Honey out of a lion.

The failures and foibles of mankind can never thwart God’s purposes for his church.

Photo by Hannes Köttner on Unsplash

In the introduction to Historical Theology for the Church, Dr. Jason G. Duesing cites the 17th-century Puritan theologian Thomas Watson who once remarked, “It is a matter of wonder than any honey should come out of this lion” (6). Watson’s original quip was in reference to the Old Testament figure Samson, yet, as Dr. Duesing suggests, the same can be said of the discipline of historical theology itself. Wading into the history of the church often presents one with a series of difficulties since the maturation of the body of Christ is not without its warts. Investigating the theological developments of the church of the past exposes one to lamentable stances and statements that were allegedly “Christian.” “Although the Bible is perfect,” Dr. Duesing continues, “the history of the Christian tradition is not” (17). To the unsuspecting student of theology, such defects can culminate in a faith that is besmirched by the shortcomings of bygone churchmen.

Nevertheless, however spoiled the history of the church may be, historical theology simultaneously demonstrates Christ’s faithful love even for those who sully his name and the testimony of the gospel. God’s penchant for employing flawed individuals to carry out his plan of redemption is not limited to the apostolic era. Many of the stalwart theologians of the Protestant Reformation era in the 1500s, while flawed in their own right, were used mightily to recover the central truths of the Christian faith, namely, by engaging in faithful historical theology. The valiant efforts of Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Hus, and Ulrich Zwingli, among many others, were steeped in theological retrieval and reevaluation in light of faithful biblical exegesis. This biblical preoccupation bred a new wave of theological investigation and attestation that was unblinded by tradition. “Historical theology for the church,” Dr. Duesing concludes, “should regularly expose blind spots, sins, and inconsistencies of the church past and present” (17). According to Christ’s own testimony, the gates of hell “shall not prevail against” his church (Matt. 16:18), which, likewise, assures one that the ills and foibles of the past are equally as ineffective.

Grace and peace.

Works cited:

Jason G. Duesing and Nathan A. Finn, editors, Historical Theology for the Church (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2021).