"Let's start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start..."
Those may be words from a "Sound of Music" song, but the idea is correct! In order to understand Christian Church History, you must go back to the beginning. But what's the beginning? When did the Church start?
Before we go there, let's define a couple of terms. First, the word "church." If you're talking about "church" (little "c") I'm referring to the church building or where folks meet to worship or study (corporately) God and His Word. Big "C" Church refers to the "real" church (or is it Church). There are no walls or ceilings or floors or doors. The Church is a living, breathing entity otherwise known as the "Body of Christ." The parts of the "body" are its members; people (sinners) like you and me who have acknowledged our sinfulness in the face of a Holy God, and accepted the atoning birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ as recompense for those sins. Which leads us to the next word: Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ.
I use the word Christian as defined above. Christian can also be written as little "c" when referring to folks who would otherwise be considered "gentiles" (by our Jewish brethren), infidels (by Muslims) or other such names. In each case, I am capitalizing the word to define the term.
Back to Church History (I'll deal with the word History in another blog). Theologians and scholars generally agree that the Church "started" on the day of Pentecost. Good Friday was done: Jesus death on the cross was accepted by God the Father as payment (the big word is "propitiation") for our sins. Easter Sunday had come and gone: by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was bodily raised from the dead with a new resurrection body, demonstrating God's guarantee of eternal life. Forty days later, Jesus ascended into Heaven with the instructions:
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."Acts 1:4-8.
And so, they waited. And waited some more. TEN DAYS they waited. And then..."they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Acts 2:1-4. The Church began.
The apostle Peter preached the saving work of Jesus Christ. Three THOUSAND heard, believed and accepted the Gospel and turned their lives to Christ.
But you ask, "but WHY do we need to study Church History?" We Christians NEED to study Church History to better understand HOW God's Word was assembled. HOW various heresies arose and were dealt with. And how all of these heady issues have a direct impact on HOW we live our Christian lives today. Not only that, but studying history helps us to better understand WHAT we believe and WHY we believe these things. We start at Pentecost and bring it right up to the current times. We look at thoughts and thinking and put them into historical context.
My prayer is that you will avail yourself of the study notes available. The main "structure" of the study was derived and based upon the book, "Perspectives from Church History," by James P. Eckman. It may be a short (96 pages) book, but it's a dense book (might as well be 300 pages). The link below includes the "Perspectives" book as mentioned plus 2 other great resources.
Other resources included Christianity Today, "A Survey of Bible Doctrine" by Charles Ryrie, and other titles.
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Exploring Church History: A Guide to History, World Religions, and Ethics By James P. Eckman / Crossway Books & Bibles Pastors, professors, and students will appreciate this 3-in-1 edition of Eckman's introduction to Christianity's roots, distinctives, and cultural implications. Includes Exploring Church History from the day of Pentecost to the modern age; The Truth About Worldviews such as Buddhism, Islam, and various cults; and Biblical Ethics, reviewing hot-button issues through the lens of Scripture. 352 pages, softcover from Crossway. |
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A Survey of Bible Doctrine By Charles C. Ryrie / Moody Publishers Ryrie's A Survey of Bible Doctrine offers an easy-to-understand overview of the various doctrines of the Bible written especially for the layperson. Ryrie examines a wide range of topics, including: the nature of God, the inspiration of Scripture, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the angelic world, the nature and depravity of humans, salvation, the church, and the last things. Ryrie argues for the contemporary relevance of the Bible in this accessible and engaging survey of its key teachings. |
