1) God chose to communicate the Gospel through human beings.

We can see this even in the way the New Testament is structured. It draws us into the story as members of the community. Let’s look at the book of Acts as one example.

Acts doesn’t really have a conclusion. It seems Luke’s decision to not conclude this book was intentional. It communicates that the story of the Church is ongoing. Thus, everything that has happened in Church History is a part of the story that began in the book of Acts.

As we study the history of Christianity we will encounter all sorts of material. Some of the events and figures will make us proud to call ourselves Christian. Other events and figures will make us hang our head in shame. And still others will make us scratch our head in confusion.

We need to remember that God intentionally chose fallen humans to communicate the message of Jesus. If you think about it, there are plenty of shame-inducing and head-scratching moments in the New Testament. Paul was frequently upset with false teachers in the Christian communities. He rebuked the people of Corinth for some pretty terrible things (i.e., incest in the community).

2) Our knowledge of God’s word is deeply indebted to the events and figures who have shaped Church history.

If you grew up in a Protestant tradition, you are deeply influenced by the work of Martin Luther even if you never heard of him. Much of what we think about Christ’s death on the cross was articulated by Christians like Athanasius and Anselm of Canterbury. Regardless of your feelings about Church History, your understanding of the Christian faith is deeply impacted by it… for better and for worse.

Since we are inevitably influenced by Church History, we had better study it. When we study Church History we can learn from the good, the bad, and the ugly. It can help prevent us from making the same mistakes as previous generations. It can also show us ways of following God that have greatly helped people in the past.

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