"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Rom. 15:4).
Church history, or the history of Christianity, is the story of the movement begun by Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament, and continuing more than two thousand years to the present. Church history deals with the people who have professed to be disciples of Christ through the ages. It is the story of challenges they have faced, and the victories as well as the setbacks they have encountered. Church history is about institutions that have arisen, and the good they have done as well as the harm they have caused. It is about doctrines that have served as guideposts for the church, including those based soundly upon Scripture, as well as those based upon human tradition.
History, of course, is not the final word in our search for truth. Only Scripture can be our guide in spiritual matters. History can, however, offer some perspective that can be helpful. A study of church history can be valuable for several reasons.
The study of church history can serve as an aid to understanding the present. Our understanding of the present is aided by some knowledge of the past. The study of church history provides perspective for understanding such things as the presence of denominationalism, differing beliefs and practices among professing believers, and church problems and issues.
The
study of church history can provide some perspective on how we approach the
Scriptures. While all professing Christians claim dependence upon the
Bible, history shows there have been wide differences in how the Bible is
understood and applied. In our study of Scripture and our efforts to know its
teaching on any subject, our priority is always to study the Bible for
ourselves. It may also be profitable, however, to know that any question we may
bring to God’s word has already been asked before. Certainly, different and
contradictory answers to the same question cannot all be right. At the same
time, it can be helpful to know how others have approached the question,
learning from them not only how they were right, but also how they were
mistaken.
The study of church history can
encourage us to examine what we believe. Just as the noble-minded Bereans
searched the Scriptures, so should we (Acts 17:11). Our examination should
include our own assumptions and beliefs as well as those of others. It should
always be done in the light of Scripture.
The study of church history often
motivates and inspires. The study of church history can offer edification,
inspiration, and zeal for the Christian's spiritual life. The knowledge of the
past gives instruction and hope (Rom. 15:4). Examples of noble lives and
characters who were committed and sacrificial in their quest for the truth are
encouraging, even if we do not agree with their conclusions. History is the
story of people, many of whom demonstrated great faith and character. History
can help us be more humble and grateful to God for who we are and what we
believe, in part because of the examples of godliness that it has recorded for
us.
The study of church history can
also serve as a warning. Along with the many noble examples from the past,
church history also shows that there have been many failures and wrong turns, reminding us of instruction found in Scripture.
God’s laws in Old Testament times were to be passed along and taught to the
next generation, so they would “not forget the works of God, but keep his
commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and
rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit
was not faithful to God” (Ps. 78:5–8). Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of
his day because they had forgotten those lessons, saying to them, “Fill up,
then, the measure of your fathers” (Matt. 23:32). Stephen leveled the same
charge against his accusers: “As your fathers did, so do you” (Acts 7:51). Events
of the past were preserved in Scripture “as
examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did” (1 Cor. 10:6). So
it is with the history of Christianity since New Testament times. It helps us
see the path of departure from the New Testament pattern.
The study of church history
demonstrates the historical character of the faith. The story that runs
through the Bible is a story set within history. It is the story of how God the
Creator has stepped into history and acted on behalf of his people. When God
gave his commandments and made his covenant with Israel, he said, “I am the
Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You
shall have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:2–3). The story of Jesus Christ
begins with the historical fact that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us
(John 1:14). The gospel message was based on that “which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our
hands” (1 John 1:1). So, to study the history of the church through the ages
can serve as a reminder to us of the historical character of the faith we hold.
Dan Petty
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