Christ Established a Visible
Church On Earth
by Fritz Tuttle
by Fritz Tuttle
Every Christian believes that Jesus Christ established and
sustains a community of faith, hope and love for all believers. This community
we call His Church. The Church that Christ founded is the Catholic Church which
has a formal earthly structure established by Christ and which continues under
His authority and protection.
In the Old Testament we see God's continual involvement in
the lives of the Israelites through appointed prophets. God delivered,
instructed and admonished the Israelites. He made His motions in a visible,
specific and formal way. He always did so through human hands, mouths, feet,
minds and wills. God established a law and a means for executing it.
In concert with His redemptive act, Jesus did three things
that established the framework of His Church. First, He chose humans to carry
out His work. He appointed Peter to be the visible head of the Church. Jesus
said to Peter, "You are Rock and on this rock I will build my
Church." (Matthew 16: 18) Jesus said "build," as in to create a
structure. Jesus built His structure on specifically chosen human beings Peter
and the apostles.
Second, Jesus gave Peter and the apostles the power and
authority to carry out His work. "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound
in heaven."(Matthew 16:19; 18:18) "Receive the Holy Spirit, whose
sins you forgive, they are forgiven, whose sins you retain, they are
retained."(John 20:23)
Third, Jesus gave Peter and the apostles commands as to what
that work should be. At the last supper, He commanded, "Do this in memory
of Me." (Luke 22:19) He commanded them to "Make disciples of all
nations" (Matthew 28:19), and to "Go into the whole world and
proclaim the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)
The early Church was structured in a hierarchical manner as
it is today. We see in Acts, chapter 15 how the apostles and the elders came
together under the leadership of St. Peter to decide the question of what was
required of Gentiles. We also see how St. Peter was regarded as the head of the
Church when St. Paul, "Went up to Jerusalem to confer with Kephas [Peter]
and remained with him fifteen days." (Galatians 1:18) There is no
Scriptural evidence of independent local churches.
The Catholic Church is the only church that can claim to
have been founded by Christ personally. Every other church traces its lineage
back to a mere human person such as Martin Luther or John Wesley. The Catholic
Church can trace its lineage back to Jesus Christ who appointed St. Peter as
the first pope. This line of popes has continued unbroken for almost 2,000
years.
God rules, instructs and sanctifies His people through His
Church. Under her teaching office, the Catholic Church preserves the Word of
God. She is the custodian, keeper, dispenser and interpreter of teachings of
Christ. And she accomplishes this under the protection of the Holy Spirit.
(Fritz Tuttle is active in Catholic
apologetics and the Legion of Mary.)
God Bless
Nathan
Nathan
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