Studying church history is a valuable exercise. As Core Christianity contributor Andrew Menkis writes,
As we delight in what God has done, we’ll be invigorated in our faith as we see that God is true to his promises and faithful to his people. This not only gives us perspective on our current moment; it also encourages us as we look toward an unknowable future. The church may struggle and suffer, but it will not be vanquished. Looking to Christian men and women of the past who have taken up their cross and followed Christ through life—and even unto death—can give us strength to persevere. This is the “great cloud of witnesses”—witnesses to God’s unfailing power and goodness (see Heb. 11–12).
This year, we want to encourage you to take some time to dig into church history. You can do that with us at Core Christianity by following along with our web series, “Cloud of Witnesses: Stories from the Church.” If you want to catch up, here are the profiles we’ve published so far:
- Not Afraid to Die: Meet Polycarp
- The Obnoxious Monk Who Recovered the Doctrine of Justification: Meet Martin Luther
- A Blazing Meteor: Meet Ignatius
- Defender of Truth: Meet Irenaeus
- The Real Santa Claus: Meet Nicholas of Myra
- Founder of the First Hospital: Meet Fabiola
We also encourage you to check out this new release from Simonetta Carr. Michael Horton writes,
Simonetta Carr’s Church History is amazing. Written for children, it’s good enough for adults! A former elementary school teacher and home-schooling mother of eight children, Simonetta knows how to make church history interesting. She also includes important episodes often left out. I hope everyone buys this book—for themselves and for a friend.
Here are a few other great resources for digging into church history this year:
- Carved in Ebony: Lesson from the Black Women Who Shape Us by Jasmine Holmes
- Know the Creeds and Councils by Justin Holcomb
- Know the Heretics by Justin Holcomb
- Church History 101: The Highlights of Twenty Centuries by Sinclair Ferguson, Joel Beeke, and Michael Haykin
Let Menkis’s words again encourage you as you dig deep into the historical record and hear stories of God’s faithfulness across the generations: “Fellow believers, we stand on the shoulders of giants. Let us not forget them. They are our family. Their story is our story. We are carrying on that story today.”
