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Learning from Church History Without Romanticizing the Past
By Dave Jenkins | Contending for the Word Q&ALearning from church history helps Christians grow in wisdom, courage, and faithfulness. Yet we can admire earlier generations so much that we begin imagining our calling is to recreate their world. God has called us to follow Christ faithfully in the generation where He has placed us.In this episode of Contending for the Word Q&A, Dave Jenkins explains how to receive the wisdom of the past, heed its warnings, and apply timeless biblical truth to the responsibilities before us today.Listen or Watch
Learning from Church History with Scripture as Our Standard
Hebrews 13:7 calls Christians to remember their leaders, consider the outcome of their lives, and imitate their faith. The next verse directs our confidence to Jesus Christ, who remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. We learn from faithful believers by following the same Savior they followed.First Corinthians 10:11 also reminds us that history provides warnings. Earlier generations had sins, weaknesses, and blind spots, just as we do. Studying their failures should cultivate humility and careful biblical judgment.In This Episode
- Rejecting the myth of a perfect Christian golden age.
- Learning the biblical convictions behind historical practices.
- Receiving warnings from the church’s failures.
- Testing both old traditions and new ideas by God’s Word.
- Applying Scripture to the challenges of our own generation.
- Keeping the unchanging Christ at the center.
Key Scripture
- Hebrews 13:7–8: Remember faithful leaders, imitate their faith, and look to the unchanging Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 10:11: Receive the warnings recorded in Scripture for our instruction.
Following Christ Faithfully Today
Read old books, study the creeds and confessions, and learn from Christians who came before you. Then bring what you learn under the authority of Scripture and put it into practice in your own life. The question is whether a belief or practice is faithful to God’s Word.Learn from yesterday, be faithful today, and entrust tomorrow to the Lord.Find more biblical teaching at Contending for the Word Q&A and subscribe on YouTube for more episodes of Contending for the Word Q&A.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.
Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.
He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).
You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.
When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.
Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
