The Reformers — creators of and introducers of new religions and new Christian beliefs
Prepared by and presented by Rex Bennett
Information concerning the courageous men and women who were instrumental in creating and introducing new Christian theology and practice.
The Reformers —
The dark ages of history seemed never to end. Was there to be no termination to this blasphemous night? Had a loving Father forgotten mankind? Would He send forth no heavenly messengers as in former days? Honest men with yearning hearts, at the peril of their very lives, attempted to establish points of reference, that they might find the true way. The day of the reformation was dawning, but the path ahead was difficult. Persecutions would be severe, personal sacrifice overwhelming, and the cost beyond calculation. The reformers were like pioneers blazing wilderness trails in a desperate search for those lost points of reference which, they felt, when found would lead mankind back to the truths Jesus taught.
When John Wycliffe and others completed the first English translation of the entire Bible from the Latin Vulgate, the then church authorities did all they could to destroy it. Copies had to be written by hand and in secret. The Bible had been regarded as a closed book forbidden to be read by the common people. Many of the followers of Wycliffe were severely punished and some even burned at the stake.
Martin Luther asserted the Bible’s supremacy. His study of the scriptures led him to compare the doctrines and practices of the existing church with the teachings of the scriptures. Luther stood for the responsibility of the individual and the rights of the individual conscience, and this he did at the imminent risk of his life. Thought threatened and persecuted, he declared boldy: “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me.”
John Huss, speaking out fearlessly against the corruption within the church, was taken outside the city to be burned. He was chained by the neck to a stake, and straw and wood were piled around his body to the chin and then sprinkled with resin. He was asked finally if he would recant. As the flames arose, he sang, but the wind blew the fire into his face, and his voice was stilled.
Zwingli of Switzerland attempted through his writings and teachings to rethink all Christian doctrine in consistently biblical terms. His most famous statement thrills the heart: “What doe sit matter? They can kill the body but not the soul.”
And who cannot today appreciate the words of John Knox? “A man with God is always in the majority.”
John Calvin, prematurely aged by sickness and by the incessant labors he had undertaken, summed up his personal philosophy with the statement: “Our wisdom consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves.”
Others could indeed be mentioned, but a comment concerning William Tyndale would perhaps suffice. Tyndale felt that the people had a right to know what was promised to them in the scriptures. To those who opposed his work of translation, he declared: “If God spare my life, I will cause a boy who drives the plough shall know more of the scriptures than thou dost.”
Such were the teachings and lives of the great reformers. Their deeds were heroic, their contributions many, their sacrifices great, but they did not restore the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Of the reformers, one could ask, “Was their sacrifice in vain? Was their struggle futile?” The answer to those questions is a resounding “No”! The Holy Bible was now within the grasp of the people.
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