Post by Josh on Apr 21, 2007 20:44:49 GMT -8
Years ago, TNT took a whole year to study Church History from New Testament times right down to the present.
The subject is a passion of mine, and something I think every Christian benefits from investigating at least to some degree.
I'd like to highlight some of the main benefits for the Christian who takes some time to study the history of the Church:
1) It is a humbling process- humbling to learn that the Christian subculture you find yourself in is as much the product of historical developments as it is the result of just "reading Scripture plainly" or "practicing New Testament Christianity". In studying the history of the Church we are freed from the tempting notion that we are the 'cutting edge' and that we're experiencing 'something new under the sun'. We are also humbled through exposure to expressions of Christianity different than those we are accustomed to, but which nevertheless share a common, vital, root with our own. In my experience, such study frees us from the unfortunate Protestant myth about the 'dark ages of Christianity'- a period between Constantine and Luther which was supposedly nearly devoid of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Instead, we are introduced to the 'historically orthodox' Church- the Bride of Christ, against whom the 'gates of hell' would never prevail despite all of it's failings.
2) It is an inspiring endeavor. Instead of selecting your heroes in the faith from the small sample pool of recent memory or your own denominational thread, the student of Church history has 2,000 years of testimony in the form of lived-out Christianity in diverse cultures all over the world. And there are SO many inspiring stories! And that brings up another thing- how can we as Christians be content to read "God's story" (Scripture), with it's sweeping adventure beginning at the Creation through the climax of Jesus' death and resurrection, through the founding of the Church... and then just drop off 2,000 years and try and pick up here in 2007? Scripture lays the groundwork of the story that we have been living as Christ's Bride for the last 2,000 years. It's time to learn our family history!
The subject is a passion of mine, and something I think every Christian benefits from investigating at least to some degree.
I'd like to highlight some of the main benefits for the Christian who takes some time to study the history of the Church:
1) It is a humbling process- humbling to learn that the Christian subculture you find yourself in is as much the product of historical developments as it is the result of just "reading Scripture plainly" or "practicing New Testament Christianity". In studying the history of the Church we are freed from the tempting notion that we are the 'cutting edge' and that we're experiencing 'something new under the sun'. We are also humbled through exposure to expressions of Christianity different than those we are accustomed to, but which nevertheless share a common, vital, root with our own. In my experience, such study frees us from the unfortunate Protestant myth about the 'dark ages of Christianity'- a period between Constantine and Luther which was supposedly nearly devoid of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Instead, we are introduced to the 'historically orthodox' Church- the Bride of Christ, against whom the 'gates of hell' would never prevail despite all of it's failings.
2) It is an inspiring endeavor. Instead of selecting your heroes in the faith from the small sample pool of recent memory or your own denominational thread, the student of Church history has 2,000 years of testimony in the form of lived-out Christianity in diverse cultures all over the world. And there are SO many inspiring stories! And that brings up another thing- how can we as Christians be content to read "God's story" (Scripture), with it's sweeping adventure beginning at the Creation through the climax of Jesus' death and resurrection, through the founding of the Church... and then just drop off 2,000 years and try and pick up here in 2007? Scripture lays the groundwork of the story that we have been living as Christ's Bride for the last 2,000 years. It's time to learn our family history!