Reformation
Pastor Phil Vance
Note: Do to the nature of the teaching, notes are given in on outline format. Suggested Discussion Questions are at the end of the outline.
Books Referenced:
The Unquenchable Flame
Rescuing the Gospel
Timeline:
1215 – Lateran Council requires all christians to confess their sins regularly to a priest.
1305 – 1377: 6 successive French popes
1330-1384 – John Wycliffe: “The morning star of the reformation”
Believed one only needed to study the Bible to know all that was necessary for faith.
Popularized the Bible.
Translated the Bible from Latin to English (Ten Months)
Wycliffe believed that the scripture was complete. Thus canon law, church tradition, and even the papacy were to be subject to and judged by scripture. Christ was the only head that the church needed.
1369-1415: John Hus
Taught that God could forgive sin without the necessity of a priest.
Was executed, burned at the stake, as a heretic.
1377 Italian Pope elected
1450 – Gutenberg’s printing press invented
First thing off the press was the Latin Bible.
1483-1546: Martin Luther
Showed mental acuity as a child so family decided to send him to law school.
At the age of 21 Luther is caught in a lighting storm. Lighting bolt lands besides him, knocks Luther to the ground.
Luther makes a declaration to God: “Saint Annie, help me, and I shall become a monk.”
Driven to confession:
Luther would confess for six hours at a confession session.
To Luther: Confession was like mopping up a floor while the faucet is still running.
Became teacher of theology at Wittenberg University in Germany.
1517 October 31: Martin Luther posts Ninety Five Theses
Simony: the selling of spiritual position for money, Simon trying to buy the holy spirit.
Merit:
Slogan of Merit: “God will not deny grace to those who do their best.”
Purgatory: existed for those who were not bad enough for hell or good enough for heaven. In all the fires of purgatory, their shins are purged, and they are made ready for heaven.
Indulgences: If you paid a certain amount of money, you could purchase a document that guaranteed that you would be free from the temporal consequences of sin. Any sins for which penance had not been performed in this life would have to be dealt with in purgatory.
The Sacraments:
Church: The sacraments were connected to salvation: Each sacrament dispensed grace or merit.
Baptism (infant)
Confirmation
Mass
Christ’s body would be sacrificed afresh to God. A bloodless daily sacrifice. Appeased daily God’s anger. This was how the sins of each day was dealt with.
Transubstantiation: Believe that the wine and the bread turned into the actual body and blood of Jesus.
Confession
Marriage
Ordination
Last Rights
The Bible:
Was written in Latin that was believed to be a Holy Language. Only the Clergy and the educated had access to it. Others had to believe what the educated said about it. Only the Pope could correctly interpret the bible.
Mary and the Saints:
Christ was viewed as a “Doomsday Judge”. The General populous was scared of him.
It was believed that Christ was so holy that we could not talk to him. Instead, prayers were offered to his mother, Mary, as an intermediary.
Mary became more and more venerated, saints then began to pray to “Annie” Mary’s mother.
Discussion Questions:
Discuss together the value of having scripture for yourself. What does it mean to you that so many paid such a high price so that you could have the word of God?
The practice of merit can be summarized as earning grace. What is wrong with trying to earn grace? What does this tendency or practice do to our personal relationship with God?