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Series Code: LIN
Program Code: LIN000006A
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00:23 Here in Geneva,
00:24 the Reformers Wall commemorates the role 00:27 that this city played 00:29 in the Protestant Reformation. 00:31 The city became a refuge 00:33 for many of the hunted reformers 00:35 of Western Europe. 00:37 John Knox from Scotland spent several years here 00:40 and the Protestants of Holland and Spain 00:43 and the Huguenots from France 00:45 all sought refuge here in the city, 00:47 but then carried the gospel from here elsewhere. 00:51 Indeed, this city 00:53 has often been referred to as The Protestant Rome. 01:07 The city publicly accepted the Reformed faith 01:11 on the 21st of May 1536 01:15 and whilst Farel was a key player 01:18 in the Reformation here, 01:19 it was Calvin that would make this city famous. 01:23 Some have referred to Calvin as the International Reformer, 01:27 such was his influence 01:29 beyond the boundaries of the city limits. 01:36 The central idea that Calvin developed 01:39 was that a consistent and coherent theological system 01:43 could be derived and defended on the basis of the Bible. 01:47 Calvin's greatest legacy was arguably not any doctrine 01:52 but rather a demonstration 01:54 of how the Bible could serve as a foundation 01:57 of a stable understanding of Christian belief 02:01 and structures. 02:09 Another key thing that Calvin did for the city 02:12 was founding the University of Geneva 02:15 in 1559. 02:18 Calvin had a huge sway of influence 02:21 over the notable men and women of that time in the 1600s. 02:26 His influence spread to England, Scotland, 02:29 France, Germany, it was far-reaching. 02:33 In fact, from this city, 02:35 over 1,700 preachers were sent out to France alone, 02:41 1,785 congregations were formed 02:46 in the country of France, 02:47 and the preachers that were trained here 02:49 had to secretly make their way over to France. 02:53 They used an underground network system 02:56 similar to the one used by the French 02:58 during the Resistance in World War II. 03:01 They would sneak across the border, 03:03 and they would make their way from house to house 03:05 until they reached their place of work 03:07 in the country of France. 03:15 One of the greatest things to happen here in Geneva 03:17 was the publishing of the Geneva Bible, 03:20 the first English version that had numbered verses in it. 03:24 The theme of the Reformation here in Geneva 03:27 was Post Tenebras Lux, 03:30 meaning After Darkness Light 03:34 and truly a lesson we can learn from the Reformation here 03:38 was that when God's Word is studied, when it is read, 03:42 it takes the darkness of our minds away 03:44 and brings light. 03:46 May we study God's Word, 03:48 may we spend time in God's Word, 03:50 that the darkness of our mind 03:52 may be removed by the light of God's Word. 04:54 The Reformation of the 16th century 04:56 was not limited to the powerhouses 04:58 of Switzerland, Germany, 05:00 France, England, and Scotland 05:03 but also in the Nordic countries 05:05 of Scandinavia 05:06 something special would take place. 05:08 Whilst the fires of martyrs were burning all across England 05:12 during the reign of bloody Queen Mary. 05:14 And the Protestants in France were persecuted 05:17 on numerous occasions. 05:18 In Sweden and Denmark, 05:20 the Reformation would unfold much more peacefully 05:24 and one could argue 05:25 they had a greater proportional impact 05:27 in each respective country. 05:29 The story of the Scandinavian Reformation 05:32 is inextricably linked to Martin Luther 05:35 and the Protestant bastion of Wittenberg. 05:44 In the country of Denmark, 05:46 one of the principal figures in the Reformation 05:48 was a man named Hans Tausen. 05:51 Like many others, 05:52 he had grown up in a Catholic family 05:54 and spent some of his early years 05:55 in a cloister. 05:57 He completed much of his education 05:59 in Denmark 06:00 where he was noted for his understanding 06:02 of Latin and Hebrew, 06:04 but he would also go on to study in Cologne. 06:06 Whilst there, 06:08 he came across some of Luther's writings 06:10 and in 1523, 06:12 he went to Germany where he met Martin Luther 06:15 and became acquainted with the new ideas 06:17 that were being espoused. 06:18 He would spend 18 months studying there with Luther, 06:22 after which he would return to Denmark 06:25 where initially he kept it a secret 06:27 that he had been in Wittenberg. 06:37 However, the good news of the gospel 06:39 could not be hidden forever, 06:40 and it was only a matter of time 06:42 before his teachings were noted to be different 06:45 from that of others. 06:47 He was soon expelled from the cloister, 06:49 but this was perhaps the biggest mistake 06:51 that his opponents could make. 06:53 Now they had no control over him, 06:56 and he was able to travel and preach 06:58 throughout the whole country, causing a great revival. 