Handout #2

The Content of Church History

Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine (born about 263 A.D., died about 340 A.D.) is regarded as the 'father of church history'.  In his Ecclesiastical History he has handed on to us a wealth of documents from the first centuries which without him would have been lost.  Eusebius tells us his aims in writing his work.  Would we have the same expectations of a church historian today?

The succession from the holy apostles, together with the times that have elapsed from our Savior's day down to our own; the important things that are said to have been accomplished in the history of the church; all those who took a prominent place in that history as leaders of the most famous communities; those who in each generation were ambassadors of the divine Word by word of mouth or by writings; the names; number and times of those who through love of innovation fell into the most grievous error, and have proclaimed themselves as introducers of knowledge falsely so called, like ravenous wolves cruelly ravaging the flock of Christ; moreover the disasters which befell the whole Jewish nation immediately after their plot against our Savior, the nature, character and time of the wars waged by the heathens against the divine word; the great men who, when circumstances demanded, endured death and torture in the conflict on it's behalf; the martyrdoms that have taken place in our own day, too, and the gracious and kindly aid of our Savior to us all: these things I have undertaken to put down in writing.

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