Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW017148S
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00:10 ♪[Theme music]♪
00:19 >>John: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 00:22 Welcome to "500." 00:25 ♪[Music]♪ 00:35 ♪[Music]♪ 00:42 Five hundred years ago the world was a very different place. 00:46 There weren't any cars, or airplanes. 00:49 No trains. 00:50 No buses. 00:50 No computers. 00:52 There was no radio, 00:53 no television, 00:54 no internet. 00:55 There was no plastic, 00:57 no cardboard, 00:58 no United States. 00:59 There was no Taj Mahal. 01:01 There was no junk food, 01:02 no x-rays, 01:03 no antibiotics, 01:04 no vaccines. 01:05 There was no anesthetic. 01:07 Smoking was virtually unknown. 01:09 No GMOs, 01:10 no cameras, no newspapers... 01:12 It was a different world. 01:15 Now think about this. 01:17 There was no Baptist Church 500 years ago. 01:20 No Pentecostal Church. 01:22 There were no Presbyterians, no Methodists, 01:24 no Seventh-day Adventists, 01:26 no Church of England (or Episcopal Church). 01:28 In fact, there was only one church. 01:32 Then, as now, it was led by a pope. 01:36 The popes 500 years ago were men like Leo X, 01:40 Adrian VI, Clement VII, 01:43 Paul III, Julius III, and Marcellus II. 01:48 And they weren't only leaders of the church, 01:51 but they were also immensely powerful political figures. 01:55 Or to put it another way, 01:57 500 years ago there was no religious freedom. 02:01 You could attend church, listen to the priest, 02:03 maybe hear the organ music, 02:05 but you couldn't believe what you wanted to believe. 02:08 And you definitely couldn't read a Bible. 02:11 You believed what the church told you to believe. 02:14 And if you dared to do otherwise, well, 02:17 life was difficult at best. 02:20 Now, down through the ages there were those who dissented, 02:23 but they existed in the shadows. 02:25 It was only a tiny minority that dared to stand up against 02:29 the might of the church. 02:31 ♪[Music]♪ 02:36 Five hundred years ago it was tough 02:38 if you didn't agree with the church. 02:41 If you wanted to believe what you believed, 02:43 you either had to be very secretive about it, 02:46 or run the risk of being uncovered, 02:48 persecuted, 02:50 and more than likely killed. 02:53 If you value religious freedom today, 02:55 the freedom to belong to the church you want 02:58 and to believe what you believe, 03:00 or even the freedom to belong to no church 03:02 and believe there is no God, 03:05 then consider that a few centuries ago 03:08 that freedom didn't exist. 03:13 But all that would change. 03:15 In 1517, on October the 31st, 03:19 a priest in a small town in Germany 03:22 changed western civilization, 03:25 and risked his life by defying the power of the ruling church. 03:31 His contribution to history was so immense that 03:34 Time Magazine ranked him fourth on the list of the Greatest Men 03:37 of the Millennium. 03:40 Looking at those ranked above him, 03:41 it's easy to think he should have been ranked number one. 03:47 Five hundred years ago, 03:48 the Protestant Reformation began when a young priest 03:52 turned academic by the name of Dr. Martin Luther 03:56 nailed a list of protests to the door of this church 04:00 in Wittenberg, Germany. 04:01 When he did so, he didn't realize 04:03 he was about to set history on fire. 04:06 He had no intention of starting a new church. 04:09 All Martin Luther wanted to see was his church 04:11 come closer to the Bible. 04:14 He was calling for reform. 04:18 Bound up in the genesis of the Protestant Reformation, 04:21 several very important questions. 04:23 To begin with, 04:25 how important is it that a person have that right 04:29 to determine for himself or herself what to believe? 04:34 Five hundred years ago, 04:35 you believed what the church told you to believe. 04:38 Beyond that, you didn't have much of anything. 04:41 How important is it that you choose for yourself 04:43 what you think and what you believe? 04:47 Second, when it comes to what you believe, 04:49 think about that question that Pilate asked Jesus 04:52 the night before Jesus was crucified. 