Many people today say, “I believe in Jesus, but I don’t need a church.” They believe that Christianity is simply a personal relationship with God and that attending church, receiving the Sacraments, or belonging to a Christian community is unnecessary.
But is this what Jesus taught?
Can someone truly follow Christ while deliberately separating himself from the Church?
The Bible presents Christianity not merely as a private relationship with Jesus, but as belonging to His Body—the Church. Jesus did not come simply to gather isolated individuals who would each follow Him in their own way. He called disciples, appointed Apostles, established a Church, and entrusted them with the mission of continuing His work.
Christian faith is personal, but it was never meant to be lived in isolation.
1. Jesus Christ Established a Church
One of the clearest biblical passages about the Church is found in the Gospel of Matthew.
Jesus said to Saint Peter:
“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18, NABRE)
Notice what Jesus said: “I will build my Church.”
He did not say that He would establish thousands of independent groups, each following its own interpretation of His teachings. He spoke of His Church, which He promised would endure.
In the following verse, Jesus gives Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and speaks of the authority to bind and loose (Matthew 16:19).
For Catholics, this passage is foundational to understanding the authority entrusted to Saint Peter and the apostolic leadership of the Church.
Jesus did not leave His followers without guidance. He established a visible community, entrusted it with spiritual authority, and promised that the powers of death would not prevail against it.
If Christ established a Church, why would a person who sincerely wants to follow Him deliberately refuse to belong to it?
2. The First Christians Belonged to a Community
The Book of Acts shows us how the earliest Christians lived their faith.
After Saint Peter preached on Pentecost and many people were baptized, the new believers did not simply return to their homes to practice Christianity privately.
Scripture tells us:
“They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” (Acts 2:42, NABRE)
This verse reveals four important elements of the early Christian community:
- The teaching of the Apostles.
- Fellowship and communal life.
- The breaking of the bread.
- Prayer.
The early Christians gathered together, listened to apostolic teaching, shared their faith, prayed, and celebrated the breaking of the bread.
The breaking of the bread is especially significant because it is closely connected with the Eucharistic life of the early Church.
Christianity was never intended to be an individual spiritual journey separated from other believers. From the beginning, Christians gathered as one community under the guidance of the Apostles.
3. The Church Is the Body of Christ
Saint Paul teaches that the Church is not simply an organization or a building. It is the Body of Christ.
In his First Letter to the Corinthians, he writes:
“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27, NABRE)
He also explains:
“So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another.” (Romans 12:5, NABRE)
Think about the meaning of these words.
A body cannot function properly when its members deliberately separate themselves from one another. Each member has a purpose, and every part contributes to the life of the whole.
Christ is the Head, and Christians are called to live as members of His Body.
This means that following Jesus involves more than saying that we believe in Him. It means living in communion with other Christians, sharing in the life of the Church, and serving one another through love.
A person may pray alone, read the Bible privately, and develop a personal relationship with Jesus. These are valuable practices. However, they cannot replace the full life of Christian communion that Christ intended for His followers.
4. The Church Is the Pillar and Foundation of Truth
Saint Paul gives us another important description of the Church in his First Letter to Timothy:
“The church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15, NABRE)
This is a remarkable statement.
The Church is not presented as an unnecessary human institution. Saint Paul describes it as the pillar and foundation of truth.
Christians need guidance to understand Scripture faithfully, preserve the teachings of Christ, and distinguish the truth of the Gospel from false teachings.
Jesus entrusted this mission to His Apostles and commanded them to teach all nations.
He said:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19–20, NABRE)
This mission did not end with the deaths of the Apostles. The Catholic Church understands that the Apostles entrusted their ministry to successors, preserving apostolic teaching and the mission of the Church throughout the centuries.
The Church therefore has a responsibility to teach the faith, celebrate the Sacraments, and guide the faithful in following Christ.
5. Jesus Gave Authority to His Apostles
Jesus did not simply ask His Apostles to share their personal opinions. He gave them authority to continue His mission.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the disciples:
“Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” (Luke 10:16, NABRE)
This reveals the seriousness of the authority entrusted to those whom Christ sent.
After His Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Apostles and said:
“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21, NABRE)
He then gave them authority connected with the forgiveness of sins:
“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:23, NABRE)
These words are especially important for understanding the Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Christ entrusted His Apostles with a real ministry. The Church continues this apostolic mission through the bishops, who are successors of the Apostles, and the priests who serve alongside them.
This is one reason why belonging to the Church matters. Christianity is not simply a collection of personal interpretations. It is a faith received from Christ and handed down through the Apostles.
