This is session 4 of a class I presented regarding the history of denominations. This session pertains to the German Reformation and the Swiss Reformation - along with the Anabaptist influence.
2. Europe of the Reformation – Germany, Switzerland
3.
4. Became a monk in 1515
Attempted to fulfill the law of God and Canon
C.f. Apostle Paul, John Bunyan (years later)
Attempted to pacify an angry God
Slept on the hard floor without cover in dead of winter
Starved and beat himself as punishment for his own sin
The abbot of Luther’s monastery tried to help Luther
“Go away and don’t come back until you have significant
sins to confess!”
“Love God” – to which Luther replied, “I hate Him”
5. Experienced Conversion in 1515
Discovered the true Gospel in Romans 1:17
C.f. Apostle Paul, John Bunyan (years later)
“I felt myself to be reborn” – Martin Luther
Slept on the hard floor without cover in dead of winter
Starved and beat himself as punishment for his own sin
Salvation by grace through faith was revolutionary
Roman Catholic Church emphasized 7
sacraments, pilgrimage to holy relics, Church canon law
Eastern Orthodox emphasized church liturgy
6. Chair of Biblical Studies – Wittenberg University
7. Priest and Pastor – Castle Church in Wittenberg
8. Command to Build St Peter’s Basilica in Rome
Monks sent out to “fundraise” using indulgences
Meritorious works of Jesus and Saints were applied for a fee
Purgatory (purge of sins) lessened or removed
Indulgences began as method of funding Crusades
Johann Tetzel sent to Wittenberg to “fundraise”
Tetzel extended indulgences even to dead relatives
“A coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs!”
Luther began to preach against Tetzel from the pulpit.
10. Penance/ True Repentance – 19 theses
Purgatory – 38 theses
Remission of Sins – 21 theses
Indulgences – 35 theses
Clergy Indiscretion – 13 theses
Treasures of the Church – 12 theses
True Christian Virtue – 25 theses
11.
12. Luther asserts that Popes and Councils are subject to the
authority of Scripture
Eck likened Luther to John Hus as his primary attack
Luther afterward appealed to German authorities to
consider a “German” state church
Eck afterward traveled to Rome to have Luther formally
declared a heretic.
13. Pope Leo X issued a Papal Bull to Luther condemning his
teachings and commanding him to recant in 1520.
Luther threw the Bull on a bonfire upon which other
Catholic books and paraphernalia were being burned.
Pope Leo X declared Luther a heretic and had him booted
out of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
14.
15. Luther summoned to give an account of his
beliefs by Emperor Charles V who was loyal to the
Pope.
Spanish son of Philip the Handsome and Joanna the Mad
Grandson of Maximilian I (1459-1519)
Luther’s safety guaranteed by Duke Frederick III
of Saxony
Necessary now as Hus’ fate still echoed in recent history
Frederick III helped to get Charles V crowned Emperor
Frederick founded University of Wittenberg
Frederick III pressed Maximilian I for Chruch Reform decades
before Luther.
16. Yet again Luther debated Eck and yet again, destroyed him.
Luther asserted his views based on Scripture and called for
their refutation from Scripture. They were not.
Luther won new minds and hearts among the royalty present at
the Diet.
Luther’s famous quote recorded at the Diet:
“My conscience is captive to the Word of God, I will not recant
anything, for to go against conscience is neither honest nor
safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”
17. Charles V called Luther “swine” and pedaling “filth”
and heresy of heretics passed, adding his own.
Luther declared an outlaw and gave Luther 2 weeks to
leave to return home to Wittenburg
Frederick III staged a fake kidnapping and took Luther
to his Wartburg Castle
Luther went by pseudo name “Junker George”
Here Luther began to translate the Bible into German
18. Charles V declared it illegal for anyone to help Luther.
Anyone could kill him without cause or recourse.
Frederick III – rescinded the Edict in his lands of
Saxony – but it would be reinstated some years later.
19. 1. How is a person saved?
Not by works but by faith alone.
2. Where does religious authority lie?
Not in clergy or councils but in Scripture.
3. What is the Church?
Community of Christian Believers – all are priests
4. What is the essence of Christian living?
Serving God in any useful calling, ordained or lay
20. Only 2 of the 7 Sacraments are Scriptural:
Baptism and Eucharist (Lord’s Supper)
Unscriptural Sacraments:
Penance – confession to an ordained priest
Confirmation – mature deepened commitment to Church
Marriage – Must be in Catholic Church by ordained Priest
Holy Orders – Ordination into the Catholic priesthood
Extreme Unction (Last Rites) – at death by ordained Priest
Celibacy of Priesthood is not Scriptural
Priests are permitted to marry
Luther married an ex-nun himself
21.
22. Called by Charles V – who was backpedaling amidst the
rising popularity of the Reformation.
Luther did not attend due to threat of arrest
Philip Melancthon a friend and colleague of Luthers, acted
as representative.
He presented the Augsburg Confession
Ulrich Zwingli arrived with his Fidei Ratio
“Account of Faith” 12 articles providing an early “statement
of faith” for the Reformed Church
Based on the Apostles Creed
Outlined differences between Reformed, Catholic, & Lutheran
23. Written by Philip Melancthon and submitted to Luther
for approval.
