Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW017151S
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00:09 ♪[Theme music]♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. 00:23 Thanks for joining me in Rome. 00:25 ♪[Music]♪ 00:27 Three million people call this city home. 00:31 It's one of the most visited cities in the world-- 00:35 and has some of the planet's 00:36 most recognizable tourist attractions. 00:41 Twenty million people visit Rome every year; 00:45 4 million alone visit the Colosseum-- 00:48 that's 11,000 a day. 00:50 [Traffic whirring] 00:53 Legend has it that Rome was founded in 753 BC, 00:57 which means people have been living here 00:59 almost 3,000 years-- most likely a lot longer. 01:04 Rome was home to the emperors-- 01:06 Constantine and Trajan and Nero and others. 01:10 The Olympic Games were held here in 1960. 01:13 Rome was bombed during World War II. 01:16 History oozes from the pores of the "Eternal City." 01:25 The Roman Empire, which ruled for around 600 years, 01:29 was governed from Rome. 01:31 As well as being the capital of Italy today, 01:33 Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire, 01:36 and for half a millennium was the largest city in the world. 01:40 The Roman Empire stretched all the way from Hadrian's Wall 01:44 in the north of England, 01:45 across Europe and north Africa to the Persian Gulf. 01:49 But visit Rome and there's no escaping an obvious fact: 01:53 The city is dominated by a certain entity, 01:55 which happens to be the largest Christian denomination 01:59 in the world. 02:00 St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City 02:03 is one of the largest church buildings in the world. 02:06 It's not a cathedral. 02:08 The cathedral of the pope of Rome, 02:09 who also happens to be the bishop of Rome, 02:12 is the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, 02:15 which is about three miles from here. 02:17 And the faithful come here from all over the world 02:20 to visit shrines and cathedrals and holy sites 02:23 that are important to their faith. 02:30 Rome claims that it is the one true church founded by Jesus, 02:35 and that the pope is St. Peter's successor. 02:40 But while the church of Rome has occupied the place 02:42 of greatest influence of any church in the world 02:45 for well over a thousand years, 02:48 there was a time when its influence and supremacy 02:51 was jeopardized. 02:58 When the Protestant Reformation challenged 03:00 the authority of the established church 500 years ago, 03:03 it took on what had become the most powerful institution 03:06 in western civilization. 03:10 So how did the church become so powerful? 03:14 Well, when the Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th century AD, 03:17 an enormous power vacuum was created in Europe. 03:21 By that time, Christianity had been established 03:23 as the state religion of the Roman Empire. 03:26 That had been so for more than 150 years. 03:30 There was only one power that could provide 03:33 any measure of stability. 03:36 One historian put it this way: 03:38 "With the breakup of the Roman bureaucracy, 03:41 the structure of daily life was threatened 03:43 with disintegration. 03:45 The only trace left of the Roman organism 03:48 was the Catholic Church, 03:50 and the only men with administrative experience 03:53 were the bishops." 03:55 Another historian wrote: 03:57 "The reins and skills of government were handed down 04:00 by a dying empire to a virile papacy; 04:04 the lost power of the broken sword 04:06 was rewon by the magic of the consoling word; 04:11 the armies of the state were replaced by the missionaries 04:14 of the Church moving in all directions 04:17 along the Roman roads, 04:19 and the revolted provinces, accepting Christianity, 04:22 again acknowledged the sovereignty of Rome." 04:33 The transition from ancient to medieval Christianity 04:36 began in earnest with the conversion 04:39 of the emperor Constantine, 04:41 which was almost certainly only a nominal conversion. 04:44 Constantine's Arch, built more than 1,700 years ago, 04:48 very near the Colosseum, 04:50 commemorates the victory that brought Constantine to power 04:53 in 312 AD. 04:58 Constantine claimed that he'd received a vision from God, 05:01 assuring him that he would triumph, 05:03 which led him to embrace Christianity, 05:06 which until that time had been a persecuted sect. 05:09 Christianity became the means through which Constantine 05:12 brought peace and unity to the empire. 