07:01 He also translated the Pentateuch into Danish 07:05 and this was circulated widely. 07:11 Tausen lived faithfully here in Denmark 07:14 for the rest of his life 07:16 and his influence was key in this whole country 07:19 accepting the Reformed faith. 07:21 This church here in Copenhagen was built and named after him 07:26 in memory of the great influence he had 07:29 on the spiritual history of this nation. 07:39 Around the same time as Tausen 07:41 was causing a revival in Denmark, 07:44 the Petri brothers were having a similar impact 07:46 here in Sweden. 07:48 The work in these two countries shows 07:51 that the disciples were just as powerful 07:54 and scholarly as the giants under which they studied. 08:04 Olof and Laurentius Petri, 08:06 the sons of a blacksmith in Orebro, 08:08 both studied at the University of Wittenberg 08:11 where they were influenced by Luther and Melanchthon. 08:14 Olof completed his Master's in 1519 08:17 and they both returned back to their homeland of Sweden. 08:21 They helped to translate the Bible into Swedish 08:24 and through their hard work, at the Diet of Vasteras, 08:27 Sweden was declared Lutheran, the first country to do so. 08:39 Olof Petri was buried here in this church 08:42 which later became the National Cathedral, 08:45 supplanting the Uppsala Cathedral, 08:47 a testament to the great work that he and his brother did. 08:58 While it might have been easier for the Petri brothers 09:01 or Tausen to live, study, 09:04 and work in a place like Wittenberg or Geneva, 09:07 God had a better thing in store for them. 09:10 Their destiny was to return to their homeland 09:13 and preach the gospel there. 09:15 They knew the language, the culture, 09:17 and the customs, 09:18 and they were able to do a work there 09:20 that others from elsewhere would not have been able to do. 09:24 Whatever work you do, 09:25 may you start with that which lies nearest. 09:28 Whether it be your home church which might be small, humble, 09:32 and not so lively, 09:33 or maybe it's your home country. 09:35 Not everyone is called to go to a faraway 09:38 and distant land, 09:39 but we can all start working for God 09:41 right where we are. 09:43 May you follow God's call 09:45 as these men did in years gone by. 10:48 The 16th century was populated by some of the greatest minds 10:51 in religious history 10:53 Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Knox, 10:55 Latimer, Ridley, Cranmer, 10:58 and sitting comfortably 10:59 amongst this group of luminaries 11:01 was William Tyndale, translator of the English Bible. 11:05 Tyndale was born in Gloucestershire in 1494 11:08 in a small village called North Nibley, 11:11 marked today by this monument overlooking the village. 11:23 He was educated at Oxford and completed his BA in 1512 11:27 and his MA in 1515 11:29 before coming here to Cambridge University 11:32 where he met Dutch scholar Erasmus, 11:35 who was teaching Greek. 11:36 Tyndale wanted to translate the Bible into English, 11:39 but no one in England was willing to undertake 11:42 such a daring task. 11:49 Since 1408, the Oxford commission 11:52 had forbidden the translation of the Bible 11:55 into the English language, 11:56 even prohibiting its use 11:58 in the training curriculum for preachers. 12:01 Cochlaeus, a notorious papal theologian 12:04 had this perspective, 12:06 "The New Testament translated 12:08 into the language of the people is in truth 12:10 the food of death, 12:12 the fuel of sin, the veil of malice, 12:15 the pretext of false liberty, the protection of disobedience, 12:19 the corruption of discipline, the depravity of morals, 12:23 the termination of concord, the death of honesty, 12:26 the wellspring of vices, the disease of virtues, 12:30 instigation of rebellion, 12:32 the milk of pride, the nourishment of contempt, 12:35 the death of peace, the destruction of charity, 12:39 the enemy of unity, the murderer of truth!" 12:49 Immersed in such a climate, 12:51 Tyndale encountered a learned friend who said, 12:54 "We were better without God's laws 12:56 than the pope's." 12:58 To which Tyndale responded, 12:59 "I defy the pope and all his laws. 13:02 If God spare my life, ere many years 13:05 I will cause a boy that driveth the plow 13:08 shall know more of the scriptures 13:10 than thou doest." 13:15 Forbidden to work in England, 13:17 Tyndale traveled through Europe 13:19 from Hamburg to Cologne to Worms to Antwerp, 13:22 using the Greek and Hebrew texts 13:25 to craft a masterpiece of the English language. 13:29 Time and time again, the papacy tried to stop his work, 13:33 but the Lord watched over His servant. 13:36 One account tells us 13:37 how the Bishop of Durham, seeking to hinder his work, 13:41 bought all his Bibles, 13:42 but this merely provided him with the money he needed 13:45 to produce a larger number of better-quality Bibles. 