Lessons From Church History
Early Church to Reformation
Reformation Era
Reformation to Present
Why Study Church History?
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See God is a God of Purpose
See our great heritage
Keeps our walk in perspective
See it is actually “His Story”
See there is nothing new under the sun
“One thing we learn from history is that we do
not learn from history”
Features in Every Move of God
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Lord Jesus is the practical/living Head
The Holy Spirit is given His rightful place
The Word of God is the sole authority
Functioning of priesthood of all believers
Love of the brethren manifest
Cross is working daily in believers’ lives
Testimony to & separation from world
Birth of the Church
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Predetermined before foundation of world
Adam & Eve: picture of Christ & the Church
A product of Christ’s travail on the cross
Church on earth begins in the book of Acts
120 individuals baptized into one Body
Acts 1:1 The first account I composed, Theophilus,
about all that Jesus began to do and teach
The Early Church
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Church had a healthy birth
Grows in spite of problems
Spread to the Gentiles
Christians considered a “sect of Judaism”
AD 64: Nero burns Rome & blames Christians
AD 70: Temple destroyed (no earthly center)
Now: Christian: illegal; Jew: legal
Spread through Roman empire. Why?
Spread of Christianity
Practical Reasons
1. Roman road system & control of sea
2. Safe movement along trade routes
3. Common language-Greek
Primary Reasons
1. Gospel offered unbiased hope to all
2. Lives of the believers were a living testimony
3. Testimony of the martyrs
Church Problems 100-312
External
1. Persecution by Roman Empire
2. Pagan Intellectuals
Internal
1. Heresy: Either wrong concept of man or God
2. Disputes over church government
3. Disputes over Lord’s Supper & Baptism
Roman Persecutions
Dates
Emperor
Nature/Extent
Martyrs
90-96
Domitian
Sporadic/Rome & Asia minor
Clement
98-117
Trajan
Sporadic
Ignatius
161-180 Marcus Aurelius
Christian blamed natural events
Polycarp/ Blandina
202-211 Septimus Severus
Conversion forbidden
Perpetua
249-251 Decius
1st Empire wide
Alexander
257-280 Valerian
Christian’s property confiscated
Origen/Cyprian
303-311 Diocletian
Worst of all; 400K killed
Mauritius/Alban
Constantine
312 Conversion
• Going into battle had a vision
• Inscription of a Cross "By This Sign Conquer"
• Wins & made Emperor Of Western Empire
Edict of Milan: freedom of religion proclaimed
• Restores all church buildings/property
• Sends funds to each city to pay clergy
• Clergy exempted from local laws
• Soldiers get clothes and money for conversion
Impact of Constantine
• Christianity became the State religion
• Emperor becomes head of visible church
• Church becomes open by all; popular, accepted
– Now many unbelievers within the church
What the enemy couldn’t do through persecution,
he did by corruption within
Impact of Unholy Alliance
4th Century
Political capital moves to Constantinople
Roman church assumes power in Western world
5th Century
“No salvation outside the Roman church"
Worship of Mary begins (Mother of God)
Leo the Great claims Rome's bishop is Pope
Faithful Witnesses
1. Ulfilas (c.310-380) Apostle of the Goths
a. Invented alphabet & translated scripture to Gothic
b. His earnest faith & life won the people to Christ.
2. Priscillian (c.350-385) Spain, Portugal & France.
a. Taught the reality of Christ should effect your life
b. First christian martyred by Roman church in 385
3. Ninian (c.360-432) Scotland to the Celts & Picts
a. Simply preached Word of God and many saved
b. Ministered among druids & many came to the Lord
Faithful Witnesses (cont.)