05:16 But that peace and unity came at a high price. 05:21 As the church found acceptance with kings and emperors, 05:24 Christianity itself underwent a metamorphosis. 05:28 It began to resemble less and less the early Christian church 05:32 and was influenced more and more by paganism. 05:36 Keep in mind that the Roman emperors, including Constantine, 05:40 had been pagans. 05:41 As you might imagine, it would've been difficult, 05:44 at best, for Constantine's new-found faith 05:48 not to have been influenced by his pagan background. 05:51 Turned out to be impossible. 05:54 Centuries before, Jesus had said of the Pharisees, 05:57 "In vain they worship me, 06:00 teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." 06:02 Matthew 15:9. 06:04 Throughout western Christianity, 06:06 paganism and the faith of Jesus, along with church and state, 06:10 were blended together. 06:12 The Roman Empire was a pagan empire. 06:15 When it embraced Christianity, 06:17 it didn't rid itself of pagan influences. 06:21 Instead, it embraced them and absorbed them. 06:26 As a result, the church lost the power of the gospel. 06:31 The story is told that Pope Julius II 06:33 was once speaking with the scholar Erasmus here in Rome. 06:37 He referred to the church's great wealth 06:39 and then referenced Peter's statement in Acts chapter 3: 06:42 "Silver and gold have I none." 06:45 The pope turned to the scholar, and he said, 06:47 "Well, we cannot say that now, can we?" 06:50 And the scholar replied by saying, 06:51 "No, we cannot. 06:53 And neither can we say, 'Rise up and walk.'" 06:56 Back with more in just a moment. 06:58 ♪[Music]♪ 07:05 >>John: I'm John Bradshaw from It Is Written, 07:07 inviting you to join me for "500," 07:11 nine programs produced by It Is Written, 07:13 taking you deep into the Reformation. 07:16 This is the 500th anniversary of the beginning 07:19 of the Reformation, 07:21 when Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses 07:23 to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. 07:26 We'll take you to Wittenberg, 07:27 and to Belgium, to England, to Ireland, 07:31 to Rome, to the Vatican City, 07:33 and introduce you to the people who created the Reformation, 07:36 who pushed the Reformation forward. 07:38 We'll take you to sites all throughout Europe 07:40 where the reformers lived and, in some cases, died. 07:42 We'll bring you back to the United States 07:44 and take you to a little farm in upstate New York 07:47 and show you how God spread the Reformation here. 07:50 Don't miss "500." 07:52 You can own the "500" series on DVD. 07:55 Call us on 888-664-5573, 08:00 or visit us online at itiswritten.shop. 08:06 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 08:08 The New Testament church had very little wealth 08:11 and absolutely no political power. 08:15 But it did have what the Apostle Paul described as 08:17 "the power of God to salvation." 08:20 And the book of Acts says that that power 08:23 "turned the world upside down." 08:26 But when the church compromised with the world 08:28 in order to receive favor and protection, 08:31 that primitive power of the gospel was lost. 08:35 ♪[Music]♪ 08:41 But civil and ecclesiastical power soon fell into the hands 08:44 of the church as Europe searched for stability. 08:48 The emperor Justinian, 08:50 who had ruled what was once the eastern half 08:52 of the Roman Empire, 08:53 became the champion for Roman Christianity. 08:56 The emperor became the defender of the church 08:59 and set about to destroy, by military means, 09:03 the theological enemies of the church. 09:06 Tribes such as the Heruli, 09:08 the Ostrogoths, and the Vandals were subdued and conquered. 09:13 One historian reflected upon these conquests: 09:16 "The Church, with the shadow of the ancient authority behind it, 09:20 was the only symbol left of imperial Rome, 09:24 and its bishop, the Pope, 09:26 was the city's only recourse for leadership and protection. 09:29 The Roman Empire in Europe would be replaced 09:32 by the spiritual empire-- 09:34 which came to be temporal as well-- 09:37 whose reigning seigneur was the bishop of Rome." 09:42 There were some colorful characters 09:44 associated with the papacy in the Middle Ages. 09:47 Pope Gregory VII, who reigned in the 11th century, 09:51 forced the German emperor Henry IV 09:54 to wait outside in the snow for three days 09:59 before agreeing to see him and reconcile him to the church. 