History Of The Church
Lesson 8: The Reformation - AD 1516 - 1650

Speaker: John Phillis
Date: September 1^st, 8^th, 22^nd, and October 6^th, 2004, Wednesday Evening Adult Bible Class

In our last lesson [Lesson 7], we had finished looking at the period that is known as The Middle Ages, a period from about AD 1054 to about the early 1500s—the 11^th to the 16^th Centuries. We saw there several things that were notable. Of course, what we have been seeing has primarily been the history, I suppose in many ways, of the Roman Catholic Church. We saw that, during this period of the latter part of The Middle Ages there were considerable struggles between the papacy and secular powers. We looked at several instances where the pope had struggles with those who were in secular authority.

Perhaps some of the most notable events of this period were the Crusades. We talked about four Crusades, along with, actually, a fifth Crusade, which was called “The Children’s Crusade.” We talked about what a terrible and tragic thing that was.

We also talked about the rise of something that is called “Monasticism” and “Scholasticism.” Monasticism was actually a renewal of an earlier practice from about the 3^rd Century. This thing that was called “Scholasticism” was something that came about toward the end of The Middle Ages as a period of awakening was coming, and there became more interest in scholastic things, looking at, primarily, the philosophical point of view from such philosophers as Plato, Aristotle and the like.

We also noticed the doctrine of worship that was ongoing during that particular period of time. We talked about the rise of several doctrinal issues—such things as the rise of “the Sacraments” that are known even to this day. And we pointed out, of course, that within the New Testament there are only two ordinances, one being baptism, and the other being the Lord’s Supper. However, by this period of time, there were some seven “ordinances” that became known as “Sacraments”—baptism, confirmation, penance, the Eucharist, extreme unction, the marriage issue—the priests, the clergy, not being married—and the ordination process.

By the year 1500 the foundations of the old medieval society had been shaken. Soon thereafter, these foundations began to crumble. Protestant historians laud the 16^th Century as one of the most important periods in the history of “the church” (“the church” used in the broad sense of Christendom), and rightly so. But this period is not less important for Roman Catholics, for the 16^th Century saw lasting changes effected in the organization and doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church.

We come now to another historical period, beginning in the 16^th Century and going through about the middle part of the 17^th Century. This a period that is knows “The Reformation.”

We have seen the church that we read about in the New Testament, the apostolic church, so to speak. It has become—well, the word that comes to my mind is “morphed” [meaning, “having a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances”]. It is morphed from what it was intended to be into something that is virtually unrecognizable in the Roman Catholic Church, such as the rise of the “priesthood” as opposed to the individual Christian being a priest, which is the doctrine of the New Testament; the change in the organization structure, which was grown out of the intended New Testament instruction—God’s instruction—of the local congregation being overseen by bishops (also called elders, shepherds of the flock, pastors), and this, of course, grew into the hierarchal papal system that we have talked about a number of times. These are some of the considerable changes in the doctrine and the practice that had come to pass.

Again, as I said, this is something that is hardly recognizable, as we would compare what we are seeing now in this particular period of history and what was written in the New Testament regarding the church that Jesus said He would build, that He would establish.

Well, there is something that is encouraging in this regard. In spite of the Roman Catholic Church’s pretense and insistence that they have acquired power, there never was, in the universal sense—and of course, that’s what the word “catholic” means, “universal”—a time when everyone was “bowing their kneel to Baal.” There was at this time, and had been, a number of different factions and divisions of the Roman Catholic Church. Most obvious, of course, is the Orthodox—the Eastern Orthodox, or the Greek Orthodox. We spoke about that separation occurring in the 11^th Century.

But, more than that, there were also a number of other groups, who had doctrinal differences—doctrinal problems—with the Roman Catholic Church, and yes, with the Greek Orthodox Church, as well—such ones as the Coptics, the Cyriacs, and others. And so, again, from this perspective that one would be led to believe, looking at the majority of the historical record, that the Catholic Church was indeed the “universal church,” that just is not so. The pope never controlled the whole of Christendom.

Also, I think it’s important to notice, as well, and this goes along with some discussion that we have had during this session also, and that is the fact that there were others, not just these ones who are mentioned here, but there were others, as well, during this period, who were continuing to do their very best to be the New Testament church—to be New Testament Christians. The historical record is not there for us to rely on. In most cases, we really don’t know who these ones were, but there are indications down through history that they existed. As one writer put it, “One might be a herder of swine; another might be a simple serving maid; another may be a scholar, who, either individually, or perhaps, in small clusters or small groups were trying to follow the New Testament.”