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What’s the Point of History? Why the Past Still Matters
“Historians with increasing and distressing frequency are openly admitting that history has no meaning and shows little or no purpose or goals.”
—C. Gregg Singer, The Problem of Historical Interpretation (1976)
“One has to go back of the ‘facts’ of history to a discussion of the meaning of history.”
—Cornelius Van Til, The Psychology of Religion (1961)
Why Bother with History?
Most people can’t give a solid answer to why we study history. If pressed, they’ll say something like, “So we can learn from the past,” or quote the old saying, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
But that’s about as deep as it goes. And for many students today, it doesn’t go that far… because they’re not even studying real history. Instead, they’re taking “social studies,” a politically charged mix of disconnected facts and narratives taught without any reference to God, creation, or absolute truth.
Every historian, whether they admit it or not, operates from a worldview… what we might call an “ultimate frame of reference.” Secular historians say history helps us understand people, societies, and morality.
But none of those reasons make sense unless there’s a deeper meaning behind it all. If history has no purpose, how can we judge any culture or action as right or wrong? Without a fixed standard, the past becomes little more than trivia.
How We Study Matters
If we can’t answer why history matters, we won’t know how to study it properly. Secular historians often dismiss objective meaning and fall back on relativism.
They project modern political ideas onto ancient cultures, revise the meaning of source documents, and reject any historical insight that comes from Scripture. The Bible is ignored not because it’s inaccurate but because it dares to claim divine authority.
This leaves secular scholarship adrift… shaping history to fit the agenda of the moment, with no lasting foundation or direction.
History Built on the Word
Christian historians should approach the past differently. They begin with the truth of Scripture and understand history as a part of God’s total revelation.
You can’t just say, “History is His story,” and then teach timelines without grounding them in theology. A true biblical approach requires us to start with God Himself… the self-existent Trinity who created the world decreed its course and governs it by providence.
That includes understanding creation in six days, mankind’s unique role as image-bearers, the Fall into sin, and God’s redemptive covenant. It includes the authority of Scripture, the incarnation and resurrection of Christ, and His present reign over the nations. It means recognizing that history is not random but ruled by Christ, who is bringing all things under His dominion.
Without these foundational doctrines… taught clearly in the Church’s creeds and confessions… we can’t make sense of the past. Everyone has a creed, whether they admit it or not. So, when we study history, we bring doctrine with us. And if it’s not biblical doctrine, it will be something else.
The Bible’s Historical Authority
The Bible gives us the only dependable record of Earth’s earliest history. It covers creation, the Fall, the rise of early civilization, and the great Flood. It tells us about the first cities, languages, technologies, and institutions. And it does all this within a clear, consistent timeline that runs from creation to Christ.
The Bible gives us the only dependable record of Earth’s earliest history. It covers creation, the Fall, the rise of early civilization, and the great Flood. It tells us about the first cities, languages, technologies, and institutions. And it does all this within a clear, consistent timeline that runs from creation to Christ.
This biblical timeline doesn’t match the one taught in most universities, which leans on Egypt’s chaotic and questionable chronology. But Scripture lays out the story of God’s people… from Abraham to the kings of Israel and Judah, through the Babylonian exile and beyond.
Even when the Bible speaks to social or cultural issues, it does so accurately. It’s a goldmine for historians, archaeologists, and sociologists alike… because it records not only what happened but why it mattered.
God’s Moral Standard in History
The Bible also gives us a standard by which to judge history. God’s law doesn’t just apply to individuals… it applies to nations, rulers, and cultures. The prophets repeatedly rebuked kings and peoples in terms of covenant faithfulness.
Jesus Himself called out Herod and reminded Pilate of his divine accountability. Paul preached righteousness to Roman officials. John described the Roman Empire as a Beast destined for judgment.
In other words, history isn’t neutral. God evaluates it. And He calls us to do the same, with His Word as the standard.
History’s Goal is Redemption
The Bible tells us that history is going somewhere. It’s not an endless cycle or a random chain of events. It has a center… Jesus Christ… and a goal: the spread of His kingdom. God’s plan of redemption began before time, took root in creation, and was promised after the Fall.
The Old Testament is the buildup to the arrival of the Messiah. The New Testament shows His victory through the cross and resurrection. And now, history’s purpose is the advance of that victory… bringing salvation to the nations.
Paul says that Christ must reign until all enemies are under His feet, including death. This reign isn’t passive; it grows over time. As it grows, the contrast between God’s kingdom and the world becomes sharper. The wheat and the tares, the faithful and the rebels, become easier to distinguish. The antithesis between light and darkness becomes more obvious with each generation.
The End—and Beyond
History will one day end… when Christ returns, the dead are raised, and final judgment takes place. But here’s the hope: what we do now echoes into eternity. Every act of faithfulness, every moment of obedience, every lesson learned carries forward into the renewed creation. History, rightly understood, isn’t just the past. It’s preparation for the eternal future.
That makes studying and remembering the past not just useful… but sacred. It’s one more way we bear witness to the truth, goodness, and justice of God.
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