Church History 6

Church History
“Road to Reformation”
1248-1517

Road to the Reformation

Brethren of the Common Life
Late 1300’s
1. Sought simplicity & holiness
2. Worked for their living
3. Wrote reformation style literature

Wycliffe
Late 1300’s
1. Wanted to confront RC Church over immorality & property
2. Insisted that Christ, not the Pope, was the head of the church
3. Asserted that Scripture, not the church, was the authority
4. Translated NT into English by 1382
5. Denied transubstantiation
6. Founded lay preachers (Lollards) to spread his message

Hus
Early 1400’s
1. Influenced by Wycliffe
2. Burned at the stake in 1413
3. His followers rejected the RC Church
4. They eventually gave birth to United Brethren & Moravians
5. Moravian Christians influenced Wesley toward conversion

Environment of the Reformation

Political
1. Rise of Nation States
2. Rise of middle class
3. Expanded geography

Culture
1. The Renaissance
2. Biblical Humanism
3. Printing Press

Religious
1. People questioned the morality of the Popes
2. People questioned the taxation of the Popes
3. People questioned the doctrine of the Popes


The 95 Theses

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.

In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Repentance
1. Repentance is vital
2. Repentance must include inward and outward change
3. Without change, the penalty is still in affect
4. There is no repentance after death
5. Every Christian has the right to forgiveness
6. True repentane seeks discipline/correction

The authority of the Pope
1. The Pope can’t forgive sins. He may only declare sins forgiven
2. The Pope has no more ‘general’ power than a Bishop has ‘specific’
3. The Pope has not led the church to proper understanding
4. The Pope should be willing to give some of his own money
5. The Pope allows more emphasis on pardons than the Gospel
6. If the Pope can grant salvation to the dead, why not for free?
7. Why doesn’t the Pope use his own money to build his church?

The usefulness of indulgences
1. The ‘selling’ of indulgances makes no Scriptural sense
2. People are being deceived by the promise of spiritual security
3. It is fleshly to teach that financial offering earns forgiveness
4. Any who believe they are saved by a letter are condemned
5. The selling of indulgances works against true repentance

To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christians unhappy

What needs reformed today?