Church history is full of controversies, heresies, and battles for the truth. We must familiarize ourselves with those events if we are to stand faithfully in the present. God has revealed in Scripture all that is necessary for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and those foundations will never change. A study of church history will reveal that most “innovations” in theology (and sometimes in practice) are simply a re-packaging of old heresies that were rejected by the early church. There are so many interesting people (e.g., Irenaeus, Polycarp, William Tyndale, Martin Luther) and events (e.g., the Council of Nicea, the Reformation) that have helped to shape what Christianity has looked like over the past 2000 years. The following resources will get you started in learning more about Christian History.
BOOKS:
"Ecclesiastical History" by Eusebius
"Church History in Plain Language" by Bruce L. Shelley
"A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs" by David Bercot
"What if Jesus Had Never Been Born?" by Dr. D. James Kennedy
FREE ONLINE BOOKS:
"History of the Christian Church" by Phillip Schaff
"Sketches of Jewish Social Life" by Alfed Edersheim
The Didache (a concise first century compilation of Christian doctrines)
Fox's Book of Martyrs by John Fox
The Writings of Josephus (first century Jewish historian)
AUDIO:
EXCELLENT 15-20 minute podcasts covering key events in church history by Lance Ralston, pastor of Calvary Chapel of Oxnard, in California. Here are the first few:
• "It Begins" (Episode 1) by Lance Ralston
• "Transitions" (Episode 2) by Lance Ralston
• "Strategic" (Episode 3) by Lance Ralston
• "Martrys" (Episode 4) by Lance Ralston
Episodes 5-150 can be listened to here: Episodes 1-150• "Transitions" (Episode 2) by Lance Ralston
• "Strategic" (Episode 3) by Lance Ralston
• "Martrys" (Episode 4) by Lance Ralston
ARTICLES:
"The Real Murderers: Atheism or Christianity?" by Greg Koukl
"The Crusades: Were they Justified?" by Norman Geisler
"The Crusades: Were they Justified?" by Norman Geisler
"How The Da Vinci Code Distorted Church History" by Charlie Campbell
“The NT Canon Was Not Decided at Nicea—Nor Any Other Church Council” by Michael Kruger
"How Critics of Christianity Often Distort the Story of Galileo" by Charlie Campbell
Roman Catholicism: A Look Into the Teachings of the Catholic Church by Charlie Campbell
Why and when was the Bible divided into chapters and verses? by Don Stewart
Why is it important to be familiar with church history? by Got Questions
No comments:
Post a Comment