13:54 Tyndale contributed 13:55 as much to the scholarship of English literature 13:58 as Shakespeare and Chaucer, 14:00 producing many of the translations 14:01 of the Bible 14:03 that we use today. 14:04 In fact, much of the King James Bible 14:06 produced 60 years later 14:08 was taken almost verbatim from Tyndale's Bible. 14:12 Phrases such as, 14:14 "The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. 14:17 O death, where is thy sting?" And "Seek ye first." 14:21 All these came from William Tyndale. 14:24 Today, there are two remaining copies 14:27 of Tyndale's Bible, 14:28 one of which is here in the British Library, 14:31 purchased for 1 million pounds 14:33 and accessible to view free of charge. 14:39 Sadly, Tyndale was betrayed by Henry Phillips in Antwerp 14:43 who feigned friendship 14:45 in order to gain Tyndale's trust 14:48 and betrayed him to guards as he was leaving his house. 14:51 He was taken to a castle in Vilvoorde, Belgium, 14:54 condemned as a heretic, strangled, 14:57 and burned to death in 1536. 15:00 His last words were, 15:02 "Lord, open the King of England's eyes." 15:06 Within one year of his death, 15:08 a Bible was placed in every parish church 15:11 throughout the whole of England by order of the king. 15:17 The poignant Christian song tells us, 15:20 "Martyr's blood stains each page. 15:23 They have died for this faith. 15:25 Hear them cry through the years. 15:27 O heed these words and hold them dear." 15:30 The Word of God has come to us at such great cost. 15:34 May we not treat it flippantly, haphazardly, 15:36 but may we treasure it and commit to study 15:39 and share God's Word each day. 16:32 St. Andrews today is famous for two things. 16:35 Number one, it's the home of golf. 16:37 And number two, 16:38 it's the town where Prince William met Kate 16:41 whilst he was studying at university. 16:43 But it's the spiritual history of this town 16:45 that is most interesting and significant. 16:47 St. Andrews was the town in the 1500s 16:50 where the first Protestant Scottish martyr 16:52 was burned for his faith. 16:54 His name was Patrick Hamilton, 16:56 and he is remembered by a spot 16:58 with his initials on the ground. 17:07 But we fast forward to the year 1538 17:10 when Cardinal David Beaton took over 17:12 and made it his mission to catch a reformer 17:15 by the name of George Wishart and stamp out what he saw 17:18 as the growing heresy in Scotland. 17:20 At the time, George was only a young man, 17:23 25 years old. 17:25 And he stayed one step ahead of the cardinal 17:28 and escaped and went to Cambridge University 17:30 where he met with Hugh Latimer, 17:32 and together they went on to Bristol. 17:34 He was only there for about six months 17:36 when he got into trouble again and had to flee the city. 17:50 He went to Switzerland where he spent three years 17:52 traveling to various cities, including Geneva and Zurich, 17:56 and he had the chance to meet with John Calvin and Bullinger 17:59 where he was able to study 18:01 and crystallize his views on the gospel. 18:04 In 1542, 18:05 he returned to the British Isles 18:07 and went to Cambridge 18:08 where he taught at the university. 18:10 After teaching for one year, 18:12 he then returned to Scotland 18:13 where he began to preach the gospel in cities 18:16 around the country. 18:22 He went to Montrose to teach the Book of Romans, 18:25 and then he went to Dundee. 18:27 Beaton followed him there, but Wishart hid from him. 18:30 Then he went to Perth to preach and then to Ayr. 18:33 The archbishop followed him, but he could not catch him. 18:36 He then went back to Dundee 18:38 and a priest by the name of John Wighton 18:41 was sent to kill him, 18:42 but the crowd turned against him. 18:45 George Wishart was much loved by his countrymen 18:48 as he didn't just preach 18:50 but had a very practical side to his ministry. 18:52 In one instance in the city of Dundee, 18:55 when the plague broke out most people fled the city, 18:58 but George Wishart went into the city, 19:00 so he could care for the sick and the suffering. 19:14 Towards the end of his life, he met John Knox 19:17 who was a young man at the time 19:18 and would go on to be a great leader in his own right 19:21 in the Scottish Reformation. 19:23 He started out essentially as a bodyguard 19:25 for George Wishart, 19:26 carrying a two-handed sword with him 19:28 as he traveled around the country. 19:30 They built a strong bond as teacher and student 19:33 until finally Cardinal Beaton, with 500 soldiers, 19:38 captured George Wishart. 19:40 John Knox wanted to follow George into captivity 19:43 but was told to stay with the words, 19:45 "One is sufficient for sacrifice." 19:56 He was brought here to the castle 19:58 and put here in the sea tower where he was imprisoned. 