As Jesus promised, He has been building His Church for over 2000 years. The history of the Church displays His faithfulness and His sovereignty. The Church has endured under heavy persecution in the early ages while dealing with several heresies and controversies at the same time. These controversies helped the Church to codify many of the doctrines we believe today, and often take for granted. We also see that the Church gradually deviated from the teachings of the Apostles and became worldly, lusting after power and pleasure. But God remained faithful in preserving His Church by raising many individuals to teach, encourage, and correct His people. As the saying goes, “we stand on the shoulders of giants.”

The study of Church History shows us how we got here from the days of the Apostles. It is important for us to know our heritage in order to not repeat the same mistakes but be well-grounded in our faith and understanding of the Bible. The Lord is continuing to build His Church today and we are all a part of it.