Posted on 07/25/2013 10:44:56 AM PDT by Gamecock
I’ve just returned from Heidelberg, Germany, where I joined brothers and sisters from around the world to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism. In addition to illuminating papers and warm fellowship, we enjoyed one of the city’s several museum exhibits celebrating the anniversary. Of special note was the Heidelberg Palace exhibit, “The Power of Faith: 450 Years of the Heidelberg Catechism.”
Frederick III, ruler of the Palatinate and imperial elector, was nicknamed “the pious” by fellow princes. Embracing Reformed teaching, he was distressed with the low level of knowledge of even the basics of the Christian faith in his territory. Drawing together the best theologians and pastors in the region, he oversaw (and even contributed to) the drafting of a catechism that would be taught in schools, churches, and homes.
Soon after publication in 1563, the Heidelberg Catechism was translated into various languages—including early modern Hebrew and Greek. It soon enjoyed wide use in the English-speaking world as well. Students learned this catechism at Oxford and Cambridge. Today, it is more widely known and used in Asia, Africa, and the Americas than in Europe or even North America. As my children repeat back the clear teaching of the gospel from this great catechism, I am reinvigorated in my own faith.
Yet in Germany itself, the story is rather different.
In Luther’s home state of Saxony-Anhalt, after nearly a century of atheistic indoctrination, only 19% of the population professes belief in God. Yet even more tragic is the widespread unbelief in the west, under the auspices of a privileged but largely apostate Protestant Evangelical Church (EKD). A union of Lutheran and Reformed bodies, the EKD and the Roman Catholic Church claimed 30% of the population each by the end of 2008. Affiliation, however, may mean no more than having been baptized. These Landeskirchen (established churches) continue to receive tax money to fund their undermining of the Christian faith. In recent decades, there have been free (i.e., independent of the state) Lutheran bodies maintaining evangelical convictions, but Arminian Baptist and Pentecostal groups are much larger.
Across the nation, 45% say, “I believe there is a God,” while among the youth the percentage drops to 30%, and 34% are “unaffiliated.” According to a 2010 Eurobarometer Poll, 55% of the total population claim to be atheists, agnostics, or “non-religious.” Germany has always been the vanguard of intellectual, cultural, and religious trends on the continent. What happens in Germany, for good or ill, has repercussions for the whole of Europe.
During my brief time in Heidelberg, I was impressed with the small group of committed believers who are longing and praying for a new Reformation. Spearheading this event last week was the Free Reformed Church (Selbstündige Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche) in Heidelberg with the Rev. Sebastian Heck. I joined North American colleagues Joel Beeke, Lyle Bierma, Jason Van Vleet, and Jon Payne in giving some papers on the catechism, but for me it was definitely more blessed to receive than to give.
Among other speakers was Dr. Victor d’Assonville, an astute Reformed theologian. He leads a new seminary that holds great promise as a center for sound training of the small but growing band of future ministers, evangelists, and teachers. Students come from Lutheran and Reformed backgrounds and I had the pleasure of getting to know some of them at the conference. Many were raised in East Germany, where atheism was the state ideology. I was deeply moved by their stories of coming to understand the evangelical faith against all odds (including their own churches) and the depth of their zeal, knowledge, and clarity.
In other travels, I’ve seen first-hand the remarkable blessing of God on his means of grace. There is a hunger for Reformation Christianity around the world. And yet the land of the Reformation is now largely pagan. There is a great need for prayers and financial support for small but zealously faithful ministry in Germany.
I have no desire to speak with someone who has as their particular agenda to avoid good discussion, can't listen, and have a closed mind.
Have a great day.......
Not really. Protestants just don't understand their history and catechisms but it's all based on scripture. So it's an educational process to understand the scriptures. That is why there are a wide variety of Bible studies.
Catholics have little to base their belief on except what church elders have decided to tell people what they should believe. The ironic part is that Catholic who understand they are to take their beliefs from what the Church tells them are the ones who attend.
I never thought about it in this context, but in a way their robots, robbed of their wills. I'll have to use that in my next predestination argument. ;O)
Yes really. There's a whole lot of difference in what different folks get from the same scripture. Sola scriptura depends on whose interpretation.
That, I should add, seems to be the real purpose of catechisms and confessions: this is *our* interpretation (or Luthers or Zwingli’s or Calvin’s or..).
If you are so down upon the scriptures and peoples interpretation, then how can you support external writings that were never accepted by the early church as “inspired”. Writings that introduces new thoughts and ideas to the Church. Forget the Sola Scriptura nonsense that goes on here. What exactly is your interpretation of what inspired writings mean?
Scripture is what the Church says it is. Scripture means what the Church says it means. Holy Scripture is a work product of the Church. If it meant something different then it would not be in the canon or in the Church teaching.
This is why Christ didn’t write a book. He established His Church, the pillar and foundation of all truth, guided by the Holy Spirit. That we may be One. That there be one Lord, one faith, one baptism - one holy, apostolic and catholic church.
Sola scriptura is neither scriptural nor practical - it doesn’t work, as protestants have shown again and again. Perhaps that is one reason Christ didn’t use it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.