3. Patrick (c.389-461) Apostle to Ireland, born in Scotland
a.. Captured/enslaved as a youth in Ireland
b. Escaped back to Scotland; Returned to Ireland in 432
c. Many came to the Lord in Ireland
4. Columba (c.521-597) From Ireland went to Hebrides
a. Iona: a community with plurality of leadership
b. Brethren went out by 12’s to Britain & Europe
5. Nestorius (c.400-451) Born in Syria
a. Emphasized humanity of Christ
b. Mary not "mother of God“
b. Exiled he/his followers went to Persia, India & China
The Dark Ages
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The period from about 500 to 1500
The Roman Church gains world power
Rise of Monasticism (Franciscans, Dominicans)
The Crusades: 1096-1248 (all failed)
The Inquisitions
The birth and rise of Islam
Bible restricted to the clergy
“A Silver Thread in Dark Times”
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In spite of dark times God had His Testimony
Suffered great persecution & martyrdom
Called “heretics” by Roman church
Bible was the authority-not the pope
Church is from God not man
Lived simple lives, free from the world
Only called themselves “Christians”
Montanists
• Prominent from about 156 for 400 years
• Mainly in Turkey & North Africa
• Saw declension of Roman church starting
– Called for a return to Biblical way
– Charismatic in nature
– Rejected the growing power of bishops
– Rejected unbelievers into church membership
• Key brethren: Tertullian
Novations
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Prominent from the 4th to 6th centuries
Mainly in Italy
Came out of Roman church
Emphasized inner character, not merely taking
the sacraments
• Greatly influenced Donatists of North Africa
• Key men martyred: Cornelius, Novation
Paulicians
1. Prominent from 7th to 9th centuries
2. Mainly: Armenia, Asia minor & Mesopotamia
3. Key brethren: Silvanus, Titus, and Timothy
4. Key writings: “The Key of Truth“
5. Spiritual unity found in Christ; not teaching
6. Under persecution many fled to the Balkans
7. Others allied with Muslims & were defeated
Bogomils
1. Prominent from the 8th to 14th centuries
2. Mainly: Balkans, esp. Croatia, Bosnia, & Serbia
3. Key brethren: Basil the physician.
4. Practiced priesthood of all believers,
Lord’s Table, plurality of leadership
5. Greatly persecuted by Pope's crusades
6. Finally in 1463 allied with the Muslim Turks
Cathars or Puritans
1. Prominent from the 9th to 12th centuries
2. Mainly in northern Italy and southern France
3. Key brethren: Claudius, Peter de Brueys &
Henri of Cluny (all martyred)
4. Word of God led many from superstitions into
believers baptism, Lord’s Table & life
5. Attacked by Bernard of Clairvaux
Waldenses & Albigenses
1. Prominent from the 10th to 17th centuries
2. Mainly in northern Italy and southern France
3. Key brethren: Peter Waldo
4. Never part of Roman church
5. Endured great persecution/many martyred
6. In 16th century joined the reformation
Key Dates of Waldenses
1160 Peter Waldo-saved-translated scripture
Sends preachers 2x2-"poor men of Lyons”
1163 Pope forbids any contact with them
1209Crusade/Inquisition against the region
“Who do we kill? Kill them all” (50K)
1210 In 100s of villages every inhabitant massacred
1400 Many flee over mountain to Switzerland
1686 Edict of Nantes revoked: renewed persecution
1689 Return in brave march over mountains
Friends of God
1. Lived during the 14th century
2. Mainly in Strasburg, Cologne & Basel
3. Key brethren: Eckhart, John Tauler, Nicholas &
Henry Suso
4. Key writings: "Theologia Germanica"
5. Mystics: emphasized communion w/God
6. Met in hidden places for prayer/Lord’s supper
Brethren of Common Life
1. Lived during the 15th century
2. Mainly in the Netherlands, esp. Deventer
3. Key brethren: John Ruysbroeck/Gerard
Groote/Thomas A’ Kempis
4. Key writings: "The Imitation of Christ“
5. Laymen who lived under a rule of community and
devoted their lives to teaching and other
practical services
6. Emphasized Christian based education
Forerunners of Reformation
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John Wycliffe
John Huss
John of Wessel
Girolamo Savanarola
Desiderius Erasmus
c. 1329-1384
c. 1373-1415
c. 1420-1489
c. 1452-1498
c. 1466-1538
John Wycliffe
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“Morning Star of the Reformation”
Emphasized authority of Bible
Translated most of bible in English
Denied Transubstantiation & Indulgences
Lollards: lay preachers went out 2x2
– Many imprisoned & martyred
• Wycliffe condemed; saved by earthquake
John Huss
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Jerome heard Wycliffe in Oxford
Returned to Prague & Huss awakened
Great awakening: Bohemia & Central Europe
Emphasized Bible & believers baptism
All believers can take cup & loaf
Burned at the stake 1415
United Brethren came out of Hussites
Conditions Preceding Reformation
1. 1453: Capture of Constantinople by the Turks
-Many learned Greeks to the West
-Renaissance: "new birth"
2. 1455: Printing press
3. Enlargement of men’s minds/activities
-Discovery of America by Columbus
-Discovery of the solar system by Copernicus
4. Nationalism increased vs. Empires of the past
5. Rise of a middle class of merchants
William Tyndale
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Lived from c.1494-1536
Fled England & lived in exile in Germany
Translated New Testament into English
