Church History

Explore all 28 articles about Church History.

Church History

Celtic Christianity – What is it?

Celtic Christianity mixes early Christian history with modern imagination. When culture becomes the focus instead of Scripture, beauty can quietly replace biblical truth.
Church History

Did Constantine change the Sabbath? Did Constantine make the Sabbath Sunday instead of Saturday?

Constantine did not change the Sabbath or move it to Sunday; he made Sunday a day of rest for the civil community. The early church was already gathering on the first day of the week long before Constantine.
Church History

Does the Didache give biblical instruction? What is the Didache?

The Didache is an early church manual offering moral guidance, instructions on baptism, prayer, and leadership, echoing many biblical teachings. While historically valuable, the Didache goes beyond Scripture in some practices, so it’s a helpful guide but not an authoritative source.
Church History

How did the apostles die? Does the Bible say anything about the death of the apostles?

The Bible records only one apostle’s death though traditions have long been told about how the other apostles died. What we can know with certainty is that the apostles show a faith so certain of the risen Christ that it was worth living and dying for.
Church History

In the ancient creeds, what is meant by 'communion of the saints'?

“Communion of the saints” means all believers, past and present, are united in fellowship through Christ, forming one body. This shared life calls us to encourage, support, and grow together in faith.
Church History

Restorationism – What is it?

Restorationism tried to rebuild the early church, but many movements twisted Scripture or claimed exclusive authority, creating new errors instead of restoring truth. True faithfulness comes not from copying the past but from following Christ and His Word.
Church History

The Apostles' Creed – What is it?

The Apostles’ Creed is a concise statement of the central truths of the Christian faith, developed after the apostles’ time. The Apostles’ Creed serves as a unifying confession for Christians across history and traditions.
Church History

The Athanasian Creed – What is it?

The Athanasian Creed distills the Bible’s teaching that God is one in essence yet three in persons, and that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. It guards the heart of Christian faith by clearly stating who God is and who Christ must be to save.
Church History

The Christian Crusades – What were they?

The Crusades were violent, politically driven campaigns that falsely carried the banner of Christianity. God’s kingdom advances by us sharing the gospel—not by force or coercion.
Church History

The Cistercian Order – What is it?

The Cistercian Order is a Roman Catholic monastic movement founded in 1098 that pursued strict devotion through prayer, work, and separation from society. While its pursuit of holiness was sincere, salvation comes by grace through faith and calls believers to live out their faith visibly in the world, not in retreat from it.
Church History

The Dark Ages – What were they?

After Rome fell in AD 476, Europe entered the “Dark Ages,” a time of instability when monasteries became key preservers of Scripture and Christian teaching. Even in chaos, God faithfully sustained His church, keeping the gospel alive for future generations.
Church History

The Nicene Creed – What is it?

The Nicene Creed is an early Christian statement of faith that summarizes what Scripture teaches about the Trinity and the saving work of Christ. First written in AD 325 and expanded in AD 381, the Nicene Creed continues to serve as one of the clearest early summaries of biblical Christianity.
Church History

The Protestant Reformation – What was it?

The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century call to return the church to Scripture, rejecting human traditions that distorted the gospel. It emphasized five solas, reminding believers that salvation and authority come from God, not man.
Church History

The charismatic movement – What is it?

The charismatic movement seeks to revive the miracles of the early church, but many modern expressions drift from the clear pattern of Scripture. True faith does not require sensational experiences to validate it.
Church History

The early church fathers – who were they?

The early church fathers were leaders after the apostles who defended the faith, taught the gospel, and shaped early Christian thought. Their writings offer valuable insight but aren’t infallible—Scripture alone remains the ultimate authority for truth and practice.
Church History

What does the Chi Rho symbol mean?

The Chi Rho is an early Christian symbol combining the first two Greek letters of “Christ” and became prominent when Constantine adopted it as his imperial standard. Over time, Christians used the Chi Rho symbol to reflect various New Testament themes, but its use is only of value when it points to Jesus Himself.
Church History

What is Romanticism? How has Romanticism affected Christianity?

Romanticism reacted against cold Enlightenment rationalism by elevating emotion, imagination, and personal experience as the highest sources of truth. While it reminded Christians that faith involves real feeling, it also tempted many to let emotions outrank Scripture as the final spiritual authority.
Church History

What is Scholasticism? How did it impact church history?

Scholasticism was a medieval effort to systematize Christian doctrine using disciplined logic and careful comparison of Scripture, church fathers, and classical philosophy. It strengthened theological clarity and education, but at times drifted into unhelpful speculation, seeking to answer abstract questions Scripture does not address.
Church History

What is meant by the 'dark night of the soul'?

The “dark night of the soul” began as a mystical phrase from John of the Cross for a painful journey toward deeper union with God. Dark nights are hardships God uses to refine our faith, strengthen endurance, and shape us to be more like Christ.
Church History

What is the 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God' sermon?

Preached by Jonathan Edwards from Deuteronomy 32:35, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is a vivid warning that apart from Christ, sinners stand under God’s just wrath yet are upheld by His mercy. Its 1741 delivery became a defining moment of the First Great Awakening, as hearers were deeply convicted and many turned to seek salvation.
Church History

What is the filioque clause/controversy?

The filioque clause—“and the Son”—added to the Nicene Creed sparked debate over whether the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone or from the Father and the Son. This debate contributed to the 1054 split between East and West.
Church History

What is the goal of the Restoration Movement?

The Restoration Movement aimed to strip away denominational divisions and restore the simple pattern of the New Testament church. Yet some branches added strict teachings on baptism, salvation, worship, and exclusivity that go beyond—or conflict with—core biblical doctrines of grace and unity.
Church History

What is the history of the intertestamental period?

The intertestamental period covers 400 “silent” years between the Old and New Testaments, shaped by Persian, Greek, and Roman rule over Israel. These political shifts, cultural influences, and religious challenges set the stage for Jesus’ birth and the spread of His gospel.
Church History

What is the meaning of Christus Victor?

Christus Victor teaches that Jesus’ death and resurrection defeated sin, death, and the devil, freeing His people from spiritual bondage. This victory rests on Jesus’ substitutionary work on the cross, where He bore our guilt and satisfied God’s justice.
Church History

What is the meaning of the Celtic cross? How did the Celtic cross originate?

The Celtic cross likely arose from early Irish Christianity—possibly linked to Saint Patrick—with the circle symbolizing light, eternity, or serving a practical purpose in stone design. Whatever its artistic origin, the true meaning of any cross is found in Jesus Christ’s saving work.
Church History

What is the meaning of the Christian fish symbol (ixthus / icthus)?

The ichthys is a simple fish symbol that early Christians used to confess that Jesus is the Christ and to discreetly identify one another during persecution. It comes from the Greek word ichthys (“fish”), whose letters form an acrostic in Greek meaning “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.”
Church History

What was the Council of Nicaea?

The Council of Nicaea in AD 325 confronted Arius’ claim that Jesus was a created being and firmly declared from Scripture that the Son is fully divine, eternal, and worthy of worship. Their decision protected the truth of Christ’s deity, showing that salvation depends on Him being truly God, not merely a moral teacher.
Church History

When did the church begin? How did the church start?

The church was born at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled Jesus’ followers and three thousand believed the risen Christ. From that explosive beginning in Acts of the Apostles, Jesus has continued building His church wherever the gospel is preached and received.