Heroes & Heretics in the Early Church

Church history and theology are inseparably linked. In fact, Church history reveals that men and women placed their lives in jeopardy many times to preserve good theology. Five times the truth robbers banished Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, for his defense of the doctrine of the Trinity and many of the bishops at the Council of Nicea bore the marks of persecution for their faith. Sadly, the average Christian knows little theology and even less Church history. But the struggle to preserve truth hasn’t ended with the Church fathers. Similar heresies abound today. Christians must not take for granted the solid ground of truth on which they stand, for the responsibility for passing on good theology lies equally with each generation. It remains, therefore, imperative that Christians study the writings of the Church Fathers—lest they forget truth and the robbers steal from them what the martyrs paid for with their blood.