NT smuggled into England
Has great impact upon ordinary people
1536:Brussels; caught, tortured & martyred
– Prayer: “Oh Lord, open the eyes of the King”
Major Reformers
• Martin Luther (1453-1546)
Germany
– 1517 Posted 95 Theses
• Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531)
Switzerland
– Killed in battle against Catholics
• John Calvin (1509-1564) France/Switzerland
– 1536 Persuaded by Farel to help in Geneva
• John Knox (1514-1572)
Scotland
– 1559 Led reformation in Scotland
Impact of Reformation
• Restored authority of the Word of God
• Recovered truth of justification by faith
• Recovered believers access directly to God
through Jesus Christ
• Saw the truth of priesthood of all believers,
but did not practice it
• Fell short of fully returning to simplicity of
church life as seen in scriptures
Radical Reformation
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Saw the reformers did not go far enough
Rejected Church-State alliances
Rejected infant baptism
Church only those born again
Practiced church discipline
Maintained principle of holy living
Only called themselves Christians
Persecuted by both Catholics & Protestants
Anabaptists
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First came together in Zurich, Switzerland
1525-1st baptism
1525-Council orders all children to be baptized
1525-1st Anabaptist martyr-burned at the stake
1526-Any who are baptized whould be drowned
1526-Grebel-close to Zwingli-died of plague
1526-Manz was arrested and drowned
– 1st martyr at hands of Protestants
• 1529-Blaurock caught and martyred
Anabaptists (cont.)
• 1525-Micael Sattler saved/forced to leave native village
Served in Germany preaching & teaching
• 1527 Conference held to determine nature of faith
Meeting discovered by authorities
Sattler: tortured publicly & burned
His wife was drowned 8 days later
• Tremendous slaughter and persecution continued
• Hated by both Catholics & Protestants
• PTL: Could not be stopped by the power of this world
THE SCHLEITHEIM CONFESSION
l. Only baptize ones who have been saved by the work of Christ.
2. The local expression of the church is a company of regenerate
people whose daily lives are lived by the faith they profess. Their
fellowship is symbolized in their partaking of the Lord's supper.
3. Discipline must be exercised within the churches.
4. These should live a life of separate from the sin of the world and
from subservience to the flesh or anything that would compromise
their faith. This included a separation from the rites of the Roman,
Lutheran and Zwinglian parties.
5. Officers of a local church are set apart by the church, and are to
edify the believers by the teaching and preaching of the Word.
6. Believers should not resort to force for themselves or the State
Anabaptists (cont.)
Enemy tries to destroy/discredit from within
1534 The Munster tragedy
Great excess by false prophets
Much immorality and abuse within city
1535: Catholics surround city and destroy
1536 Menno Simmons saved in Netherlands
Devoted to strengthening ones scattered & hurt
because of Munster tragedy
1543 Had to flee to Germany--death penalty on his head
Ministered & wrote until death in 1559
Huguenots
1555 Calvinism comes to France & 1000’s saved
1559 First Huguenot synod held in Paris
1562 Massacre at Vassy begins religious wars
1572 Catherine de Medici orders death of Coligny
Aug 1572 St. Bartholomew’s day massacre. 100K
1585 Huguenot/Protestants expelled
1598 Edict of Nantes gives religious liberty
1685 Edict of Nantes revoked; 400K flee
Those remained called: “church of the desert”
Protestant Reaction
Roman Catholic Church__
1787 Methodist _
1534 Anglican
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_Presbyterian
Ca.1560
_Independents/Congregational
1612 Baptist
_1517 Lutheran
_1520 Reformed
_1525 Anabaptist
Catholics separated man from God;
Protestants separated man from man
God’s Reaction
• Soon the Protestant churches formalized
• Had an orthodox outward form but little life
• Gathered around a man or form of authority
God in His faithfulness continues on
• Two major movements
– Puritans: focus on truth & character
– Pietism: focus on inner life & experience
Puritan Influence c.1560-1680
Congregational/Independent
--Thomas Goodwin (1600-1679)
--John Owen (1616-1683)
Presbyterian
--Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
--Matthew Henry (1662-1714)
Puritans
Scottish covenanters
--Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661)
--Richard Cameron (1648-1680)
Baptist
--John Smyth (1554-1612)
--John Robinson (1575-1625)
--John Bunyan (1628-1688)
English Puritans
1531 Anglican church separates from Rome
King is now head of the church
All dissent severely persecuted
1603 Many flee to other countries for religious freedom
1662 Act of Uniformity to Church of England
All ministers had to sign
Over 2,000 left the Church (Non-Conformists)
Weaknesses noted
Accepted partial truth to exclusion of others
Limited freedom to gain fuller understanding
Puritan Quotes
1620: John Robinson's charge to the Speedwell
“I charge you before God that you follow me no
further than you have seen me follow Jesus. If
God reveals anything to you by another
instrument of His, be ready to receive it as you
were any truth by my ministry. I am persuaded
the Lord has much more truth to break forth
from His Holy Word.”