04:54 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” 04:59 Today you'll hear that people have their truth. 05:01 I have my truth. 05:03 You have your truth. 05:05 What is truth? 05:06 And how do you decide? 05:08 Is truth subject to a vote? 05:11 Should there be a, a court of ideas? 05:14 How do you decide? 05:16 Is there a standard by which ideas or truths 05:21 can be objectively judged? 05:25 And what's truth worth? 05:27 What is the freedom to believe actually worth? 05:32 How far do you press this? 05:34 When is it worth being a troubler of the people? 05:38 And is there ever a time that the freedom to believe your own 05:43 ideas is something that's actually worth dying for? 05:48 ♪[Music]♪ 05:52 Now, when you think of a person's 05:54 deeply held personal beliefs, 05:57 you could dismiss that as just ideas, theories. 06:02 But what we know is that a person's 06:04 deeply held personal beliefs provide the framework 06:08 for that person's entire life, 06:09 and they certainly form that person's faith. 06:14 In looking at the Protestant Reformation, 06:16 it's important that you go back and consider 06:18 the foundation of Christianity altogether. 06:22 Reform today typically means new ideas, 06:26 whether you're dealing with political, cultural, 06:28 social, or religious reform. 06:29 It's about finding something new, whatever's next. 06:33 But not the way God sees it. 06:36 As God looks at reform, typically He calls us back. 06:39 He calls us back to old ideas, 06:43 to things that he has established already. 06:47 Speaking for God, the prophet Jeremiah said this: 06:49 “Thus says the Lord, Stand in the ways and see, 06:54 and ask for the old paths, 06:56 where the good way is, and walk in it; 06:59 then you shall find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). 07:05 The Bible, both the Old and the New Testaments, 07:08 form the basis of the early Christian church. 07:11 The Apostle Paul, writing to young Timothy said that 07:14 “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 07:17 and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, 07:21 and for instruction in righteousness.” 07:23 That's Second Timothy 3 and verse 16. 07:25 The consuming passion of the early Christians, 07:29 the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus 07:32 for the salvation of humanity, 07:34 was said by Paul to rest upon the Scriptures: 07:38 “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 07:42 that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 07:46 And that He was buried, 07:47 and that He rose again the third day 07:50 according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3 and 4). 07:55 The New Testament teaching of justification by faith, 07:58 a central focus of the Protestant Reformation, 08:01 is also said by Paul to rest upon Scripture. 08:05 Listen to what he said in Romans, chapter 1, verses 16-17: 08:10 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, 08:13 for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone 08:18 who believes, 08:19 for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 08:23 For in it the righteousness of God 08:26 is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 08:30 ‘The just shall live by faith'” (Romans 1:16 and 17). 08:36 What was clear to the founders of the Christian religion 08:39 is that the message they shared was the Word of the eternal God. 08:44 “When you received the word of God which you heard from us, 08:47 you welcomed it not as the word of men, 08:50 but as it is in truth, the word of God, 08:54 which also effectively works in you who believe” 08:58 (1 Thessalonians 2:13). 09:00 When certain individuals got it in their heads 09:02 that the church had to be reformed, 09:05 and when they chose to put their lives on the line 09:07 to see that it happened, 09:09 things were going to get exciting. 09:13 I'll be back with more in just a moment. 09:15 ♪[Music]♪ 09:23 [Sound of wolves] 09:27 ♪[Music]♪ 09:35 [Camera equipment rattling] 09:38 [Rustling in grass] 09:41 [People talking] 09:43 [Wind Gusts] 09:48 ♪[Music]♪ 09:58 ♪[Music]♪ 10:07 [Cheering] 10:18 ♪[Music]♪ 10:32 >>John: This is It Is Written, I'm John Bradshaw. 