6. Jesus Calls His Followers to Gather Together
Jesus also taught His disciples about the importance of gathering in His name.
He said:
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20, NABRE)
This passage reminds us that Christ is present among His followers when they gather in His name.
Christianity is not meant to be lived entirely alone. We need the encouragement, prayers, wisdom, and support of other believers.
The Church is where Christians gather to worship God, hear His Word, celebrate the Eucharist, receive the Sacraments, and grow together in holiness.
Of course, this verse does not mean that every gathering of Christians automatically replaces the Church or its Sacraments. Rather, it reminds us of the importance of Christian fellowship and communal prayer.
7. Can You Follow Jesus Without Attending Church?
There is a difference between someone who is unable to attend church and someone who deliberately rejects the Church.
A person may be sick, elderly, isolated, living in a place where Christians are persecuted, or unable to attend Mass because of circumstances beyond their control.
God knows each person’s heart and circumstances.
However, someone who says, “I believe in Jesus, but I reject the Church He established because I do not need anyone to guide me,” should seriously reconsider this position.
The Christian faith calls us to humility, obedience, and communion with others.
We cannot claim to follow Christ while deliberately dismissing what He established and entrusted to His Apostles.
The Catholic Church teaches that all salvation comes from Christ, the Head, through His Body, which is the Church. At the same time, the Church recognizes that people who are not fully incorporated into it may still be related to the Church in different ways, and that those who are not Catholic through no fault of their own may be saved by God’s grace.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this teaching in paragraphs 846–848.
Therefore, we should never presume to judge the eternal destiny of another person. But we should recognize that Christ calls everyone to the unity and fullness of His Church.
8. Why Is Belonging to the Catholic Church Important?
For Catholics, belonging to the Church means much more than having our name on a membership list or attending a building on Sunday.
It means sharing in the spiritual life Christ gave to His Church.
Through the Church, we receive:
The Holy Eucharist: Jesus gave us His Body and Blood as spiritual food. At the Last Supper, He commanded His Apostles to continue this sacred celebration in His memory (Luke 22:19–20).
The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Christ entrusted His Apostles with the ministry of forgiving sins (John 20:21–23). Through this Sacrament, we receive God’s forgiveness and reconciliation.
The Apostolic Teaching: The Church preserves and proclaims the faith handed down from Christ through His Apostles.
The Communion of Saints: We are united in Christ with the faithful on earth, the souls being purified, and the saints in Heaven.
The Sacramental Life: Through Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, and the other Sacraments, the faithful receive the grace of Christ throughout their Christian journey.
These gifts are not merely religious traditions. They are part of the life Christ entrusted to His Church.
9. Christianity Is Not Just “Jesus and Me”
Today, it is common to hear people say, “I don’t need a church. I have my own relationship with Jesus.”
Certainly, every Christian needs a personal relationship with Our Lord. Prayer, repentance, reading Scripture, and loving God are essential.
But personal faith must not become an excuse for rejecting Christian communion.
Jesus did not call His disciples to become isolated individuals. He called them to follow Him together, appointed Apostles, established His Church, and sent them to teach and baptize all nations.
The Church is not perfect because its members are perfect. It is made up of human beings who need God’s mercy, forgiveness, and grace. Throughout history, members of the Church have failed, sinned, and caused scandal. Yet the sins of individual members do not cancel the mission or authority Christ entrusted to His Church.
Our task is not to create a Christianity according to our personal preferences. It is to follow Jesus Christ faithfully and receive the faith He entrusted to His Apostles.
Final Thoughts: Follow Christ Within His Church
The question is not simply, “Do I believe in Jesus?”
It is also, “Am I willing to follow the Church that Jesus established?”
The Bible teaches that Christ founded His Church, entrusted His mission to the Apostles, and called His followers to live as one Body.
Christianity is personal, but it is not meant to be isolated. We need the Word of God, the Sacraments, the Eucharist, the guidance of the Church, and the fellowship of other believers.
Let us therefore remain faithful to Jesus Christ and to the Church He established.
May the Holy Spirit guide all Christians toward greater unity, truth, and love, and may we always remain faithful members of the Body of Christ. Amen.
See Also:
- Top 10 Bible Verses That Are Often Ignored by Those Who Don’t Believe Jesus is God
- How Can We Know Which Traditions Come from God?
- All Souls’ Day: Why Catholics Pray for the Dead and What It Means
- Why Did Jesus Choose 12 Disciples? The Biblical Meaning of the Twelve Tribes of Israel
- 10 Reasons You Should Believe Jesus Is the Son of God
- The Trinity
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