2 Tim 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
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WHY SHOULD WE MEDITATE ON THE HEROES OF CHURCH HISTORY?
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
1 Corinthians 10:6-11
Romans 15:4
“For whatsoever things were
written aforetime were
written for our learning…”
WHY SHOULD WE MEDITATE ON THE HEROES OF CHURCH HISTORY?
Philip Schaff (1819-93) wisely asked, “How shall we labor with any effect to build up the Church, if we have no thorough knowledge of her history, or fail to apprehend it from the proper point of observation? History is, and must ever continue to be, next to God’s Word, the richest foundation of wisdom, and the surest guide to all successful practical activity.”
Church history is not a mere record of dates and events. It is a testimony of God’s faithfulness through the ages. The Apostle Paul reminds us that “these things were our examples” (1 Cor 10:6, 11). The past is both the seed of the future and the lens through which we understand the present. Ignorance of Scripture and the history of the Church has often led to false theologies and harmful practices, as Earle Cairns observed in “Christianity Through the Centuries.”
The lives of faithful men and women throughout history serve as a storehouse of warning, encouragement, consolation, and counsel. Their witness reminds us that theology cannot be separated from history; for every time we open the Bible, we are reading history. Martyn Lloyd-Jones cautioned that church history is essential for preachers to guard against the subtle danger of slipping into heresy or error without realising it. Indeed, history shows us how often this has happened, and how desperately we need vigilance and humility.
Meditating on the heroes of church history is not about glorifying human achievements, but about seeing the grace of God at work in frail vessels. Their endurance in faith points us to Christ, the true Hero of history. By reflecting on their lives, we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, learning to persevere as they did, always for the glory of God.
THOUGHT: Am I tempted to see my position or work as greater than others, rather than as service to Christ?
PRAYER: Father, teach me through the lives of faithful saints that whether my work is great or small, what matters most is Thy glory and honour. May their examples lead me to humility, perseverance, and deeper devotion to Thee.