Reformation
Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord; plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 31:33-34 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
John 14:6,15 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me . . . If you love me, you will keep My commandments.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made , so that people are without excuse.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful ad just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
Reformation? change?
The Protestant reformation occurred during the 1500’s. Over the years from the first century to the 16th century, churches had sprung up and again were putting out man-made laws of celebration, and ways to “honor” God without getting to the truth. The truth was as men do, they feel they know better than God, and try to usurp their power onto others. It enhances the power they think they have. There was a mandate to confess your sins to the priests in the Catholic churches which sprang up in Rome then developed widely throughout Europe and Asia. The people were forced to pay for different articles in the church and the priests and others who represented the heads of churches who were gaining power and making rules that God had never intended.
As the original disciples went and spoke of the life, words and love, of Jesus, the miracles He performed while living, they shared He was the Messiah, the Son of God. They included that His death, hung on a cross, and three days later, the Resurrection. They staunchly insisted telling all the Good News as they traveled throughout Europe and Asia; Jesus was the Way, the Truth, and the Life for all who chose to believe and follow Him. They preached that if one believed in Him, and followed Him with a true and repentant heart, they too would have eternal life in heaven on their physical death. People came, heard the message, became believers, and many churches sprang up. These original disciples and the men and women who were taught after His death were so full of belief in Jesus they were willing to die horrific deaths rather than deny Him.
The Catholic Church became a stronghold in Rome and then throughout Europe and somewhat into Asia. But after some centuries, the Catholic Church also developed some man-made rules and mandates, like what many of the religious leaders (Pharisees and Sadducees) had done inflicting more than 613 rules and laws on the Jews, when God had NOT commanded that many at all.
God gave the Ten Commandments and had some food restrictions, (all for our health so we would not get ill ) but did not order all the laws that the priests and high religious men demanded. For instance, the Catholic priests and authorities began not with the message of love, but of the need for people to have confession and one had to confess to a priest to be forgiven. Again, they demanded more monies be donated to the churches to remain in “good standing.” Scripture and readings should only be done by religious personnel and must not be available to the public.
At least Jewish boys went to school and learned Torah. But as the new churches sprang up, access to having a personal relationship with God was discouraged. That is not what God wanted. He had enjoyed that time walking in the Garden with Adam and Eve. But the religious leaders in the new churches began to hoard their learnings and were keeping people from having access to scrolls and readings. The disciples had introduced all Jesus did, how He loved, and how He lived and died for us so we could live an eternal life with Him in heaven upon our physical death. This did not sit well with the people. They felt they too wanted a personal relationship with this “new” God.
In 1517, Martin Luther had 19 theses he nailed to a church door, stating all people should have access to God without having to have pastors or church leaders being the go between. He and many others felt each person, all created equal in God’s eyes, should have access to the Creator. And he felt this was stressed the way Jesus had acknowledged all, touched all, forgave all, and healed all. He was the Son of God, yet He welcomed all. Those who began balking at not being able to know God on their own were called Protestors.
The Protestors believed that through faith all could have a relationship with God, and were saved through their belief, and not through their works. Good works came about as a result of relationship with God and Jesus, not because one could “buy” their way to heaven through their actions. Salvation was offered by divine grace, totally unmerited, but given to all who had a sincere heart, who believed in God and wanted to be obedient to Him. This ended up splitting the religion. The Catholic church, which had developed as a result of the disciples traveling and delivering the truth and good news of Jesus life, but the religious leaders began to enjoy power. They wanted to control all the people believed.
In fact, it was after William Tyndale (one of the Protestors) had translated the bible which was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, to English, (1522-1535) that many in most of Europe could hear and understand it all. However, he was arrested, imprisoned and sentenced to death by burning. While in prison waiting, he continued to translate the Bible. When on the burning post, about to be burned, he was strangled, in the hope to be kinder for him than burning. (They are both horrific, so I choose neither for me).
Because the split between the Roman Catholic Church and men like Martin Luther, William Tyndale, and most of the common people, there was a huge rift. When King Henry, the 8th asked the Pope for a divorce and it was refused, he further separated from the church. The Church of England developed, which offered the English royalty more finances since the monies the Catholic Church had been collecting, were no longer going to Rome, but the churches laws in England remained about the same.
But there was a faction pursued by many who believed each person should learn about God and Jesus, and not need a middleman (priest) as intercessor. The religion developed was called Protestants. There were many factions within this mindset, but the prime belief was that each person could have a relationship with the Creator and could learn and study for themselves.
A group of farmers in Northern England disagreed with the new church which still believed the people needed to be led and taught by clergy. They believed they should have access to the writings and should be able to worship as they saw fit—honoring God without any interference from a governing body. At the time they were called Separatists, and they worshiped in secret—and were hunted down. They determined they needed to find a new place to live and worship. Initially, they moved to Holland, but it was not England, so they wanted their children to know about English culture, so decided to move to the New World.
They landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in December 1620. There were 102 people who boarded the Mayflower, there were 101 who disembarked, but only 50 who survived that first winter. Half of them died that first year from exposure, diseases, and starvation. After that first year, they learned how to farm and fish. They continued to meet for church worship but recognized they needed to have bibles for teaching and learning.
Quickly, a printing press was set up and bibles were begun to be printed for many, not just clergy. The first primers for children to learn to read were verses from the Bible. As more and more were printed, they were called the New England primers and were used for several years to teach children to read. So Christianity and Jesus’ examples were for all.
I am thankful for the Protestant Reformation as I too believe we should have access to reading the Word of God for ourselves, and to have religious leaders teach, preach, lead and continue to show that God has not changed, no matter how the world has skewed His words or teachings for ‘the times.’ Those times are Satan’s progression to promote sin. I am so thankful I have my copies of the Word and can learn and absorb and grow.
Thank You, Lord that here we can enjoy Your teaching, can read Your word for ourselves and know You are looking out for us. Certainly, You have always been with me and ‘mybellaviews.’
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