Reflections on Church History: Conclusion

If we do not know our Church history, we should read it – and read it from a variety of sources with different viewpoints on the history we are trying to understand. I have tried to do that, and these are my reflections from reading history from a variety of viewpoints. I can of course read more and be more informed than I am! I think I have barely scratched the surface in terms of understanding the history of the topics I have researched in my blog. But, my goal is not to be a historian but understand well what the Bible says on these topics, and I think I have at least done that. All that being said, history is important and helpful to understand in studying Scripture.

I think we should allow the brokenness of Church history to inform our theology by not accepting all theology passed down in history as true. The disciples and Jesus himself, along with the Bible, are our best – and, in some ways, our only – guide to knowing what is actually true about who God is. Church history is, at times, horrific and deeply saddening… that some of the people who knew and had God’s truth – the Bible – would be so deeply corrupted by sin and selfishness and act in the ways they did for years…! We should consider the character of the people we are agreeing with in terms of their theology – on both major and minor issues of doctrine. We should consider the fruit of the Church and its doctrine since the 4^th century very deeply and compare it to the doctrine of the first few centuries of Christendom when many genuine Christians knew God – which we can have confidence in stating because of their good fruit.

Considering the past two and half centuries of Christianity or so, praise God for all the amazing growth the Church has made, by God’s grace, out of such a long, dark period (by my reading of Christian history). But there is still much work to be done. I firmly believe that Jesus is not God, the Holy Spirit is Mother, and God’s plan is universal salvation for all people. These doctrines, if they are true, would transform the Church – I think for great good. And of course, Christians are made to be like Christ – a less disputed point. I think the Church has, overall, severely erred on those first 3 doctrines over many centuries. All those 3 doctrines were introduced and believed in the first three centuries by all Christians (regarding Jesus not being God - at least how the Father is God), by many Christians (regarding universal salvation), and by some (regarding God’s feminine nature). All of these 3 doctrines were thoroughly rejected throughout much of Church history by Christians, some of whose fruit should lead us to question if they really knew God (for example, Athanasius and Calvin).

Praise God, I would never say that about the Church now! I have grown up in the church, and I love the Church. I have traveled extensively in my life, I have lived in multiple places, and I have been a part of many churches, and I can witness that the vast majority of people I know who claim Christ truly love God, Christ, and others. So, let’s love God with ALL our mind, not just ALL our heart!  The Trinity is nonsensical. It makes 0 sense to only define God as masculine. An infinitely loving, all-powerful, and all-knowing God would not create a world where He would sentence most of humanity – I would argue even 1 creature – to eternal conscious torment. Let’s not just listen to Christian history! Let’s critique the theological doctrines of the past, particularly as they come from a, at times, corrupt Church where many did not actually love God given their hateful words and deeds. History should not and cannot be used to uphold that Jesus is God, nothing feminine is inherent to God, and all will not be saved given the horrific character and abuses in the name of Christ the Church committed. Jesus was clear: you will know false prophets by their fruit. Let’s listen to Jesus. If those in history have bad fruit: let’s question their theology.

I would argue that the witness of Christian history actually makes the key doctrines like the Trinity, Jesus’ divinity, hell is eternal for most of humanity, and the Holy Spirit could not be feminine more likely, not less likely. Why should we listen to those that proclaimed no true knowledge of God by their actions?  Today, we would never listen to pastors who were known for quarrelling over words in selfish ambition, hateful speech towards others, gloating over theological enemies’ deaths, fining those who disagreed with them, putting in prison those who disagreed with them, and executing those who disagreed with them. Why do we listen to the “Christians” of the past who did those things? Let’s stop, for the sake of God, Jesus, and God’s kingdom.

Finally, obviously, there are many, many strong and true Christians who believe that Jesus is God, the Holy Spirit is not feminine, and universal salvation is false. What I am trying to point out here is not that no true Christian disagrees with what I have written on this blog. My point is that the origin of the false (I believe) teachings I address on my blog are not of God, and therefore we should question what we have been taught in light of that, Scripture, and earnest prayer to God, asking Him what is truly true openhandedly. My point is also to show that the origin of the true beliefs (I think) presented on my blog are ancient, not new. The ancient Church believed Jesus was not God (at least not as we define "God" today - namely, that Jesus was subordinate to the Father, though the word “God” was used to refer to Jesus prior to the 4^th century) many believed all would be saved, and some believed the Spirit was feminine. Given both these things, should we not reexamine what we believe, both in light of Scripture and history? These are not peripheral topics but impact Christian belief, life, practice, and ministry. Please take time to pray and reconsider what you may have been taught, for the sake of God, Christ, and God's kingdom.