Puritan Quotes
John Bunyan, pastor of Bedford Baptist Church
“I will not let water baptism be the rule, the
door, the bar, the wall of division between the
righteous & righteous…Since you wish to know
by what name I would be called, I tell you I am a
Christian.”
Pietism Influence c.1650-1750
Roman Catholics
--Molinos (1640-1697)
--Madame Guyon (1648-1717)
--Fenelon (1651-1715)
Mystical
Quakers
--George Fox (1624-1691)
--William Penn (1644-1718)
Pietism
Pietists
--Philip Spener (1635-1705)
--August Francke(1663-1727)
Practical
Moravians
--Zinzendorf (1700-1760)
--Christian David(1690-1751)
Quakers
(England)
1646: Voice of God spoke to George Fox
In Christ alone would his every need be satisfied
1669: Married Margaret Fell
Their home was a “Bethel” for many
1660: 50,000 Quakers in England
“Friends” greatly persecuted and imprisoned
Prisons were a mission field & many saved
1681: W. Penn came to America for religious freedom
Established Pennsylvania & Philadelphia
Quaker Influence
Quakers (derisive term) focused on
1. The reality of Holy Spirit within each believer.
2. True life is spiritual and the outward is worthless
without true inner spiritual life.
3. Fellowship with God is not a matter of outward
conformity but a matter of the heart.
4. Did not practice Baptism & Lord's Table but knew
more of their true spiritual meaning than
most that practiced them.
Pietists
(Germany)
• Philip Spener: Influenced by Puritan & LaBadie
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Gathered ones for Bible study
Christianity must be manifested in life
Did not separate from Lutheran church
“A church within a church”: forced out
• August Francke: Saved through Bible study
– Born again through Bible study in small group
– Appointed professor at University of Halle
– Became the center of Pietism
Pietists Influence
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Saw you cannot reform existing systems
True Christianity must be manifest in life
Revived mission work and sent out many
Distressed about condition of the poor:
– Started schools, orphanages, hospitals
• Saw God as Provider: never asked for money
• Influenced: Zinzendorf & G. Mueller
United Brethren & Moravians
• United Brethren had come out of Hussites
– 30 Years War (1618-1648) decimated them
– Jon Comenius leads remnant out of Moravia
– Comenius’ prayer: “preserve Thy hidden seed &
afterwards bring it to growth & bear fruit.”
• Christian David (refugee’s son) meets Zinzendorf
– Goes to Moravia & brings ones to Herrnhut
– Hidden seed is reborn
Jon Comenius
“One Thing Needful”
c. 1669
“In short, Christendom has become a labyrinth.
The faith has been split into a 1000 little parts
and you are made a heretic if there is one of
them you do not accept. What can help? Only
the one thing needful: return to Christ, looking
to Christ as the only leader.”
Count Zinzendorf
1700 Born in Dresden, Count of Saxony
1710 Enrolled at Halle, run by August Francke
1720 Visits Dusseldorf museum: “Ecce Homo“
1722 Purchased Berthelsdorf estate (Herrnhut)
1722 Weds countess Erdmuth von Reuss
1736 Banned from Saxony; goes to England
1747 Ban lifted & returns to Herrnhut
1760 Dies at Herrnhut
Moravians
1722 Christian David arrives/meets Zinzendorf
1727 Ones from many persecuted areas &
backgrounds sign “Brotherly Agreement”
1727 “Birth of renewed United Brethren during
celebration of Lord’s Table
1727 Beginning of “100 Year prayer meeting”
1731 Meet converted slaves from West Indies
1732 Dobler & Nischmann depart
1st missionaries
Moravian Mission Manifesto
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Tell of the Lamb of God ‘til you can tell no more.
Let people see your life.
Support yourself
Earn their respect in humility.