10:03 Now, you might not expect things to be done that way today, 10:05 but in the medieval church, that's how things were done. 10:09 ♪[Music]♪ 10:13 Pope Sixtus IV, 10:15 famous for building the Sistine Chapel in Rome, 10:18 which was named for him, reigned in the 15th century. 10:23 He was also deeply involved in the politics 10:26 of the Italian states, 10:28 and in 1476 he was involved in a conspiracy 10:32 to assassinate an Italian statesman and his brother, 10:36 whose family at the time were rulers in the city of Florence. 10:40 Other popes, such as Alexander VI and Julius II, 10:43 kept mistresses and fathered illegitimate sons, 10:47 and even maneuvered these illegitimate sons 10:49 into positions of influence. 10:55 ♪[Music]♪ 10:56 [Crowd murmuring] 10:59 [Water running] 11:04 Of course, they weren't all bad, 11:06 and you can't judge an entire organization 11:08 by a few rotten eggs. 11:11 But it was a system that dictated to countries, 11:13 manipulated states, 11:15 and believed that the line separating church and state 11:18 should simply disappear. 11:21 And it helps us to understand why the Reformation 11:23 should take place at all. 11:25 The system was simply broken. 11:28 In time, the papacy got to the place 11:30 where tradition had authority over Scripture. 11:34 Pope Innocent III, who ruled between 1198 and 1216 11:38 and was the most powerful of all of the medieval popes, 11:41 had this to say about his spiritual role: 11:44 "The successor of Peter is the Vicar of Christ; 11:48 he has been established as a mediator between God and man, 11:52 below God but beyond man, 11:54 less than God but more than man, 11:57 who shall judge all and be judged by no one." 12:02 And the church had tools at its disposal 12:04 to strike fear into the heart of people-- 12:07 a people who were largely ignorant and, 12:09 when it came to the Scriptures, completely illiterate. 12:13 The sentence of interdict, a sort of censure 12:16 that the church would place upon dissenters, 12:18 meant that sins couldn't be forgiven; 12:21 the sacraments couldn't be dispensed; 12:22 prayers for the dead couldn't be heard. 12:25 Essentially, heaven was cut off 12:28 for people who were living in the affected area. 12:30 And when you consider that the church is the doorway to heaven, 12:34 well, when the church goes ahead and shuts that door, 12:37 you can imagine. 12:38 During the reign of Innocent III, 12:40 the nation of France was placed under interdict 12:43 as the pope tried to persuade the king 12:46 to take back his estranged wife. 12:48 During the 1400s, the city of Prague, 12:51 in what was then Bohemia and is now the Czech Republic, 12:54 suffered a similar fate during the ministry of John Huss. 12:58 ♪[Music]♪ 13:02 [Wind blowing] 13:04 And it got much worse than interdict. 13:06 Anyone living in the world dominated by the church 13:09 in the Middle Ages had to deal with some grim realities. 13:14 Under the influence of Saint Augustine, 13:16 the church accepted the theory that humanity's willpower 13:19 was so depraved that the use of force against heretics 13:24 and sinners was sometimes necessary. 13:28 As a result, the medieval church resorted 13:30 to some of the most brutal tactics ever seen in history, 13:34 as a means of controlling the consciences of God's people. 13:37 Christians during these centuries 13:39 were burned at the stake, 13:40 tortured on the rack, 13:42 and a whole lot more-- all in the name of God. 13:47 ♪[Music]♪ 13:54 One historian wrote, 13:55 "Compared with the persecution of heresy in Europe 13:58 from 1227 to 1492, 14:02 the persecution of Christians by Romans 14:04 in the first three centuries after Christ 14:07 was a mild and humane procedure. 14:10 Making every allowance required of an historian 14:13 and permitted to a Christian, 14:15 we must rank the Inquisition, 14:17 along with the wars and persecutions of our time, 14:20 as among the darkest blots on the record of mankind, 14:24 revealing a ferocity unknown in any beast." 