On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses against the Roman Catholic Church to a door in Wittenberg, Germany. This event, which had much leading up to it, marked the dawn of what we refer to as the Protestant Reformation. The truth was that the Church had strayed from the Gospel. They had strayed from the authority that resides in God’s Word alone. They had strayed from the doctrines of grace and emphasized works which could merit salvation. Martin Luther, and others, were saddened and uneasy with the corruption of the church, even offering paid indulgences that people could give to save a dead loved one from purgatory. The Bible and the Gospel needed to be recovered in truth.
However, God was faithful, as He is prone to be. He raised up men who had a passion for the grace of God and who saw the Scriptures as uniquely authoritative for life and doctrine. And so, this year, we look back over 509 years that have passed, and thank God for the work He’s done to reform the Church.
With that being said, we must admit that studying the history of the Church is something that is greatly neglected in our modern evangelical context. Very rarely do we look back at the examples of the saints of history, or trace the working of God’s Gospel across the globe. However - we must! We must recognize that we inherit the Gospel from God, who used the faithful men and women that have copied the Scriptures, taught the true meaning of them, translated them into countless languages, and fought for the faith. If we believe what we say when we utter the words, “The Church is not an event we attend, but a family to which we belong,” we also must realize that our family has a family tree. It is worth our time to trace back at how we got where we are today, by God’s grace. Here are a few reasons why we should care about Church history.
1 - Church History is God’s History. We can look back at the work that God has done through the world as we study Church history. More than learning about specific people - we’re learning about God’s unfolding plan.
2 - Church History Provides Lessons + Examples. We can learn from the faithfulness, boldness, and perseverance of those who’ve gone before us.
3 - Church History Strengthens Our Faith. As we trace God’s sovereign working through history, we are reminded of His goodness, faithfulness, love, and grace. Meditating on how He has worked will surely strengthen our trust in Him.
Jude 1:3 states, “I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” Men and women, throughout history, have answered that call. Let us receive with joy, and continue to contend for the faith in our households, workplaces, and churches. Parents - keep pouring the Gospel and Scripture into your kids hearts - this is how we contend for the faith.
Blessings,
Julian Marcel | Pastor of Junior High | Hessel Church | julian@hessel.org