To set the stage for what follows I’d like us to consider some specifics of why we should study history in general, and the history of the church in particular. Why should we be concerned with what has happened to a bunch of dead people? Why should we, who are living in the twenty-first century care what happened to people who live 2,000 years ago? I think there are several very important reasons why we should undertake such a study.

First, the history of the church is our history. One of the strongest instincts we have is what has been called the herd instinct. By this term we mean the desire we all have to be a part of a group. Why do young people all dress the same, talk the same, and act the same? They want to be part of a group. As we get older we still have this desire, so we wear the logos of our favorite sports team, we join social groups, service groups, and even churches. This instinct also explains, in part, why the study of genealogy is so popular.

This instinct is not a problem until someone comes along in our group and begins to engender a we-them mentality within the members of our group.

Perhaps the most heinous and wicked example of this was Hitler and the Jews. He was able to engender a we-them mentality that allowed the destruction of many millions of the Jews. He was able to do this, in part, by making the German peoples feel isolated from and unconnected with the rest of Europe, by reminding the people what a raw deal they got at the end of WW I.

An ignorance of church history makes each person and group feel isolated and unconnected from others, and from the work of God. It is knowledge of history that helps make those connections for us. It provides a spiritual genealogy and connects us with saints of the past. It makes us a part of something bigger than ourselves and larger than our short lifetime.

In Romans 8:14-17 we read, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

The Church is all about family- God’s family. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He was bringing us far more than just salvation. His death for us bought us a new identity, a new family. Through the grace of Jesus’ shed blood, each of us were adopted into God’s own family, becoming an heir with Him. We are now a part of that family which the Bible calls the church.

Why study early church history? Because that is how I come to understand who I am as God’s child and where I fit into His family.

As we study early church history, a sense of family identity begins to take on fuller meaning, and we begin to grasp a clearer picture of the grace given to us. 

The Church began with a handful of men and women recognizing and professing that Jesus Christ was God’s own Son. Paul recorded the foundation stone of the church when he wrote, “. . .that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. . .” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

These men and women, having seen with their own eyes, having touched with their own hands, proclaimed the truth (Jesus) they knew, and the family grew. 

Their journey, the price they paid for adhering to truth, the depth of the truth they knew and professed as God poured out His presence upon them, all of this makes up the history of the family of God — the history of the Church, our history.

Why study early church history? Because it is our history.

As we come to more fully understand it, we come to a fuller, clearer understanding and appreciation of who we are as God’s children. The history of the early church runs through our veins and calls us to hear and know the truth of God for which these earliest followers of Jesus paid so much. Were it not for their faithfulness, their willing obedience to God’s love, regardless of the cost on their own lives, there would be no Church today. They were faithful and steadfast. Great sacrifices were made that we living today might know the truth of God’s love for us. Studying their history, their example of obedience reveals that love and strengthens our resolve to be obedient to God and be faithful to the family of which He made us a part.

Second, studying the history of the church provides us with a concrete demonstration of the historical nature of the faith. Look at Exodus 20:2-3, where we read, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.”

This type of phrase is repeated again and again throughout the Old Testament. God speaks to His people like this to remind them of their history and His part in that history.

We see similar patterns in the New Testament. Look at John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Here we have the narrative which is at the heart of our faith- the Son of God taking on human form and dwelling among us to offer Himself as the sacrifice necessary to save men from the judgement due for their sin; the Word becoming flesh.

In 1John 1:1-3 we read, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

In these and many more examples we see our faith spoken of in concrete, historical terms. Certainly Christianity involves a theology, a moral code, and a worldview, but it is ultimately the acts of God in time and space. For many in our day their faith is only now and personal. It is not part of something larger.

As we study the history of the church we see God intervening again and again to protect, preserve, correct, empower, and lead His church. All these events point us to the real, historical nature of our faith.

Third, when we study the history of the church we gain perspective on interpreting Scripture. As we study the history of the church we gain a better understanding of what God has taught our forefathers concerning doctrine and practice, and how to understand and apply His Word. As we study we hear Augustine discussing the Trinity, Martin Luther on justification by faith, John Calvin on Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King, or Hudson Taylor on communicating the Gospel.

In (2Peter 1:19-21) we read, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

There is no doubt that we are responsible for studying Scripture for ourselves, but we are also cautioned to seek Godly council in our interpretation. Where better to seek such council then from those who’s lives demonstrate they were tried, used, and blessed by God.

But more then that, we can learn something else very important. We learn from the perspective provided by time that some interpretations and applications of Scripture that seemed persuasive and orthodox were, in fact, distortions of the truth. From these examples we can learn to see how our thought patterns and our culture influence our interpretations of Scripture.

Finally, when we study the history of the Church we can see how much like Israel of old the church is in her readiness to betray her Lord, and how faithful God is despite this perpetual betrayal. As we come to understand how prone we are to wander from our Lord it should encourage us to consider others better then ourselves (Phil. 2:3).

As we humbly consider how often the church has strayed, we should be less willing to argue with and heckle others who hold different understandings then we do on non-essential doctrines such as eschatology, the timing and mode of baptism, or the style and liturgy of worship. These are all issues which have caused divisions and fights within Christ’s body, and pale in comparison to God’s commands that we should love one another, bare with each other, and esteem others better then ourselves.

The study of church history should teach us humility about who we are in Christ’s body, and what we believe. All that we are, and all that we have as a church comes to us as a gift of God’s grace, and from those who have gone before us. As we study the story of Christ’s bride we see both good and bad, nobility and ignobility, strength and weakness, faithfulness and self-serving pride. All these are there for us to learn from.

Yet despite this tangled history we see our Lord’s promise to build His church, and to never allow the gates of Hell to prevail against it. (Matt. 16:18)

And that will be what we study the next time we get together.