Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 100:397 (Jan 1943)
Article: The Scriptural View of Church History
Author: Charles A. Nash

BSac 100:397 (Jan 43) p. 188

The Scriptural View of Church History

Charles A. Nash

How shall the Church and its history be considered? From what vantage point shall it be viewed? Must it be seen only in the historical development of the centuries or is there a prewritten pattern, a revealed program, a prophetic outline from which the historical unfolding or development is seen as its counterpart and fulfilment? That there is such a vantage point of observation cannot be denied by those who accept the fact of God’s infinite plan and eternal counsel as declared and set forth in the Scriptures. It was not an idle nor insignificant statement made by James, but the Spirit-inspired recording of truth and fact, when he declared, “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18). God does not work without knowledge of what He is doing nor without knowledge of what will be the events and ends in His working. The marginal reading of the revised version (American Standard) for the above quoted text enforces this fact, for we read, “Saith the Lord, who doeth these things which were known from of old.” The verse rendering in the revised version gives added light by emphasizing, not God’s knowledge, but the making known of His knowledge, for we read, “Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.”

Two facts are to be posited relative to God and His works: He has knowledge of all His works from the beginning of the ages, and He has made known for man that knowledge. Since the Church is within the eternal counsel and purpose of God, it is consonant with His nature and working to make a revelation to man concerning it. That is the statement of Ephesians 1:7–12. If this be true, and it is, we should expect to find revealed in the Scriptures the pattern of historical development in which the Church would be meshed. Such a pattern, or program, or prophetic outline is revealed in the Scriptures and is the only sound basis from which to view the Church and its history.

BSac 100:397 (Jan 43) p. 189

Definition and Origin

The first concern in the study of Church History should be to define the Church. Having done that, the next concern should be to determine its origin or historical beginning. What is the Church? Is it synonymous with organized Christianity and its development in the several periods of history, or is it to be distinguished as differing from that? Like the ancients let us say, “to the law and the testimony,” “what saith the scripture?” Christ was the first to speak of the Church. That He did when responding to the Apostolic confession of His divine Sonship (Matt 16...