Today I picked up a book called Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley. Yes, I checked to make sure he is a believer.Having read the first chapter I feel assured that it is written by a Christian. It is good, I think, to have a general knowledge of the history of our church, to know why we celebrate certain holidays and have certain sacraments. This is not to replace the Bible at all, but there are some things that help flesh out our knowledge. God wants us to study these things, to help us know Him.

I didn't quite realize that Christianity did not separate from Judaism completely until A.D. 66, when the Christians fled Rome under Emperor Nero's reign. The Jews felt betrayed and looked upon the Christians as traitors, and from then on they did not allow Christians into the synagogues. This book so far gives a context for what is going on in the gospels and then moves on to church history after the time of the Bible. I am looking forward to reading this book.