Within 50 years had gone to:
West Indies, North & South America, Asia, Africa,
Greenland & throughout Europe & England
Moravian Influence
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Reality of prayer & Lord’s Table
Individual relationship with God
Strong inner life of obedience
Unity of the brethren & serving together
A heart for the lost & missions
Awakening in England
• John Wesley (1703-1791)
Strict religious upbringing
Very intellectual & doctrinal
Saved through the Moravians
• George Whitefield (1714-1770)
Son of a tavern keeper
Very dramatic & emotional
Saved at Oxford through Wesley’s “Holy Club”
Impact of Wesley &Whitefield
• Both started in the Church of England
– Eventually kicked out
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Contrast in styles; same results: 1,000’s saved
Introduced outdoor preaching
Recovered the truth of sanctification by faith
Focus on practical holiness in daily life
Revived concern of the poor/underprivileged
Other 18th Century Events
“Golden Age of Hymns”:
Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, John Newton,
William Cowper, Augustus Toplady , ….
Great awakenings in North America:
1. 1720s-1770s: 1st-- Jonathan Edwards
2. 1790s-1840: 2nd-- Charles Finney
3. 1857-1859: 3rd -- Charles Finney
19th Century Events
• Birth on the Brethren Movement
• Increase burden for missionary works
• The Keswick Convention:
– Focus on deeper life
– Hannah Whithall Smith, Evan Hopkins , A. Murray
• Great preachers:
– C. Spurgeon, D. L. Moody, C. Finney, F. B. Meyer
• Great social reforms: Prisons, Slavery, Poor
Brethren Movement
1827 Cronin, Groves, Bellet & others break bread
1829 Darby starts to meet with them
1832 Darby moves to Plymouth to meet with Newton
1832 Mueller & Craik : Bethesda Chapel, Bristol
1838 Darby start spending more time in Europe
1845 Darby returns and accuses Newton of heresy
1845 Darby leaves; starts another meeting in Plymouth
A distinction drawn between to 2 gatherings
The Bethesda Question
1848 Brothers from Plymouth visit Bethesda
Darby writes a letter to Bethesda that since these had
come from the Plymouth meeting where there’s
heresy, they should exclude them from fellowship
Bethesda at first doesn't respond & Darby writes again
Bethesda responds it is a separate locality and doesn't
judge what goes on in other places. If they bring
the heresy there, they will judge it.
Darby disagrees and “excommunicates” Bethesda
This division leads to the “open” & “exclusive” brethren
Brethren Influence
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Heavenly calling of the church
Unity of the church-the body of christ
Universal priesthood of all believers
Second coming of the Lord
The Millennial Kingdom & rapture
Many prophetic truths of the end times
Others Among the Brethren
• Robert Chapman (1803-1902)
– Apostle of Love; lived in Barnstable
• C. H. Mackintosh (1820-1896)
– “Notes on the Pentateuch" and “Treasury“
• William Kelly (1820-1906)
– Close friend of Darby even in division
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George Cutting: Evangelist
Andrew Miller (1810-1883): Brethren historian
James Deck (1807-1884): Hymn writer
F. W. Grant (1834-1902): Brethren writer
Missionary Movement
Name
Dates
Area of Ministry
Home country
David Brainerd
1718-1747
North America- Indians
Connecticut
William Carey
1761-1834
India
England
Robert Morrison
1782-1834
China
England
Adoniram Judson
1788-1850
Burma
US
David Livingstone
1813-1873
Africa
Scotland
John Paton
1824-1907
New Hebrides
Scotland
J. Hudson Taylor
1832-1905
China
England
Mary Slesssor
1848-1915
West Africa
Scotland
C. T. Studd
1862-1931
China/India/Congo
England
Amy Carmichael
1867-1951
Japan/India
England
Social Reforms
Name
Dates
Reform
John Newton
1725-1807
Slavery
William Wilberforce
1759-1833
Slavery
Robert Raikes
1735-1811
Education of urban poor
Florence Nightingale
1820-1910
Medical Care
Elizabeth Fry
1780-1845
Prisons
George Mueller
1805-1898
Care of orphans
William Booth
1829-1912
Urban poverty; Salvation Army
Various
1820s
Child labor & workplace safety
Pendulum Effect
EMOTIONS
BIBLICAL
INTELLECT
2ND Century-Montanism
3rd Gnosticism
3rd-10th Monasticism
11th-14th Scholasticism
14th-15th Mysticism
16th-17th-Orthodoxy
17th-18th-Pietism/Methodism
19th-20th Liberalism
20th Pentecostal/Charismatic
21st Humanism
Conclusion
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Lessons from Church history
Characteristics of normal Church life
Where are we today?
Why do we so gather?
Lessons from Church History
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See God’s great promise: I will build My church
Within a generation or 2 most moves weaken
The necessity of vision
God is not interested in keeping an outward form
New wine needs fresh wine skins
Materials produced are never lost
Recovery is progressive but same foundation