20:01 He was then tried, and as he was tried, 20:03 he answered all his accusations from the Bible. 20:06 They were not satisfied, and he was condemned to death. 20:09 Outside the castle walls, 20:11 the initials GW are imprinted on the ground, 20:14 marking the exact spot 20:16 where George Wishart gave his life 20:19 at the young age of 33. 20:32 Two things we learn from this man. 20:34 Number one, in his ministry and life 20:36 he was incredibly faithful 20:38 and was ministering to the sick and suffering 20:41 as he traveled around the country. 20:42 Number two, 20:44 we learn about the power and importance of preaching. 20:47 How in two years as he traveled around the country, 20:50 he caused great revival, 20:51 making a lasting change and impression here 20:54 in this country. 20:56 The thing that stands out to me the most though, 20:58 is how young he was. 20:59 That he died at the age of 33. 21:02 He was a teacher at Cambridge at the age of 29. 21:05 He gave his youth to God, 21:07 and God used him in a powerful way. 21:09 God is calling for young people again today, 21:12 young people who will give their talents 21:14 and their gifts to Him 21:16 and allow themselves to be used in a powerful way. 22:05 George Wishart was now dead, but the story was not over. 22:09 Shortly after his death 22:11 some of his friends gained entry to the castle 22:13 and took Cardinal Beaton captive. 22:16 They put him as a prisoner here in the sea tower, 22:19 the same place where John Knox commented 22:21 that many of God's children 22:23 had been imprisoned for their faith. 22:30 Some of Cardinal Beaton's friends 22:32 then tried to dig a tunnel under the wall 22:34 which can be seen to this day, but they were unsuccessful. 22:38 Cardinal Beaton was then killed 22:40 and hung out the window of this tower 22:42 while they had 22:44 the first Protestant church service in Scotland 22:46 here in St. Andrews Castle. 22:48 Not everything that Reformers did in the past 22:50 is to be imitated or was right. 22:53 Ultimately, we have to look to Jesus 22:55 as our example in all things. 23:03 John Knox would later join these believers 23:05 and was here in the castle 23:07 when he was captured by the French Navy. 23:09 Along with some others 23:10 he was sentenced to work as a galley slave, 23:13 and did this for 19 months. 23:15 Then he was released. 23:16 No one really knows why 23:18 because it was not normal custom 23:19 to release a galley slave, 23:21 but Providence must have been in his favor. 23:24 He returned to Scotland 23:25 but soon after, he went to England 23:27 where he spent some time with Thomas Cranmer, 23:30 Archbishop of Canterbury 23:31 and then he also went to Berwick-Upon-Tweed 23:34 where he preached and ministered there. 23:41 Soon after Mary, a staunch Catholic, 23:44 came to the throne in 1553, 23:47 he left Britain and went to Europe 23:49 where he settled for several years 23:51 in Switzerland. 23:53 He spent time with John Calvin 23:55 and this powerful reformer, Calvin, 23:57 would have a huge impact on his life, 24:00 on his theology, 24:01 and on the reforms that he would later lead 24:04 here in the country of Scotland. 24:11 In 1559, he returned here to Scotland, 24:15 this time for good, 24:16 and took over as the minister here 24:18 in St Giles' Cathedral, 24:19 becoming its first Protestant minister. 24:22 Whilst here, they abolished the mass 24:25 and repudiated papal jurisdiction. 24:33 As well as preaching, 24:35 he was also instrumental 24:36 in writing some important documents 24:38 that helped to frame the church. 24:40 He along with five other men, incidentally all named John, 24:45 wrote the Scots Confession of Faith 24:47 which explained what the church believes, 24:49 and the Book of Common Order which replaced the Prayer Book 24:52 and was officially adopted by the church in 1560. 25:03 Despite the fact that he traveled extensively 25:06 throughout his life 25:07 to different parts of Britain and Europe, 25:09 he always maintained a deep passion for Scotland, 25:12 famously saying once, "Give me Scotland or I die." 25:16 He always kept in his mind his home country, 25:19 a place that had been laid upon his heart. 25:22 I remember once as a young minister being told, 25:25 "Your calling is where your burden lies." 25:28 Maybe today you find yourself in a place, 25:30 a town, or a country 25:32 that's not the exact place 25:34 that the Lord has called you to minister. 25:36 Stay faithful to Him, work where you are, 25:39 and pray that the Lord would open doors to minister 25:42 where your burden truly lies. 25:45 For John Knox that was Scotland, 25:46 his homeland. 25:48 For you it may not be your hometown 25:49 or your home country, 25:51 but it may be a far-off foreign mission land. 25:54 Wherever it is, be faithful to God 25:57 and follow as He leads. |
Revised 2020-05-14