Church History - 1

Dogwood Cross

I have decided to re-read ‘The Story of Christianity, Volume I, The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation and Volume II, The Reformation to the Present’ by Justo L. Gonzales.  My posts for the near future will be about the church after bible times.

‘The Past lies upon the Present like a giant’s dead body.’  Nathaniel Hawthorne

To understand our own faith, we must learn about the people who ‘walked with God’ from the dawn of humanity to the present.

Justo Gonzalez points out in the introduction to Volume I, ‘History is crucial for understanding not only the life of Jesus, but also the entire biblical message…the bible tells the story of God’s revelation and in the life and history of the people of God.  Without that story, it is impossible to know that revelation.’

For us to know where we are today, we must take some time to reflect on our past.  In my case, I have one grandfather who lived 95 years and walked a postal route for much of his adult life.  In his spare time, he grew vegetables and gave them away to neighbors.  I don’t know much about my other grandfather except for whispered tales of a robbery and the shooting in which he died.

Some parts of our personal histories are good.  At other times, each of us has acted in ways that we are not proud.  The same can be said for the actors in church history.

Gonzalez:  ‘There are episodes in the course of that history where it is difficult to see the action of the Holy Spirit.  As our narrative unfolds, we shall find those who have used the faith of the church for their financial gains, or to increase their personal power.  There will be others who will forget or twist the commandment of love, and will persecute their enemies with vindictiveness unworthy of the name of Jesus.’

Gonzalez says we should remember that though the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church its actors were still sinners.  God used sinners then and uses them still today.  We should also remember that for every person who screwed something up; there were plenty of faithful people doing good work in the name of the church. 

Gonzalez:  ‘Like it or not, we are heirs of this host of diverse and even contradictory witnesses.  Some of their actions we may find revolting, and others inspiring.  But all of them form part of our history.’

Questions we might reflect on:

What do we know about the history of the church?  

What arguments do naysayers make about the church’s past?

What parts of our own personal histories are good / not so much?