It is generally believed that for a long time, rural churchgoers have generally lacked the study and knowledge of church history. Actually, many of them almost haven’t touched this field at all.
Recently, a pastor named C (pseudonym), who serves in a rural church in Central China said that he had always borne the burden of hoping to lead believers to learn church history, but had not put his thoughts and burdens into action.
C said that without studying and understanding church history, believers could easily be converted by heretics or even cults. Afterward, they still believed that they had benefited much and their horizon had been widened due to their ignorance of not studying the church history well. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Many heresies of today had already happened in history. Therefore, it is indeed very important to study church history, but it is difficult for believers to listen to it. Meanwhile, there is no suitable opportunity to speak to them about it.
He explained, "At the moment, I think it is possible to make church history part of the sermons. Every time I preach, I can talk a little bit, preferably some parts that are related to the content of the sermon. Many a little makes a miracle. Eventually, believers will have learned and understood it. Church history is outside the Bible after all, for which it has to be integrated into the sermons, rather than singled out for study. Many conservative Christians who can't agree with anything other than the Bible may object to talking about the extra-biblical content. They emphasize 'sola scriptura', the same as I do. However, different people have different understandings of this term. Conservative believers think that they can only speak what’s in the Bible, and nothing else, not even theological books. There are actually quite a few such people, especially in rural churches.”
I think that pastor C’s idea of delivering sermons with a little church history is worth a try under the current circumstances. When more believers learn and understand church history, they can really hold to biblical orthodoxy and defend the faith against attacks from heresies and cults by uprooting them from living soil.
- Translated by Shuya Wang
长期以来，农村教会信徒普遍缺乏对于教会历史的学习和了解，很多农村信徒甚至可以说是几乎完全没有。
近日，本站同工在与一位中原某地农村教会服事的牧者C弟兄交流中，C弟兄坦言自己一直有着想要带领信徒学习教会历史的负担，但是却并没有把想法和负担转变成为实际行动。
C弟兄说，关于教会历史这一块，如果不去学习和了解的话，信徒就会很容易就被异端甚至邪教给拉走，被拉走以后还觉得自己受益匪浅，认为自己大开眼界了，其实这些都是因为没有好好学习教会历史而造成的无知——“已有的事，后必再有。已行的事，后必再行。日光之下并无新事”，今天很多的异端的东西其实在教会历史当中早就已经发生过了。所以，学习教会历史确实非常重要，但是难处在于信徒很难去听，也没有合适的机会给信徒讲。
“目前我想到的是把教会历史融入到讲章当中去，每次讲道的时候都可以稍微的讲一些，最好是和讲道内容有关联的一些部分，然后不断的积少成多，最终达到让信徒学习和了解教会史的效果。之所以要把教会历史融入到讲章当中，而不是单独拿出来专门学习，是因为教会历史毕竟是在圣经之外的。讲圣经之外的内容的话，很多比较保守的人可能会有反对意见。因为他们对于圣经之外的东西不能够认同，他们强调”唯独圣经”。其实我也强调“唯独圣经”，只是对于“唯独圣经”，不同的人有不同的理解。比较保守的人就会认为只能讲圣经，圣经之外的东西一概都不能讲，神学书籍也不应该看。这样的人其实为数还不少，尤其在农村教会可能要更多一些。“
笔者认为，C弟兄的讲道过程中顺带讲一点教会历史的想法在当今的环境下不失为一种值得尝试的方式。让更多的信徒学习和了解教会历史，如此才能够正本清源，从根源上消除异端和邪教的生存土壤。
一80后传道人的苦恼与负担：如何让农村教会信徒学习教会史？
It is generally believed that for a long time, rural churchgoers have generally lacked the study and knowledge of church history. Actually, many of them almost haven’t touched this field at all.
Recently, a pastor named C (pseudonym), who serves in a rural church in Central China said that he had always borne the burden of hoping to lead believers to learn church history, but had not put his thoughts and burdens into action.
C said that without studying and understanding church history, believers could easily be converted by heretics or even cults. Afterward, they still believed that they had benefited much and their horizon had been widened due to their ignorance of not studying the church history well. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Many heresies of today had already happened in history. Therefore, it is indeed very important to study church history, but it is difficult for believers to listen to it. Meanwhile, there is no suitable opportunity to speak to them about it.
He explained, "At the moment, I think it is possible to make church history part of the sermons. Every time I preach, I can talk a little bit, preferably some parts that are related to the content of the sermon. Many a little makes a miracle. Eventually, believers will have learned and understood it. Church history is outside the Bible after all, for which it has to be integrated into the sermons, rather than singled out for study. Many conservative Christians who can't agree with anything other than the Bible may object to talking about the extra-biblical content. They emphasize 'sola scriptura', the same as I do. However, different people have different understandings of this term. Conservative believers think that they can only speak what’s in the Bible, and nothing else, not even theological books. There are actually quite a few such people, especially in rural churches.”
I think that pastor C’s idea of delivering sermons with a little church history is worth a try under the current circumstances. When more believers learn and understand church history, they can really hold to biblical orthodoxy and defend the faith against attacks from heresies and cults by uprooting them from living soil.
- Translated by Shuya Wang
Burden of a Post-80s Preacher: How Can Rural Believers Learn Church History?
