There's More to Christianity

What kind of Christian are you? What kind of church do you attend? What kind of Christian tradition are you a part of? Why?

Today we are presented with a wide array of Christian beliefs and churches. With so many choices available, it’s easy to simply choose a church and follow a set of beliefs because it’s comfortable or convenient or what we grew up with. However, Christian belief is belief about the one true God. Thus, we should make every effort to ensure that our beliefs are not merely comfortable, but conformed to revealed truth.

For this reason, when asked why you believe what you believe, your first answer should be, “because my beliefs are biblically rooted.” You should be firmly convinced that every Christian conviction you hold flows from a biblical foundation. Because your convictions reflect who you think God is, you should turn to His word to determine how He wants to be understood and worshiped.

Along with your beliefs being biblical, there is an important second answer you should have: “because my beliefs are historically rooted.” You may be fully convinced that you believe what the Bible teaches. But, beliefs lacking a strong presence in church history should raise red flags that make you question whether those beliefs really are biblical.

If you’re steeped in modern expressions of Christianity, church history may have little to no role in determining your convictions. Understanding how the Church has come to its beliefs today is a minor concern for most people. It’s all too easy for us to go our entire lives only interacting with the last 50 years of church history. The books and articles we read, the music we listen to, the people and events we know all cater to what’s relevant today. Theoretically, we all understand that Christianity has existed for more than 2000 years, but practically, we interact with only a sliver of that history.

“But,” you may be thinking, “if I have the Bible, why do I need church history? Doesn’t looking to the past to understand Scripture place man’s word above God’s?” Not at all. Rather, reading the Bible with the historic Church is thoroughly biblical.

Scripture tells us that Jesus will build His Church (Matt. 16:18), that a form of sound words will be passed from generation to generation (2 Tim. 1:13, 2:2), and that every Christian will have the truth of God’s word illuminated to them through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:6-16). Thus, we can confidently look back upon our brothers and sisters who came before us and read the Scriptures with them. We can be confident that Jesus was building the Church in their time just as He is now, that they sought to uphold the apostolic faith just as we do, and that they interpreted Scripture through the power of the same Spirit who indwells us. Style may change, but fundamental truths, principles, and practices will remain unchanged through the ages.

When we lose connection to historic Christianity, we open ourselves up to the same errors that previous generations contended with. By understanding how Christians read the Bible and how they wrestled with the same questions we have today, we guard ourselves against falling into unbiblical beliefs and practices. In addition, when we neglect church history, we often neglect the rich truths that Christians have mined from the Scriptures over the course of more than 2000 years. Instead of building off what came before, we become content with surface-level Βible exposition and practical tips on living a more pious life. Don’t settle for that. There’s so much more to Christianity.

It takes effort to assess your beliefs in light of church history, but the effort is worth it. One of the best ways you can connect to historic Christianity is to read and cherish the creeds and confessions of the Church. If you’re comfortable learning from a contemporary pastor or from reading an article written in the 21st century, then you should feel comfortable learning from the documents that have stood the test of time in establishing orthodoxy in the Church. Consider the breadth and depth of truth that there is to learn. Through the lens of historic Christianity you can build a thoroughly biblical understanding of the nature of God, the continuity of the Scriptures, the meaning of the sacraments, the structure and purpose of the Church, and a myriad of other topics.

Modern expressions of Christianity may feel fresh and exciting—they can feel like an updated version of a stuffy religion. But, Christianity has never been about trends and style. It has always been counter-cultural by rooting itself in the objective word of God and building on truths passed down from previous generations. Let’s put aside a thin Christianity for a historically rooted, theologically rich faith.