The other day my wife and our family went to visit the Witte
Museum in downtown San Antonio. We spent about an hour or so touring an exhibit
in the museum called “The Mayas.” As the title would indicate, this exhibit has
to do with the Mayan civilization that dominated great portions of Mexico and
Central America during the pre-Columbine era. Although not a very extensive
exhibit, it did contain the highlights of a civilization which spanned over two
millennia and which left an indelible imprint on the culture and the society of
the Americas. It was not until the Spanish invaded the New World, that the
Mayan civilization began to wane and, eventually, disappear. Although there are
still many people who claim their ancestry from this once proud civilization,
the empire was quickly devastated and eventually absorbed by the unstoppable
wheel of progress.
To
hear some say it, you would think that the history of the church began at
whatever point their particular denomination came into existence. If you’re a
Baptist, then it began sometime in the 17th century. If you’re a
Lutheran sometime before that. And if you’re a church of Christ member, then it
began in the 19th century with Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone.
Every denomination has its own particular reference point when their history
began and beyond which the rank and file member seldom goes. But the fact of
the matter is that, if the church began in Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago,
then church history is that old. Since the church did not begin with the
reformation, its history did not begin there either. And it behooves those of
us who call ourselves Christians to understand that history because, like it or
not (or admit it or not, for that matter), that history does have a certain
influence on who we are as a church in the 21st century.
I
heard on a recent apologetics show, that there was a study conducted earlier
this year that children learn to lie at a very early age. By the time the child
reaches the age of three, the study concluded, about half have learned the
“value” of lying. This takes place when they realize that others are unable to
read their minds. By the time children reach the age of five or six, about 90%
of them lie habitually. This should come as no surprise to those of us who are
parents. Sometimes we wonder how it is that our children can lie with such
ease. But the answer, and this should surprise no one who is a believer, is to
be found in the fact that the world, and everything in it, is subject to the
corrupting influence of sin. Our children are not immune from the insidious
effects that sinfulness exerts over our world.
To
hear some say it, you would think that the history of the church began at
whatever point their particular denomination came into existence. If you’re a
Baptist, then it began sometime in the 17th century. If you’re a
Lutheran sometime before that. And if you’re a church of Christ member, then it
began in the 19th century with Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone.
Every denomination has its own particular reference point when their history
began and beyond which the rank and file member seldom goes. But the fact of
the matter is that, if the church began in Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago,
then church history is that old. Since the church did not begin with the
reformation, its history did not begin there either. And it behooves those of
us who call ourselves Christians to understand that history because, like it or
not (or admit it or not, for that matter), that history does have a certain
influence on who we are as a church in the 21st century.