10:35 Thanks for joining me for "500." 10:38 Now, think of some of the great reform movements of history. 10:42 The Civil Rights movement in the United States. 10:44 Lunch counter sit-ins. 10:46 Bus boycotts. 10:47 Protest marches. 10:49 Where would the United States be today 10:51 without those heroes who stood up boldly and demanded reform? 10:56 Many lost their lives. 10:59 Was it worth it? 11:01 The fall of European communism in the early 1990s. 11:05 Starting with Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Movement, 11:09 and desperate East Germans 11:11 who wanted to see the Berlin Wall come down, 11:14 and Czechs who protested in Wenceslas Square. 11:19 Was that worth it? 11:20 The Boston Tea Party in 1773. 11:23 Of course the list goes on. 11:26 Sometimes protest is absolutely essential. 11:30 A protest about taxation without representation? 11:33 Yeah, that's important. 11:35 Your country is occupied? 11:37 Well, that's important too. 11:38 You don't like your system of government; 11:40 you feel like you're being oppressed. 11:43 Well, most of us can only imagine. 11:45 But the Protestant Reformation was 11:47 on an altogether different level. 11:49 ♪[Music]♪ 11:55 Christianity began with people such as Peter and James 11:58 and John and Paul and Silas and Timothy, 12:02 carrying forward the message of the gospel. 12:04 But after a few centuries, 12:06 that message began to get clouded. 12:09 When the Roman Empire officially accepted Christianity 12:12 and called off its persecution of the church, 12:15 faith in Jesus became popular. 12:17 Unfortunately, it also became corrupt. 12:21 Jesus had warned His disciples, 12:23 saying to them in Luke 6 and verse 26, 12:25 “Woe unto you when all men speak well of you.” 12:30 Instead of the Bible deciding what Christians should believe, 12:33 church councils and bishops, 12:35 even Roman emperors like Constantine, 12:38 began making these decisions. 12:39 Now, of course, not all of those decisions were bad. 12:43 But more and more these human judgments 12:45 began subverting the authority of the Bible. 12:49 Church tradition began to hold veto power over Scripture. 12:53 Jesus's words regarding the Pharisees of His day 12:56 began to hold more and more relevance. 12:59 “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines 13:03 the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). 13:06 In the centuries that followed the so-called 13:09 conversion of Constantine, 13:11 this reliance on human ideas and human traditions 13:14 became more and more pronounced. 13:16 Those who wanted to follow the Bible 13:18 were forced to go underground. 13:20 ♪[Music]♪ 13:24 The Vatican became more and more powerful, 13:26 effectively governing the lives and the souls 13:29 and the political institutions of Europe. 13:33 No pope was more powerful than Pope Innocent III, 13:36 who reigned from 1198 to 1216, 13:40 a period that's been referred to as the 13:42 “high noon” of the papacy. 13:44 A leading Protestant historian, J.A. Wylie, wrote that 13:47 “the noon of the papacy was the midnight of the world.” 13:52 Innocent III was able to compel the monarchs of Europe 13:56 to do his will. 13:58 At times he deposed those who would not. 14:00 ♪[Music]♪ 14:04 One weapon that the church had in its arsenal 14:07 was something known as interdict. 14:10 A territory that was censured with an interdict 14:12 was made to believe that the priests 14:14 would not hear confession, 14:16 prayers would not be offered for the dead, 14:18 and the sacraments of the church would not be dispensed. 14:22 Now, for anybody who actually believed that the pope 14:24 held the keys to God's kingdom, this was absolutely terrifying. 14:29 They were effectively shut out from the grace of God. 14:33 Now this mindset that had existed for hundreds of years 14:37 and which greeted the Protestant reformers 14:39 at the beginning of the sixteenth century 14:41 ♪[Music]♪ 14:42 John Wycliffe, the English scholar 14:44 who translated the Latin Bible into English in the 1300s, 14:48 is often called the “morning star of the Reformation.” 14:52 Wycliffe spoke against what he saw as the inaccuracies 14:56 of the state church. 