Why include church history in a study of biblical doctrines? Hopefully, this question has surfaced in the minds of some as we've discussed doctrines over the last five weeks. This seems like a fair question, so I wanted to take a post briefly to address it? If we're seeking to consider what the Bible has to say about God and doctrine, what are we doing studying a creed? First, it should be stated that depending on your background or upbringing, you may already be disposed one way or the other regarding the value of considering church history, and most of what has come from it. Having been raised as a Baptist, for example, I was always naturally inclined to think that anything that seemed remotely high church, formal, or "Roman Catholic" in any way should be viewed with a little suspicion from the outset. This included learning or reciting any kind of creed or confessional statement. Maybe you can relate.
In any case, what might be the reason for giving a little attention to church history? To state it briefly, since the days of the apostles, the Holy Spirit has been active in helping all Christians understand God's Word. This is something we should not overlook. Throughout history, men and women who have gone before us have already thought through most if not all of the issues of doctrine that we will study in Sunday School. We are foolish if we simply write off their insights. Theologian Wayne Grudem makes a helpful observation: "We need to be thankful that God has put teachers in the church... [referring to 1 Cor. 12:28]. We should allow those with gifts of teaching to help us understand Scripture. This means that we should make use of systematic theologies and other books that have been written by some of the teachers that God has given the church over the course of its history." (Systematic Theology, p. 35). This includes such things as the doctrinal creeds and confessions that some of our brothers and sisters have hammered out in days gone by.We will always test what others (both past and present) have written by comparing it to Scripture. Some of it will be wrong and should be discarded. But there is much that will also prove to be helpful as we struggle to get our arms around the doctrines of the Bible that we are studying. Just some food for thought...
