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The Lord’s Church
Through the Ages
Part 4
The Reformation Period
The Lord’s Church Through the Ages
Where Are We?
The New
Testament
Church
PostApostolic
Period
Medieval
Period
Reformation
Period
Restoration
Period
The Lord’s
Church Today
A.D. 33 - 100
100 - 600
600 - 1300
1300 - 1700
1700 - 1900
1900 - 2011
Why This Study?
• A study of history is profitable for learning
valuable lessons (1 Corinthians 10:11-12)
• We find that many people were dissatisfied and
disgruntled with the Catholic Church and
attempted to reform it.
• We will learn that in an attempt to reform the
Catholic Church many substituted their own
man-made doctrines and practices in place of
those of the Catholic Church.
Why This Study?
• We will learn that in an attempt to reform the
Catholic Church many went from one extreme
(salvation by works in the Catholic Church) to
another extreme (salvation by faith alone in the
Protestant Churches).
• We will learn the great sacrifices that were made
to undertake a reformation of religion.
Understanding Some Terms
• “Renaissance” means new birth or revival and refers to
the renewed interest and revival of learning
(A.D. 1350 – 1550)
• “Protestant” refers to a movement from individuals
within the Catholic Church (former priests, etc.)
“protesting” the errors and abuses of the Catholic
Church
• “Reformation” refers to the movement, not to
“overthrow”, but “reform” the existing order (the
Catholic Church) enough to correct its errors and abuses
Pre-Reformation History
• The great captivity of the Catholic Church
• The great schism within the Catholic Church
• The great captivity of the Eastern Orthodox
Church
• The great inquisition of the Catholic Church
The Beginning of Reformation
• The Preparation for Reformation: learning, the
printing press, nationalism
• The Beginnings of Reformation: Wycliff, Huss,
Wessel, Savonarola
• The Catholic Counter-Reformation
The Formal Reformation
• The German Reformation: Luther and
Melanchthon
• The Swiss Reformation: Zwingli and Calvin
• The English Reformation: Tyndale and King Henry
Protestant Churches of the Reformation
Church
Lutheran
Church of England
Congregational
Presbyterian
Baptist
Quaker
Methodist
Founder
Martin Luther
King Henry VIII
Robert Browne
John Calvin
John Smythe
George Fox
J. and C. Wesley
Date
1521
1534
1550
1560
1608
1656
1739
Catholicism Replaced by Protestantism
Catholicism
Pope
One
Tradition
Bishops
Works
Key Feature
Head
Churches
Authority
Ruling Body
Salvation
Protestantism
Men
Many
Doctrines of Men
Councils
Faith Only
Lessons Learned
• Reading the scriptures for yourself will lead you
out of the darkness of ignorance and error into
the light of truth (Jn. 8:32; 17:17; Eph. 5:17)
• The need for restoration, not merely reformation
(Isa. 8:20; Jer. 6:16)
Lessons Learned
• Reformation leaders taught erroneous
doctrines…
Luther’s demand for what is forbidden in
scripture: “Thou shall not…” (compare with
Col. 3:17; 2 Jn. 9)
Luther’s salvation by faith alone (compare with
Jas. 2:24-26)
Calvin’s doctrine of TULIP (compare with Ezek.
18:20; Eph. 1:3-6; 1 Tim. 2:6; Acts 7:51; Gal. 5:4)
The Lord’s Church Through the Ages
• Let us not simply reform abuses in religion, but
go back and restore the New Testament church
(Lk. 8:11; Acts 11:26; Eph. 4:4-6)
• Let us not leave one man-made Church to form
another man-made Church (Mt. 15:13)
• Let us be the faithful remnant of the Lord’s
church today (1 K. 19:18; Rev. 3:4)