There is a trend among Bible School and Seminary students these days of being enamored with the early Church.

Perhaps it is in response to the sense that there is discontinuity between our churches today and the Church in history. Or, in a day and age when doctrinal divides and denominational allegiances reign, maybe the early Church period holds out the promise of simplicity. What may be the most driving force back to the early Church for these students is probably the belief that “the earlier, the purer

The problem with this is that it’s a myth! I’ve had the opportunity to read primary documents from A.D. 100 to A.D. 1200 this semester in Church History, and what I’ve found has surprised me. Contrary to the belief that the earlier stages hold the purer doctrine, the opposite is true! As history moved on, as one generation of Christians gave way to the next, Christian doctrine actually became more biblically based and more clearly articulated. We can look at the progression of Christian doctrine in the church with these broad strokes:

(1) The New Testament was written,

(2) The New Testament was recognized,

(3) The Deity of Christ was articulated,

(4) The Deity of the Holy Spirit was articulated,

(5) The doctrine of the Trinity was articulated,

(6) The doctrine of grace was articulated,

(7) The doctrine of the atonement was articulated,

(8) The Reformation took place, bringing together all that came before with a new level of unity, clarity, and biblical basis! 

Every generation stands on the shoulders of those who came before. However much we are able to see, we are able to see by the grace of God in giving us His Word, and giving others before us the ability to search His Word and articulate its truth.

Athanasius and Augustine stood on the shoulders of men like Justin Martyr and Tertullian.

The Reformers stood on the shoulders of men like Augustine and Athanasisus.

The Puritans stood on the shoulders of the Reformers.

We stand on the shoulders of the Puritans.

Rather than believing the myth – “the earlier, the purer” – let’s saturate ourselves with Scripture and look to the wisdom of Christians throughout the ages, from Athanasius to Calvin to Edwards to Piper! If we do, then by God’s grace, future Christians will see things more clearly than we do today, standing on our shoulders!