Koinonia was kind enough to provide me with a review copy of Church History, Volume Two: From Pre-Reformation to the Present Day: The RIse and Growth of the Church in Its Cultural, Intellectual, and Political Context. Edited by John D. Woodbridge and Frank A. James III, Church History is a great introduction to the subject. The title may seem a tad overwhelming (or detailed, depending upon who you ask), but the book is a great starting point for the subject.
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Church History is a Pastoral Discipline
Marc Cortez reports that there was an ETS paper presented by Dr. Sean Lucas (First Presbyterian Church) on how every pastor needs to take church history as a pastoral discipline. Marc gives us Lucas’ four characteristics of church history that every pastor needs to consider:
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Athanasius: High “Christology” at its finest!
St. Athanasius (c. 293-373), , a bishop of Alexandria, wrote what is often regarded as the “Mere Christianity” of the church fathers – On the Incarnation. In fact, C.S. Lewis stated that it was a “masterpiece” in the introduction for an edition that was released in 1944.
Athanasius’ work is a classic – period. I’ve begun rereading it after a reminder from the good folks at ccel.org (thanks, guys!). Harry Plantinga, Director of the CCEL, writes the following about this fantastic book:
It’s straightforward and easy to read. St. Athanasius presents the whole of Christian theology, from the creation to the cross. The book answers a lot of questions I think Christians struggle with, such as: why did Christ have to die on the cross—if Christ was God, couldn’t He have chosen another way? In many ways it is also the foundation for theology in the ancient Church, and it is still a staple in the Eastern Orthodox Church.”
Interested in reading it? You can do it for free here! Enjoy this wonderful “masterpiece” of literature.
Gnosticism Gave Birth to Systematic Theology
Continuing our study of Church History, we must take note of one of the earliest issues that we find addressed within both the NT and within the writings of the Patristics. The issue is still relevant today. It is a subject that predates Christianity (cf. Schaff’s History of the Christian Church, Volume II under the section of the Heresies of the Ante-Nicene Age); yet it still reveals itself from time to time in the practical theology of individuals. The issue is Gnosticism.
The early Christians witnessed the amazing growth of the Church in an extremely rapid pace. Scholars suggest that by the 3rd and 4th century, Christianity was the dominating religion of the Roman Empire and that by as early as the end of the 1st century, Christianity had made a huge mark on Roman culture. Yet while Christianity was growing rapidly through the preaching of the Gospel, many warnings were issued from the apostles regarding what would be a soon coming test.
The apostle John helps us understand the theological landscape well. In fact, his reason for writing his first epistle was to encourage fellowship with the Father and Son through the eternal life that can only come through Jesus (cf. 1:3-4; 5:11-13). The question that naturally arises is simple: why does John emphasize the importance of fellowship with the Father and Son? After all, John traveled to Ephesus shortly after the preaching and teaching ministries of Paul (cf. Acts 19-20) and Timothy (cf. 1 Tim. 1:3). The Ephesians had clearly been taught orthodox theology by both Paul and Timothy. So what had happened since Paul and Timothy’s ministry? Why does John go to great lengths in order to bring about a much more clear understanding of the Incarnation and just exactly who Jesus really was. Why so much elementary doctrine written to a city of Christians who should have had a strong handle on orthodoxy?
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Orthodoxy & Heresy: The Tension in Church History
If there is one thing that Protestants are often guilty of, it is most certainly being ignorant or at least naive of Church History. Historical Theology is more or less left to the academic world and often considered to be too “Catholic” to be of any use. This is unfortunate. I have found that we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1) and these witnesses from the past can greatly enhance our passion for the Lord and our passion for truth. I’m often amazed that people hold beliefs or at least consider holding certain beliefs that were dealt with early in the first four centuries. Whether dealing with the low Christology of Liberal Protestantism or the concept of Jesus not being God as taught by Mormons & Jehovah Witnesses, we can look back nearly 1500 years (or more) and find that the questions and answers have not changed. We would do well to pay attention to Church History and the subject of Historical Theology in order to trace the development of doctrines which may help keep us from reinventing the wheel.
But what is heresy? Better yet, what is orthodoxy? Do these terms have clear definitions or are they simply words that scholars toss around in the hopes of confusing the general reader? If orthodoxy is “good,” than is it safe to assume that heresy is always “bad”? Has heresy served a purpose? How has the authority to declare that which is heretical and that which is orthodox? Does the Roman Catholic Church have this power or do the Orthodox Churches (e.g. Greek Orthodox, Roman Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox)? What about Protestants and their insistence that the Scriptures alone carry the truth (Sola Scriptura)? But then we must ask, who has the correct interpretation of the Scriptures? Issues or authority surface in these types of discussions quickly…
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