Jesus And The Establishment Of Local Churches
While Jesus' earthly ministry focused on teaching and healing throughout various cities and villages, the direct establishment of local churches as organized bodies is primarily depicted as an activity of the apostles after his ascension [2, 11]. Jesus traveled extensively, spreading news of the kingdom and performing miracles, with his fame extending throughout the surrounding regions [1, 3]. He taught in synagogues, which were local houses of worship that had become common after the Babylonian captivity [5].
The concept of "church" in the New Testament refers to the assembly of believers, and its formal organization into local congregations developed as the apostles spread the Gospel. The book of Acts records the apostles, such as Paul, actively "establishing the Churches" in various regions like Syria and Cilicia [4]. This establishment involved strengthening believers in their faith, both in doctrine and grace, and often led to an increase in the number of adherents daily [7, 10]. The early church also provided for the needs of those traveling to spread the message, as seen when the church accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their way, providing necessary provisions [12].
The New Testament portrays the church as the body of Christ, with believers being members of his flesh and bones, drawing a parallel to Eve being formed from Adam's side [8]. This imagery emphasizes the intimate connection between Christ and his church. After Jesus' ascension, having made arrangements with his disciples for the preaching of the Gospel, they dispersed through the provinces to fulfill this mission [9]. Athanasius of Alexandria, a patristic writer, noted that Christ alone is worshipped universally, succeeding where idols failed, in persuading the entire world to worship one Lord [6].
The development of local churches involved not only the preaching of the Gospel but also the delivery of decrees from the elders, which helped to establish the churches in the faith [7, 10]. This process of establishing and strengthening local congregations was crucial for the spread and organization of Christianity in the early centuries.
Sources
- Luke “Luke 4:37 (BSB) — And the news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding region.”
- Matthew “Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. -- Matthew 9:35”
- Mark “Mark 6:1 (NASB) — Jesus went out from there and *came into His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him.”
- Acts “Acts 15:41 (Geneva1599) — And he went through Syria and Cilicia, stablishing the Churches.”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 4:23: And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues--These were houses of local worship. It cannot be proved that they existed before the Babylonish captivity; but as they began to be erected soon after it, probably the idea was suggested by the religious inconveniences to which the captives had been subjected. In our Lord's time, the rule was to have one wherever ten learned men or professed students of the law resided; and they extended to Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, and most places of the dispersion. The larger towns had several, and in J”
- CCEL (Patristic) “Athanasius of Alexandria, Select Works and Letters, section 143: Döllinger i. 109, &c., and Coulanges, La Cité Antique, Book III. ch. vi., and V. iii. (the substance in Barker’s Aryan Civilisation ). , thinking it to be lord of all;—Christ alone is worshipped as one and the same among all peoples; and what the weakness of the idols could not do—to persuade, namely, even those dwelling close at hand,—this Christ has done, persuading not only those close at hand, but simply the entire world, to worship one and the same Lord, and through Him God, even His Father. 329 Cf. notes on c. Gent. 10, and”
- Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 16:5: And so were the churches established in the faith,.... Of Christ, both in the grace and doctrine of faith; and that both by the preaching of the Gospel by the apostle and his companions, and by the decrees of the elders delivered by him: and increased in number daily; as well as in gifts and grace.”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 5:30: For--Greek, "Because" (Co1 6:15). Christ nourisheth and cherisheth the Church as being of one flesh with Him. Translate, "Because we are members of His body (His literal body), being OF His flesh and of His bones" [ALFORD] (Gen 2:23-24). The Greek expresses, "Being formed out of" or "of the substance of His flesh." Adam's deep sleep, wherein Eve was formed from out of his opened side, is an emblem of Christ's death, which was the birth of the Spouse, the Church. Joh 12:24; Joh 19:34-35, to which Eph 5:25-27 allude, as implying atonement by His blood”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — CHAP. XXI.--OF THE ASCENSION OF JESUS, AND THE FORETELLING OF IT; AND OF THE PREACHING AND ACTIONS OF THE DISCIPLES.: But when He had made arrangements with His disciples for the preaching of the Gospel and His name, a cloud suddenly surrounded Him, and carried Him up into heaven, on the fortieth day after His passion, as Daniel bad shown that it would be, saying:(12) "And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days." But the disciples, being dispersed through the provinces,”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 16:4: And as they went through the cities, they delivered . . . the decrees . . . And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily--not the churches, but the number of their members, by this visit and the written evidence laid before them of the triumph of Christian liberty at Jerusalem, and the wise measures there taken to preserve the unity of the Jewish and Gentile converts.”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 9:33: And Jesus went about all the cities and villages,.... He did not confine himself, and his acts of kindness and compassion, to his own city, Capernaum, but he took a circuit throughout all Galilee; and not only visited their larger and more principal cities and towns, but their villages also; doing good to the bodies and souls of men in every place, and of whatever state and condition. Teaching in their synagogues; which were places of public worship, where prayer was made, the law and the prophets were read, and a word of exhortation given to the people; and which,”
- Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 15:3: And being brought on their way by the church,.... That is, either being accompanied by some of the brethren of the church some part of the way, out of respect unto them, or being provided by them with things necessary for their journey; see Tit 3:13 they passed through Phenice and Samaria; which both lay between Syria and Judea; in the former of which places those that were scattered upon the death of Stephen had preached, and a great number were converted and believed in Christ who were Jews, Act 11:19 and in the latter Philip the evangelist had preached with much suc”