14:58 Church leaders in Rome summoned him to stand trial, 15:01 intending to end his life. 15:04 He got sick and died before he could be tried, 15:06 but Wycliffe's work was done. 15:09 But such was the animosity of the church towards him 15:12 that his body was exhumed, and it was burned, 15:16 and his ashes were dumped in a river. 15:22 Wycliffe's teachings were carried forward 15:24 by a Bohemian priest named John Huss. 15:28 The church summoned Huss to a council in Constance, Germany, 15:31 and promised him protection. 15:33 Huss arrived in Constance and was arrested, 15:36 thrown into a horrible prison, sentenced to death, 15:40 and was then burned at the stake. 15:43 But as one historian wrote, 15:45 “The blood of the martyrs was seed.” 15:48 The persecution the Reformers suffered 15:51 only seemed to further their cause. 15:54 And the need for reform seemed obvious. 15:57 The luxury and the depravity indulged in by church leaders 16:01 was breathtaking. 16:02 It's no secret that there were popes 16:04 who fathered illegitimate children. 16:06 Church offices were bought and sold, 16:09 and the luxurious lifestyle of church leaders 16:11 was out of sync with the self-denial of Jesus. 16:15 Speaking of the corruption of that time, 16:16 one historian wrote that 16:18 “the advance of the Turks 16:20 since the fall of Constantinople in 1453 16:23 was generally considered to have been allowed by God 16:27 in punishment for the sins of the Church.” 16:31 The Christian church was certainly ready for a change. 16:35 But how would that change come about? 16:37 We'll find out in just a moment. 16:39 ♪[Music]♪ 16:47 >>Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, 16:50 "It is written, 16:51 'Man shall not live by bead alone, 16:53 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 16:57 "Every Word" is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional 17:00 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw, 17:02 and designed especially for busy people like you. 17:05 Look for "Every Word" on selected networks, 17:08 or watch it online every day on our website, 17:10 ItIsWritten.com. 17:12 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 17:14 Watch “Every Word.” 17:16 You'll be glad you did. 17:17 Here's a sample. 17:20 ♪[Music]♪ 17:25 >>John: After he was arrested, 17:26 a New York man confessed to six burglaries, 17:29 in the borough of Queens. 17:30 He broke into churches and stole from them. 17:32 He said he did it because “I'm mad at God. 17:35 I don't like church anymore. I break in to get back at God.” 17:39 Get back at God? 17:40 After all God has done for you; 17:42 brought you into existence, 17:43 sustained you, 17:44 gave you opportunity, 17:45 and promised you everlasting life, 17:48 in a world where there's no sin, 17:49 disappointment, or broken dreams. 17:51 You can't get back at God. 17:53 If you want to get back at anyone that'll be the devil who 17:55 is responsible for every ounce of misery that has ever existed. 18:00 Jesus said in John 5 verse 40: 18:02 “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” 18:06 If you want to right wrongs, come to faith in Christ. 18:09 Staying away from God only plays into the devil's hands. 18:14 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 18:15 Let's live today by every word. 18:17 ♪[Music]♪ 18:20 ♪[Music]♪ 18:23 One hundred years after the death of Huss, 18:26 a young German priest by the name of Martin Luther 18:30 found himself in the city of Rome, 18:33 seeking to earn God's favor 18:35 by climbing on his knees up Pilate's Staircase. 18:40 The church claimed that Jesus Himself 18:41 had walked on that staircase, 18:43 and that it had been miraculously 18:45 transported from Jerusalem to Rome. 18:48 While performing this act, Luther seemed to hear a voice 18:52 as loud as thunder, 18:54 declaring in his ear the gospel truth articulated by 18:57 both testaments of the sacred Word: 19:00 “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17; 19:04 Habakkuk 2, verse 4). 19:07 So why was Luther walking up a staircase on his knees? 