14:28 ♪[Music]♪ 14:29 So you can understand why Wycliffe spoke out in England, 14:33 and why John Huss protested in what we know today to be 14:35 the Czech Republic, 14:37 why Calvin rose up in Geneva 14:39 and Knox in Scotland 14:41 and Zwingli in Zurich. 14:42 The church was broken, abusing its power, 14:46 choking off the Scriptures from the people, 14:49 and teaching falsehood in the place of truth. 14:54 Of course, church leaders today don't speak 14:56 in quite the same tone as Pope Innocent III did, 14:59 all those years ago. 15:00 But Rome still takes a hard line on how its teachings 15:04 are to be evaluated, 15:05 maintaining it holds a unique place among Christian faiths. 15:09 In 1997, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 15:12 who went on to become Pope Benedict XVI, 15:15 said that the use of Scripture to evaluate church teaching 15:19 "was one of the most dangerous currents 15:21 to flow out of the Vatican II Council." 15:25 So what do you do when you're a church leader, 15:28 and you discover that there are inconsistencies 15:30 between what the Bible teaches and what you hold to be true 15:34 as an organization? 15:36 Problem or not? 15:38 We'll find out in just a moment. 15:40 ♪[Music]♪ 15:48 >>Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, 15:51 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 15:54 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 15:58 "Every Word" is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional 16:01 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw 16:03 and designed especially for busy people like you. 16:06 Look for "Every Word" on selected networks 16:09 or watch it online every day on our website, 16:11 itiswritten.com. 16:13 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 16:16 Watch "Every Word." 16:17 You'll be glad you did. 16:19 Here's a sample. 16:22 ♪["Every Word" theme music]♪ 16:27 >>John Bradshaw: Five hundred years 16:28 after the Protestant Reformation began 16:30 on October the 31st, 1517, 16:33 we might be tempted to wonder what Luther and Knox 16:35 and Zwingli and Calvin 16:36 and Farel and Beza and the Huguenots 16:37 and the Anabaptists and so many others achieved. 16:41 Today it would seem that the protest is over. 16:44 Even though the most influential church in the world 16:46 offers indulgences, 16:47 hears confessions, 16:48 teaches justification by faith and works, 16:51 considers Mary the queen of heaven, 16:53 where are the Protestants today? 16:55 Protestants are being welcomed back into the church of Rome, 16:57 and many see this as positive. 16:59 It's been said, 17:00 "It's more important to be divided by truth 17:03 than it is to be united by error." 17:05 Paul said in 2 Timothy 4, verse 2, 17:08 "Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; 17:11 reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." 17:14 The Word. 17:16 Anything less will never do. 17:18 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 17:19 Let's live today by every word. 17:22 ♪[Music]♪ 17:25 >>John Bradshaw: By the time of the Reformation, 17:26 the church of Rome had become, by far, 17:29 not only the most powerful church on the planet, 17:32 but also the most powerful political entity. 17:35 And that happened as Rome filled a vacuum 17:37 left by the failed Roman Empire. 17:40 It was basically thrust into that role. 17:42 That could have been a wonderful opportunity 17:44 for church leaders to elevate the gospel and the message 17:48 of Christ's righteousness and grace and mercy. 17:53 But tradition started coming into the church 17:55 a lot like a rising tide creeping up a beach. 17:58 One of the unique teachings that the reformers were up against 18:02 was that of the magisterium, 18:03 the teaching office of the church, 18:05 the church's ability to decide what's true and what is not. 18:10 It's said that Jesus Christ 18:13 is the source of all of the church's teachings, 18:15 but that those teachings rest upon Scripture 18:18 and "sacred tradition." 18:21 In other words, 18:22 our traditions provide us with an unerring source of truth, 18:25 and we know that to be true because we say it is true, 18:30 and we can say it's true because God has given us 18:33 the authority to do that, 18:34 and we know He's given us that authority because we say so. 18:40 ♪[Music]♪ 18:49 The teachings of the magisterium are said to be 18:51 "the prime God-given means of finding the truth." 