Church History

Benefits to be gained from the study of Church History

• A perspective informed by a sense of continuity
• The whole family in heaven and earth (Eph.3:14)
• Connecting the canonical history with our own time (Acts 28ff)
• Escape from the theological and ecclesiastical provincialism (1 Cor.14:36).
• The encouragement of a Godly Heritage
• The great cloud of witnesses (Heb.11; 12:1)
• Perspective on persecution (James 5:10-11)
• Learning from the mistakes of others (1 Cor.10:6-10)
• A wise man learns from others’ mistakes, a fool must make his own.
• Those who will not study history are doomed to repeat it.
• What is the Church: The Wine or the Wineskins?
• Characteristics of the original movement
• The family (defined by spiritual birth) of the Father (John 1:12-13)
• No bosses: “The head of every man is Christ” (1 Cor.11:3/Matt.20:25ff)
• Freedom of conscience in the Spirit (2 Cor.3:17/Rom.14:1-6)