19:11 Because Luther believed that climbing those steps 19:15 would earn favor with God. 19:19 And why did Luther believe that? 19:20 Because that's what the church taught. 19:23 ♪[Music]♪ 19:24 [Birds chirping] 19:27 The church taught that you could reduce your punishment for sin, 19:31 that you could lessen the “temporal effects of sin” 19:35 by doing things such as attending a certain church 19:38 on a certain day, 19:39 honoring the “blessed sacrament,” 19:41 praying the rosary, 19:43 or climbing the Scala Sancta, 19:45 Pilate's Staircase, on your knees. 19:48 In fact, the church still believes this. 19:52 Here's what the church says about indulgences. 19:55 "An indulgence is a remission before God 19:59 of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt 20:03 has already been forgiven, 20:05 which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains 20:09 under certain prescribed conditions 20:12 through the action of the Church which, 20:14 as the minister of redemption, 20:17 dispenses and applies with authority 20:20 the treasury of the satisfactions 20:22 of Christ and the saints.” 20:25 So you can understand why Luther felt he had to do something. 20:28 The church was teaching salvation by works. 20:32 In fact, indulgences were sold for money. 20:36 Money was raised for the building of St Peter's Basilica 20:39 through the selling of indulgences. 20:41 This was Luther's reality. 20:44 Of course he had to protest. 20:46 ♪[Music]♪ 20:49 That moment at Pilate's Staircase proved to be 20:51 the turning point in Martin Luther's experience. 20:54 With that voice still ringing in his heart, 20:57 he sprang to his feet and fled from the place 21:01 in shame and horror. 21:02 ♪[Music]♪ 21:03 Luther's zeal would spark a fire 21:05 that spread throughout Europe and beyond. 21:08 From John Calvin's Geneva to William Tyndale's England, 21:12 from France to Scandinavia and the Netherlands, 21:15 and then to Plymouth Rock on an unknown 21:17 and distant shore, 21:19 the message of supreme biblical authority, 21:22 justification through faith in Christ, 21:24 and a conscience set free from civil 21:26 and ecclesiastical control, 21:28 would inspire millions of hearts and alter the course 21:32 of human events. 21:33 [Birds singing] 21:39 Luther and others would also teach 21:41 the principle of "Sola Scriptura," the Bible alone. 21:46 The Reformers believed that any teaching should be subjected 21:48 to the ultimate authority: God's Word. 21:52 Now, 500 years later, 21:54 in much of Christianity, 21:55 we simply take that for granted. 21:58 But five hundred years ago? 22:00 No way. 22:01 That's not the way the church was run. 22:04 Now, of course, the Reformers were human, 22:07 and human beings are faulty. 22:09 Martin Luther certainly had his faults. 22:12 But we must keep in mind that the Reformers 22:14 came to the Bible a lot like an archaeologist 22:18 comes to an artifact. 22:19 It was new to them. 22:21 They had to wrestle with the Bible 22:23 and work some things out. 22:24 They didn't have the benefit of hundreds of years 22:26 of scholarship having gone before them. 22:29 Now the truth is, 22:30 we inherit a lot of what we believe by the people 22:33 who've gone before us and done the heavy lifting. 22:36 Which is fine, as long as what we receive from 22:40 those who have gone before us is true. 22:43 In all cases, 22:44 it's important that we go to the Bible and find out. 22:47 ♪[Music]♪ 22:50 With the translation of the Bible by Luther 22:52 and Tyndale and others, 22:53 into German and English 22:55 and French and Polish and Czech, 22:58 and with the advent of the printing press, 23:00 the common people soon had access to God's Word. 23:04 And when the Bible was put in the hands of Bible students 23:07 hungry for Scripture, 23:09 the church and the world could never be the same again. 23:13 ♪[Music]♪ 23:17 The church of Rome wasn't about to quietly tolerate an attack 23:20 on what they genuinely believed was their God-given right 23:24 to direct the minds and hearts of men and women, 23:28 to compel them in faith in God, 23:30 and to correct them when they fell into error. 23:33 The Counter-Reformation would see Rome fight back, forcefully, 23:39 creatively, and not always obviously. 