For a Christian history has incredible value. First, much of the Bible records the history of Israel. Second, the gospel is not merely a collection of abstract principles. It is grounded in the life and atoning work of Jesus. Without Jesus’ death and resurrection, events of history, there is no plan of salvation.

There is also value in studying the history of the Christian church. It provides believers with a wider perspective. It helps them to look beyond the context of their local church and their place in time and to see themselves in the wider context of Christians around the world and across the past two thousand years. It reveals how other Christians lived and thought. It recounts the challenges they faced and the insights they can provide.

Studying church history allows Christians to consider the traditions which have influenced their own theology. James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries has often said that he who is not aware of his traditions is the slave of his traditions. Each Christian is influenced by other people – his pastor, family, friends, prominent preachers and writers, etc., and all of them were influenced by others in the same way. When we simply assume what we grew up believing it is easy to assume that what we believe is solidly biblical. But is it truly biblical? Maybe it is. Maybe it is not. When a Christian recognizes the traditions which have influenced him it is easier to critically assess them on a biblical basis.

Church history shows how Christians in the past dealt with theological errors. Few if any theological errors today are new. Instead they are repackaged forms of past errors. Christians today can benefit from seeing how Christians in past centuries wrestled with and responded to those errors and gain insight on facing them today.

All of these benefits further enable us to understand the current state of the church. Why do modern churches do what they do? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What must we change in order to face the current challenges while still remaining solidly biblical?

Studying church history also has devotional value. It reveals how God has worked through history. Christians today can draw encouragement from seeing how God has sustained the church through trials and how He has raised up leaders to help show the way.

If you have never read church history, I suggest you begin with a general overview. Two great examples are:

Sketches from Church History by S. M. Houghton – This book is light reading. It only goes through the nineteenth century, but what it does cover is well done. If you want to start with something easy then this is a good choice.

Christianity Through the Centuries by Earle E. Cairns – This book is more in depth and goes through the twentieth century. It not only covers the events of church history but also discusses the political and social settings behind the events.

If you are interested in studying the development of Christian theology, then I suggest beginning with Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought by Alister E. McGrath. It is easy to read and is a useful introduction to historical theology. I also recommend the podcast 5 Minutes in Church History by Stephen Nichols. It is a weekly five minute podcast about very wide range of church history topics.