18:55 But appealing to the Bible as your authority 18:59 only gets you someplace if people accept 19:02 that the Bible is authoritative. 19:04 Now, do the teachings of the church 19:06 ever contradict the teachings of the Bible? 19:08 Yes, at times they do. 19:10 But that's okay, because the church says it's okay. 19:16 Even Pope John Paul II admitted that he was contradicting 19:19 the teachings of Jesus: 19:22 "Have no fear when people call me the Vicar of Christ, 19:25 when they say to me 'Holy Father' 19:28 or 'Your Holiness,' 19:29 or use terms similar to these, 19:31 which seem even inimical to the gospel. 19:35 Christ Himself declared, 19:37 'Call no one on earth your father; 19:39 you have but one father in heaven. 19:41 Do not be called Master; 19:43 you have but one Master, the Messiah' (Matthew 23:9-10). 19:48 These expressions, nevertheless, 19:50 have evolved out of a long tradition, 19:52 becoming part of common usage. 19:55 One must not be afraid of these words either." 19:59 Modern popes have also made it clear that people must confess 20:03 their sins to a priest to receive God's forgiveness. 20:09 "Rebuffing a belief widely shared by Protestants 20:12 and a growing number of Roman Catholics, 20:13 Pope John Paul II on Tuesday dismissed 20:17 the 'widespread idea that one can obtain forgiveness 20:21 directly from God,' 20:22 and exhorted Catholics to confess more often 20:25 to their priests." 20:27 The Apostle John wrote, 20:29 "If we confess our sins, 20:31 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 20:35 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 20:40 And the reformers knew that 20:42 and were determined that people could find forgiveness in Christ 20:46 rather than through a church and its sacraments. 20:50 One of the practices that spurred Martin Luther 20:52 to write his Ninety-Five Theses was the selling of indulgences. 20:57 But even though the selling of indulgences 20:58 virtually kick-started the Reformation, 21:01 things haven't changed. 21:03 "Pope John Paul II announced yesterday 21:05 that throughout the millennium celebration, 21:08 penitents who do a charitable deed or give up cigarettes 21:11 or alcohol for a day can earn an 'indulgence' 21:15 that will eliminate time in purgatory." 21:18 This was reported in the New York Times: 21:21 "In recent months dioceses around the world 21:24 have been offering Catholics a spiritual benefit 21:26 that fell out of favor decades ago, the indulgence. 21:30 A sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife 21:34 and reminding them of the church's clout 21:36 in mitigating the wages of sin. 21:39 The fact that many Catholics under 50 have never sought one, 21:42 and never heard of indulgences 21:44 except in high school European history 21:46 (Martin Luther denounced the selling of them in 1517 21:50 while igniting the Protestant Reformation), 21:53 simply makes their reintroduction more urgent 21:56 among church leaders bent on restoring fading traditions 21:59 of penance in what they see as a self-satisfied world." 22:06 So the issues that were raised by the Protestant reformers 22:09 still exist today, 22:11 emphasized by a headline that appeared on the front page 22:14 of the Los Angeles Times back in the year 2000: 22:18 "Vatican Declares Catholicism Sole Path to Salvation." 22:24 The Secretary of the World Council of Churches at the time 22:27 said this in response: 22:29 "It's realistic to acknowledge that this is the official 22:31 Catholic position and we cannot simply wish it away." 22:35 Men like John Huss and his colleague Jerome in Bohemia, 22:39 Louis de Berquin in France, 22:41 William Tyndale of England, 22:43 Ridley, Latimer, and Cranmer in England, 22:45 Patrick Hamilton and George Wishart in Scotland, 22:48 and millions of others during those dark, 22:50 blood-stained centuries, gave their lives, 22:53 in the words of the Apostle John, 22:55 "for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." 22:59 Revelation 1:2. 23:01 There's a remarkable story told about a Dutch Anabaptist 23:04 named Dirk Willems, 23:06 who was condemned to die by the church 23:09 for refusing to adhere to the church's teachings, 23:11 specifically on infant baptism. 23:14 But Willems managed to escape from where he was being held, 23:18 and he crept across the frozen ice covering a moat. 23:21 A prison guard noticed what was going on and pursued Willems, 23:25 but he fell through that thin ice into the frigid waters. 