Is it possible to follow Jesus without the Church and its teachings?
I was helping my mom move into her new home. A friend of her’s who was also lending a hand became intrigued at my profession. I explained to her my role as a youth minister. I also shared with her my conversion to Catholic Christianity.
The gentle conversational tone of the lady changed. She spoke as if she took offence to my story. Later, I found out she was a non-practicing Catholic.
She argued that she doesn’t need a minister, priest, or church telling her how she should live her faith life. Her relationship is between her and Jesus and that’s all that matters.
Courtesy of Ali Inay from Unsplash.com
The above argument is popular, but it is faulty. Here are THREE reasons why we can’t have an order of Jesus with no Church on the side.
- Jesus established a Church.
If Jesus is really who he says he is, the Son of God, then ALL his teachings are non-negotiable. This includes his teaching on the Church. Jesus chose Peter, the first apostle, to lead his church, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, after he has ascended into Heaven (see Matthew 16:18-19).
The people who have the most inpact in history have established institutions to carry on the authenticity of their message long after they’re gone. Can you imagine if Steve Jobs didn’t start Apple? Steve Jobs couldn’t continue to have the impact he does today, even though he has passed on.
Jesus intentionally established the Church. His message is the greatest message in all of history. The only way that his message can stay authentic without his physical presence is by creating an institution in which his teachings are held up.
- The Role of the Church
A common misconception I’ve heard many times is that people in authoritative positions in the Church can simply change teachings if they really wanted to; especially the Pope. If he wanted, with a snap of his fingers he could exercise his infallible authority.
Or, the “spirit of the times” ought to determine Church teaching. In other words, whatever the majority of people hold to be right in a particular point in history ought to determine doctrine. This is an interesting approach to determining what is right, just, or true. I will discuss the issue of TRUTH in a later blog post.
At this point I wish not to get into the particulars of authority in the Church. That would need a couple of posts on its own. But, what I will say is this: The Church is neither a democracy or a dictatorship.
Here is an image that helps me understand the role of the Church. Take a moment to imagine your local bank. In every bank there are different security systems in place to protect belongings that are in its’ vaults. Some banks will even have security guards.
The church is a like a security system in a bank. Jesus’s teachings are like the treasures in the vault. The Church cannot hijack a teaching and change it into something else any more than a security guard can enter the vault of the bank he swore to protect and steal $1 million then replace it with monopoly money.
- No Man is an Island
I love hanging out with my closest friends. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today if it were not for them. We share similar values and we hold each other accountable in our faith. Following Jesus is not easy. Afterall he did say,
“If any person would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).
There are times when I don’t want to deny myself. I want to believe that I know better than Jesus. I don’t want a cross to bare. I want comfort.
The church’s members hold each other accountable. We challenge one another to deepen our faith in God. In my experience, amazing things happen when we deny ourselves and we allow ourselves to be challenged. Personally, I have come to see the world in a new light. Being in a relationship with Jesus is like seeing clearly for the first time.
Questions: 1) Do you see benefits in being part of a church? 2) Do you think there is a difference between what Jesus teaches in the Bible and what the Church teaches?
*Edited by Robert Bandura
