Theology Thursday: Five Reasons to Know Church History
When you walk past the park and down the sidewalk and into Brooklyn Baptist Church each Sunday, you are entering into history. First of all, it’s a “church,” not a synagogue or a mosque or a temple. Where did the “church” begin, and why do we call ourselves the “church”? Second, it’s a “Baptist” church. Were New Testament Christians “Baptists”? When did some Christians begin calling themselves “Baptists,” and does that category entail more than just the mode of baptism? Lastly, this Baptist church is in Brooklyn! If Christianity began in the Middle East over 2,000 years ago, how did it make its way across a continent, over the Atlantic Ocean, and into Sunset Park?
This week in Sunday School we begin a lengthy series in church history. If that sounds boring or irrelevant to you, that’s because we, in the modern era, have learned to ignore the past. But ignoring the past comes at a great cost. Here are five reasons why we need to love and study church history.
1. Our faith is historical fact. When Paul gives the gospel in Acts 13, he tells the historical account of the nation of Israel. He recounts the prophecies made about the Messiah, and then he connects those prophecies with the fact that Jesus had risen from the dead. Paul’s account was convincing, and many people at Antioch became Christians. Christianity isn’t based on mysticism or the word of a guru; it’s based on real events that happened, that had witnesses, and that were recorded. We can’t really have faith without knowing some of history, and the more we know, the more our faith and theology will be strong and clear.
2. Church history is our story. In Romans 9, Paul makes it clear that the true “sons of Abraham” are not necessarily those of physical descent. The new people of God are sons and daughters of God because of faith. Galatians 3:7 says, "Know therefore that those of faith, these are the sons of Abraham." We can read all of church history as the story of our ancestors, even if we share no physical connection with them. These are our people, and this is our story. As an aside, this reality gives us a rational basis for diversity in the church. Though diversity is a fashionable virtue today, a materialistic, evolutionary worldview gives no sound reason for promoting diversity. The church, however, has every reason in the world.
3. Ignorance of church history makes us shallow. The past is like the roots of a tree. The more we know and love our history, the more grounded and stable we are. History gives our lives meaning and purpose; it makes us a part of something real and bigger than ourselves. Without those roots, we are self-centered and easily destabilized. We can easily fall for false gospels and fads.
4. Church history protects from error. Most heresies and errors are just repackaged mistakes from an earlier era, sometimes from just one or two generations ago. Even in the earliest years of the church, the church fathers were debating with heretics and clarifying true doctrine. Learning from those periods will sharpen our ability to detect errors in doctrine and practice before they do damage.
5. Lastly, church history is inspiring! When the English reformers Latimer and Ridley were burned at the stake in 1555, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs records that Latimer said to Ridley, “Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England as shall never be put out.” Latimer’s hope was fulfilled, and the Reformation in England began crossing the ocean in ships. The story continues into our present day where we have a Baptist church in Brooklyn, New York! The sacrifices and faith our ancestors inspire us with hope and courage. They’re passing on the baton to us, and it’s our duty to pass it on to our descendants in better shape than we found it. Let’s not be the ones who let the light go out, but the ones who kept it burning for many generations.