23:29 He cried out for help. 23:30 There was nobody to help him, 23:32 except for the escaping Dirk Willems, 23:35 who did not want to see the man perish. 23:38 He went back and rescued the man, 23:39 but he paid a high price for his bravery. 23:44 He was recaptured, 23:46 put in prison again, 23:48 and was burned at the stake by the church. 23:51 See, these great men and women of faith 23:54 believed the words of Jesus found in Revelation 2, verse 10, 23:57 where Jesus said, 23:58 "Be faithful unto death, 24:00 and I will give you the crown of life." 24:06 This was the world into which 24:08 the Protestant reformers were born. 24:12 They rose up to oppose something God had never intended 24:15 would be created: 24:16 a system of salvation based on works and not grace, 24:21 where the only freedom believers had 24:23 was that given them by the church. 24:25 A powerful system that, 24:28 believing it was doing the work of God, 24:30 was prepared to use force to get its way. 24:36 But the dark clouds that held back the light of truth, 24:39 the unholy alliance of church and state, 24:43 couldn't endure forever. 24:46 The corruption and cruelty of the Renaissance church 24:49 was like the hour before the dawn. 24:52 The morning sun would soon drive away the darkness. 24:58 Grace and truth would break forth. 25:00 ♪[Music]♪ 25:04 In Old Testament times, 25:06 God's people suffered for many years 25:08 under the heavy hand of Egyptian slavery. 25:11 But then there was a miraculous breakthrough, 25:14 and God delivered His people, 25:15 opening up the Red Sea 25:17 and guiding them to the Promised Land. 25:21 Well, there would be a miraculous breakthrough again. 25:24 The light of God's Word was going to shine. 25:26 God's plans would not be frustrated. 25:29 A new day would dawn for believers everywhere. 25:32 God's work was not done. 25:35 Great days were ahead. 25:36 ♪[Music]♪ 25:43 >>John: Who is the mystery beast of Revelation? 25:46 The book of Revelation speaks of a power 25:48 of tremendous religious and political significance 25:50 that will rise up in earth's last days. 25:53 Find out who it is by receiving this free offer, 25:56 "The Mystery Beast of Revelation." 25:59 Call us on 800-253-3000, 26:02 or visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:06 Or you can write to the address on your screen. 26:08 I'd like you to receive our free offer, 26:11 "The Mystery Beast of Revelation." 26:13 Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 26:15 exists due to the gracious support of people like you. 26:19 It's your support that makes it possible for It Is Written 26:22 to share Jesus and the great truths of the Bible 26:25 with the world. 26:26 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:28 to the address on your screen, 26:30 or you can support It Is Written through our website: 26:32 itiswritten.com. 26:35 Thanks for your generous support. 26:37 Our number is 800-253-3000, 26:40 and our web address is 26:41 itiswritten.com. 26:44 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together now. 26:46 Our Father in heaven, 26:48 we thank You that in Your goodness 26:49 You have preserved Your Word for us. 26:52 We thank You for Jesus, "the Word made flesh." 26:55 We wish that He would live in our hearts, 26:57 and we pray You would make that so. 27:00 And we pray that our lives would be based on Your Word. 27:04 We thank You that there were men and women of old 27:07 who dared to stand up for Your Word. 27:08 They, in many cases, 27:10 paid the ultimate price so we could have delivered to us 27:14 the freedom that comes through knowing You personally, 27:19 through Your Word. 27:21 So bless us, Lord, I pray, that any reform 27:23 that must take place in our own lives would happen 27:26 so that we can be, by Your grace, 27:28 everything that You wish we would be. 27:32 We thank You and ask Your blessing, 27:33 and we pray together in Jesus' name. 27:35 Amen. 27:37 Thanks so much for joining me. 27:38 I'm looking forward to seeing you again. 27:40 Until then, remember: 27:42 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:46 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:50 ♪[Theme music]♪ 28:00 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2020-05-20