 Every now and again we will take some time to look back at the pages of Christian history. There is so much that can be learned from those who have studied the Bible and have determined for it to be their rule of life. Church history is never superior to bibliology, by no means, but it certainly does aid our understanding of various biblical doctrines today. As we are able to identify how the things that we believe about God today agree with what theologians from earlier centuries have believed about it, we can receive some affirmation for that which we believe, especially as these doctrines are preached and believed today.
The same however is true for lessons that can be learned from church history which should not be repeated. Not everything that happened in the first few centuries after Christ was necessarily good... Augustine progressed philosophically as most men of his day. Eventually neo-Platonism would have a considerable effect on his thinking, especially as he made sense of God and the created order through these lenses. In his “Confessions” he makes quite clear that a subtle disdain of the physical had started to set in. From his account it seems that it could have been his hatred for his past sinful lifestyle that led him to the false piety of an over-spiritualized view of God and what he grants men. Read the full article here
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