28 Articles
21 comprise an early Lutheran “statement of faith”, approved
ecclesiology, and Christian living
7 outlined corrected abuses: 7 sacraments, ecclesiology, and
asceticism.
24.
25.
26. Ordained a Priest in Constance
First duties – Priest in Glarus as “chaplain” to
mercenaries
Spoke out against the lucrative trade & lost his post.
“We are trading blood for gold”
Moved on to church in Einsiedeln & met Erasmus
Began learning Greek
27. 1519 – was promoted to “Grand Cathedral” in Zurich
Began arrive, independently, at many of Luther’s
conclusions regarding the Catholic Church
Preached Matthew verse by verse – first expository
preaching of its kind.
Plague hit Zurich killing one third of its population
Zwingli contracted the disease but survived
His heart toward “reform” took on a whole new vigor
28. Indulgences
Purgatory
Veneration of Mary
Celibacy of Priests – He took a wife himself
Refused his church wages from the Pope
29.
30. Founded by students of Ulrich Zwingli:
Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz
31. Radicals Reformation Movement
Zwingli reformed too slow or not enough
Separation of church and state
Baptism by choice and not as an infant
Same council that condemned ‘unscriptural’
teaching: condemned the movement.
George Blaurock baptised in defiance of council 1525
Declared Illegal in 1527 and practices banned.
Anabaptists continued in spite of this ruling
32. Zwingli threw his students under the bus
Gave “unofficial” approval for execution
Condemned their views as heretical
Zurich City Council made example of Felix Manz
“You have sinned against the waters of baptism
so by the waters you shall die”
Common method of martyrdom for them.
Manz was first protestant martyred by another
protestant group.
33. Heavily persecuted by both Protestant &
Catholic alike.
Fled Zurich to religiously tolerant
Moravia, but were expelled in 1535 and
dispersed throughout Europe.
Jakob Hutter – joined movement 1529
His death in 1535 started the Hutterite movement, later to be
the Hutterite denomination.
Menno Simons – joined movement 1536
His movement was called “Mennonite”
Amish are a branch of “Mennonites”
34.
35. Called by Philip of Hesse to unify Reformation
between Luther and Zwingli
Luther and Zwingli agreed on 14 of 15 articles of
faith
Disagreed on 1 article: The Lord’s Supper
Luther “Denying transubstantiation is like denying the
incarnation itself” – thereby elevating a “non-essential”
to an “essential”
Zwingli – “Saved by Grace through Faith” not “Grace +
Bread.
Luther writes “est” – this bread IS my body.
Both movements remain divided over a
practice designed to bring unity.
36.
37. Civil war among Swiss “Cantons” (states)
5 holdout Catholic states remained
5 Catholic states staged a surprise attack
To break a food embargo/blockade
Zwingli, the pacifist, was among the fighting
pastors
Given chance to recant, refused, was given death blow
Zwingli’s body was quartered, burned, and
ashes cast to the wind.
38.
39. Left Catholic Church in 1530 and became a French
refugee in Switzerland
William Farel – common friend with Zwingli –
convinced Calvin to remain in Geneva.
Calvin returned to Geneva in 1541 to remain permanently
Wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion
An apologetic for Christian theology and positions of the
Swiss Reformation
Enlarged from 6 chapters to 17 by 1539
40. Submitted articles for reform to the Geneva
City Council and all were accepted:
Pastors to preach and administer the sacraments
Doctors to instruct believers in the faith
Elders to provide discipline
Deacons to care for the poor and needy
Created a special council for religious affairs
Preached over 2000 sermons – twice on
Sunday and thrice throughout the week.
41. Condemned “Libertines”
Group that believed that the Gospel excused
them from civic and ecclesiastic obedience
Condemned “Servetus”
Heretic stalker of Calvin – condemned the
Trinity and infant baptism
Sent 30 copies of “Institutes” with annotated
“errors” found
Was an outlaw on the run but showed up at
Calvin’s services – Calvin had him arrested
42. Marian (Catholic Queen) exiles from England
“Bloody Mary” for her persecution of protestants
Exiles found safe haven in Geneva with Calvin
John Knox – student and protégé of Calvin
Returned to England and Founded Church of
Scotland, 1560 – mainline denomination today
Also called “Scottish Presbyterians”
William Whittingham returned to England and
brought Reformed theology with him.
43.
44. Human Wisdom in 2 parts
Knowledge of God; Knowledge of Self
Trinitarian and Deity of Jesus
Against Icons (c.f. Zwingli)
Process of Conversion (book 2 of Institutes)
Faith = firm knowledge of God in Christ
Leads to true repentance & remission of sin
Leads to regeneration = pre-fall Adam status
Perfection in this life impossible – lifelong
struggle with sin is to be expected
45. T-otal Depravity of Man
God makes one alive without any help from that person
U-nconditional Election
God makes one alive without looking for “good” in them
L-imited Atonement
God laid his life down for His sheep and no one else Jn 10:11
I-rresistable Grace
God makes one to “want” His grace – not kicking and screaming
P-reservation of the Saints
God preserves His people so they can never be lost.