23:41 ♪[Music]♪ 23:43 So what does a church do when its authority is threatened, 23:46 along with its hold on the minds of the people 23:49 of the western world? 23:50 In Europe, there was a lot of bloodshed. 23:54 Protestants were burned at the stake. 23:57 Thousands died in the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre 23:59 in France in 1572. 24:01 And anything resembling toleration disappeared. 24:06 More than 200,000 fled France. 24:10 The first foreigners to reach what would become 24:13 the United States of America 24:14 were Protestants of English descent. 24:17 But even then there would be growing pains. 24:20 The Puritans of New England believed that religious freedom 24:24 applied to you only if you lived and believed 24:27 and worshipped as they did. 24:30 But then along came Roger Williams, 24:32 who introduced the concept of religious liberty for all. 24:37 And then the truth would go marching on. 24:40 Through men like Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich 24:43 and John Wesley and his brother Charles in England. 24:46 Through Philip Melanchthon and Thomas Cranmer 24:48 and Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley 24:50 and Theodore Beza and John Knox in Scotland 24:53 and Huss and Jerome 24:54 and William Farel and Roger Williams 24:57 and many others. 24:58 So when did the Reformation end? 25:01 Or has it ended? 25:03 Perhaps there's still a work to be done, 25:06 a work of reform, 25:07 a work of calling people to faithfulness to God 25:11 and to faith in the Word of God. 25:13 Throughout the rest of this series, 500, 25:16 you'll meet some of the great characters of the Reformation. 25:20 Your faith in God will grow, 25:22 and your personal experience with God 25:25 will be richly blessed. 25:26 ♪[Music]♪ 25:34 >>John: The book of Revelation makes clear that Babylon 25:37 will be a major player on the prophetic scene 25:39 down in the close of time. 25:41 How do we understand that? 25:43 Well, that's why I'd like you to have this book. 25:44 I wrote it. 25:45 “Babylon Rising.” 25:47 To receive it, call us at 800-253-3000. 25:52 Or visit us online at www.itiswritten.com. 25:57 Or you can write to the address on your screen. 26:00 I'd like you to receive our free offer, 26:02 “Babylon Rising.” 26:04 And thanks for remembering that It Is Written 26:06 exists because of the kind support 26:08 of people just like you. 26:10 Your donation makes it possible for It Is Written 26:12 to share life-changing biblical truth with the world. 26:17 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:19 to the address on your screen, 26:21 or you can support It Is Written through our website, 26:23 itiswritten.com. 26:25 Thanks for your generous support. 26:27 Our number is 800-253-3000, 26:31 and our web address is itiswritten.com. 26:35 >>John: Let's pray together now. 26:37 Our Father in heaven, 26:38 we thank You that You have preserved Your Word, 26:41 that we can possess the Bible not only in our hands, 26:46 but in our hearts. 26:47 And we thank You for Jesus, 26:49 the One the Bible calls the "Word made flesh." 26:54 As down through the ages You have guided Your truth, 26:57 guided Your Word and led Your people, 27:00 I pray that You would guide us now. 27:03 Friend, do you need to experience a reformation 27:07 in your heart? 27:09 Father, as we talk about the Reformation 27:10 from an historical perspective, 27:12 we recognize we must experience reformation in our lives. 27:15 So now we pray that You would take our hearts, 27:19 make them Yours. 27:20 Friend, now is an opportunity for you to yield to God. 27:23 Would you do that? 27:25 Our Father, we thank You, 27:26 as we continue to study in "500," 27:30 we pray for Your blessing, 27:32 and we pray in Jesus's name, 27:35 Amen. 27:38 Thanks so much for joining me. 27:39 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:41 Until then, remember: 27:43 "It is written, 27:45 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:47 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:51 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2020-05-20