How Jesus Established His church.
When Jesus ascended bodily to heaven, He left his church followers two means of keeping His presence with them.
First, he gave the Holy Spirit as His presence with them.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you…. – John 14:15-17, 26
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. – Acts 2:38
“When you believed in Christ after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” – Ephesians 1:13
“People who are led by God's Spirit are his children…you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own.” – Romans 8:14-15
Second, He gave community.
“Children, I won’t be with you in body much longer. Love each other. Just as I have loved you. This will show the world that you are my followers.” – John 13:34-35
“I will build my church, and the powers of hell shall not prevail against it.’” – Matthew 16:18
“Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” – Matthew 18:20
“In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit. – Ephesians 2:21-22
“As you come to Him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.” – 1 Peter 2:4-5
Right away, his first followers started gathering for times of worship and encouragement. They did not meet under the same hierarchical models seen around them, either those of the Romans or of the Jewish priesthood. Instead, they did something radically new.
They met in fellowships (sharing communities) of equals, with the aim of helping one another follow their one teacher, lord, saviour, and master, Jesus Christ. They called themselves Christians. They read the scriptures (the Bible) together for guidance on how to meet and how to live. They did what it said.
The Bible declares itself sufficient for equipping Christian people in lives of faith and service.
“Everything in Scripture God’s Word. It is useful for teaching what is true and right, and for correcting, and for showing how to live. It prepares and equips his people to do every good work.” – 2 Timohty 3:16-17
No other writings are necessary to understand the good news or to equip people for faith. Nothing else is needed to know how to organize as a church either. Jesus said what He needed people to know.