“Today, after 2,000 years, Christianity is the faith, at least nominally, of one-third of the earth’s population…Surely one of the more remarkable aspects of Christianity today is how few of these professed believers have ever seriously studied the history of their religion…Should we really be surprised, then, when today’s Christian so frequently blends gross errors with orthodox confession or defends some pagan practice as ‘Christian’ conduct?” (Bruce L. Shelly, Church History in Plain Language, Dallas, Texas: Word Publishing, 1995) (p.491)     After his masterful presentation of church history, from beginning to present, Bruce Shelly, (author of “Church History in Plain Language), pens the words above in his epilogue. It is the zeal and disappointment of every great teacher to see their pupils either flourish or decline in their studies. Both responses to the teaching become a reality to the loving teacher. The former, is the awakening of the pupil’s eyes which sparks continual discovery; the latter, is the disappointment of regress to continual darkness. On which part of the spectrum do you find yourself? Bruce Shelly’s words are for those who find themselves declining and are a disappointment to the teacher. And, evidently ignorance becomes their dayspring. Ignorance is not bliss! Many Christians today find themselves feeding off the fruit garden of cretinism. Our Master of masters, the Lord Jesus Christ, would be dismayed to witness such darkness prevailing in His children. Beloved, such is not supposed to be! Jesus himself demanded labored and meticulous observance of doctrine: Mat 7:24-28, 28:18-20; Luke 24:27; John 8:31, 17:17. In fact, Jesus asked the Father to sanctify the disciples in the truth. The truth, the comprehensive story of the Bible, is to be sought after relentlessly. It is our duty to be a delight to our pastor-teachers. Pastor-teachers who regard teaching and doctrine as adornment to their ministries desire the same response from their beloved flock. Is it easy? No! Is it worth your while in gold? Yes! Don’t find yourself in gross error, because if you do, it will only show your ignorance. Be a faithful servant, therefore, feeding off the Vine continually, so that you will not be found on the wrong side of the pendulum. The end-result is the prophetic words of Peter:  “There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.   You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.”