Posted on 08/03/2008 7:28:32 PM PDT by guitarplayer1953
He then listed the 95 propositions that would be debated. The act of posting this challenge is generally credited with starting, what is called, The Protestant Reformation. After more than 1000 years of spiritual darkness the Gospel was rediscovered and people began to experience, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the comforting reality of Christ's Salvation. Roman Catholic teachings were rejected, because it was seen that they were not the religion of Jesus Christ. The purity and strength of New Testament Christianity and the genuine Gospel was once again preached, souls were genuinely saved and lives changed. But, I should note that the battle to return to the Bible and the preaching of the Cross was not without great cost! Many, many believers proclaimed the truths of the Scripture at the cost of their lives. Multiplied thousands were imprisoned, tortured, and burned alive for the Gospel. In fact, the blood of the Christian martyrs paved the way for us. We can read the Bible, preach the Word and testify for Christ because of those who lived and died for the truth.
It seems only fit that we pay honor to the biblical truths that were rediscovered during the German and English Reformation of the 15 and 1600’s. The Reformers had 5 catchphrase, slogans or mottos that indicated their return to New Testament Christianity. I have called them, The 5 Pillars of Reformation Truth
‘Sola Scriptura’ - By Scripture Alone
‘Sola Gratia’ - By Grace Alone
‘Solo Christo’ - By Christ Alone
‘Sola Fide’ - By Faith Alone
‘Soli Deo Gloria’ - Glory To God Alone
I can’t accept that God permitted a “1000 years of spiritual darkness” before sending Luther to “free us.” The God of my understanding does not, in His infinite love, send us virulent anti-semites who pen trash such as “Von den Juden und Ihren Lügen.”
The Church was full of evil doers in Luther's time. Look at how many indigenous peoples were kill by the Church because of pagan beliefs how many books and codex's have been burnt along with people by the Church?
I can't imagine God having His one true Church set up Ratlines during WW2 for Nazi Catholics who murdered the Jews in the Holocaust either.
Discussing how the Reformation affected Rome, or Rome affected it really doesn't go anywhere IMHO. After all how do you discuss Christianity without Scripture as your guide.
I believe the initial reformers fell into the same trap as the RC's had under Constantine. The lure of having the power of the state dictate faith, religious practices and defense of them with arms made the reformers as bad as the RCC.
Have you heard anything like this?
The new reformation, if there is one, is being forged among the youth who are tired with happy clappy worship and want something that looks like classical Lutheran/Reformed worship.
There is a great book out there titled Young, Restless and Reformed that addresses this phenomena.
There was a FR thread on that very subject a while back, YOUNG, RESTLESS, REFORMED: Calvinism is making a comeback - and shaking up the church.
I'm unfamiliar with the term.
Would the phrase "new great awakening" be better. I think the reformation led to the end of state run churches. We no longer have state churches to reform and the older Christian churches do not have the authority they did in the previous era.
I think it's clear change is on the horizon. There was a recent thread that pointed out that 52-55% of "Christians" claiming to be Evangelicals don't believe you must be born again to be saved, or that Jesus Christ is the only way you may be saved. All the young have to do is start reading Scripture for themselves to see how wrong this thinking is.
Would the phrase "new great awakening" be better. I think the reformation led to the end of state run churches. We no longer have state churches to reform and the older Christian churches do not have the authority they did in the previous era.
I think it's clear change is on the horizon. There was a recent thread that pointed out that 52-55% of "Christians" claiming to be Evangelicals don't believe you must be born again to be saved, or that Jesus Christ is the only way you may be saved. All the young have to do is start reading Scripture for themselves to see how wrong this thinking is.
sorry for the double post.
Oh, you did..... <;-)
Seriously, I think the survey results are the result of shallow teaching in churches. Modern churches have shied away from terms like substitutionary atonement, propitiation, etc. Instead Christians hear “God loves you!” If that is the case, He must love everyone, and most everyone get in...
The Catholic Church did more to SAVE the Jews during the Holocaust than any other organization in the world.
More than the U.S. Military?
I don't remember seeing pics of any of the Swiss Guards liberating concentration camps.
Willowcreek is near where I live. They closed one Sunday a couple years ago because it was on Christmas day and said it was better for families to be at home. I suspect that it was because they knew very few would turn up for services. Now they've done surveys of their members and found discontent among the more involved because their isn't enough serious teaching.
I think the mega churches may be a transitional structure as "7 day a week" Christians move into smaller churches that are Bible based. IIRC, all the older churches are losing membership. I don't believe that the lost membership is all falling away, but a portion are finding churches where meat is served.
I will grant you that; however, it is a fact that the Church did a great deal to get Jews to safety.
The printing press was developed in the mid-15th Century, prior to this all Bibles were scribed by hand and this was a very long and costly process (paper wasn't readily available in Europe until the 14th Century, so before this it was even more expensive). The average person would not earn enough money in a lifetime to purchase a bible. However, none of this even mattered, because most people were illiterate.
So, who exactly was it that preserved and taught the Gospel for all those centuries? It was the Church, the same Church that today has a Gospel reading at EVERY mass.
Does your church have a reading from one of the four Gospels at EVERY service?
***However, none of this even mattered, because most people were illiterate.***
I’ll bet most of the illiterate weren’t bilingual, so having it read to them in Latin* didn’t exactly do much for their spiritual growth.
*Those parishes that had a copy any way....
A similar trend is starting to happen in the Catholic Church as well, with more young people seeking transcendent and vertical worship in traditional forms.
Though I realize you don't agree with Catholics on theology, this trend means that this group of young people is hearing solid sermons discussing Scripture and Christian living and moving away from the liberal theological nonsense.
I find both of these trends encouraging...
That linked article looks interesting... I'll have to give it a read.
That is quite an assertion, that essentially no one was "genuinely saved" for those 1,000 years. While I disagree strongly with the Roman church on many substantive issues, it seems malicious hyperbole to maintain that God couldn't save many in the midst of, if not actually in spite of, the Catholic Church. This author goes much too far.
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