The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation
This series on the Reformation was preached Fall 2017 during the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. This series includes messages from Jim Osman, Jess Whetsel Dave Rich, Cornel Rasor, and Justin Peters.
The Reformation Q&A
Questions regarding the Reformation answered by the elders of Kootenai Church--Jim Osman, Dave Rich, Jess Whetsel, and Cornel Rasor. Some of the questions asked in no particular order: Are Christians other than elders allowed to baptize other believers? In what...
Doctrine: Deliverance or Destruction (1 Timothy 4:13-16)
In this message, we see the disastrous effects of false doctrine on believers and unbelievers. We have a clear distinction between the teachings of Rome and the Protestant faith on the five Solas of the Reformation. We get a clear call to share the truth with Roman...
The Reformation and the Ordinances (Luke 22:14-20; Matthew 28:16-20)
A look at the two ordinances given to the church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. This message contrasts the Protestant understanding of these subjects with the Catholic teaching.
The Reformation and Justification by Faith (Romans 4:4-5)
An exposition of Romans 4:4-5. An explanation of imputed vs. infused righteousness.
The Reformation and the Will of Man (1 Peter 1:3)
A look at what Luther called “the hinge upon which the whole [Reformation] turns,” the subject of “free will.” This message provides an exposition of 1 Peter 1:3 and a look at what Scripture says regarding the nature of man’s will. Is it free? Is salvation a matter of...
The Reformation and The Sufficiency of Scripture (2 Peter 1:3-4; 19-21)
A look at the formative principle of the reformation: sola scriptura. What does the Bible say about itself? What is the authority for the life and faith of the believer? In this sermon, we contrast the position of Rome with the Protestant commitment to Sola Scriptura....
The Reformation And Another Gospel (Galatians 1:6-9)
This sermon introduces to us the history of the Reformation and the theological issues that lie at the heart of the divide between Protestants and Catholics. An exposition of Galatians 1:6-9 is included.
The History of the Reformation
by R.C. Sproul
“A cesspool of heresies.” This was the judgment rendered by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V on May 26, 1521, shortly after Luther took a stand at the Diet of Worms.
Earlier, in the bull Exsurge Domine, Pope Leo X described Luther as a wild boar loose in the vineyard of Christ and as a stiff-necked, notorious, damned heretic. On May 4, 1521, Luther was “kidnapped” by friends and whisked off to Wartburg castle, where he was kept secretly hidden, disguised as a knight. There Luther immediately undertook the task of translating the Bible into the vernacular.
Frequently the Reformation is described as a movement that revolved around two pivotal issues. The socalled “material” cause was the debate over sola fide (“justification by faith alone”). The “formal” cause was the issue of sola Scriptura, that the Bible and the Bible alone has the authority to bind the conscience of the believer. Church tradition was regarded with respect by the Reformers but not as a normative source of revelation. The “protest” of Protestantism went far beyond the issue of justification by faith alone, challenging many dogmas that emerged in Rome, especially during the Middle Ages.
In a short time, the Reformation swept through Germany but did not stop there. Aided by the translation of the Bible in other nations, the reform spread to the Huguenots in France, to Scotland, England, Switzerland, Hungary, and Holland. Ulrich Zwingli led the Reformation movement in Switzerland, John Knox in Scotland, and John Calvin among the French Protestants.
In 1534 Calvin delivered a speech calling the church to return to the pure Gospel of the New Testament. His speech was burned, and Calvin fled Paris to Geneva. Disguised as a vinedresser, he escaped the city in a basket. During the next year, some two dozen Protestants were burned alive in France. This provoked Calvin to write his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion, which was addressed to the King of France. His thought contained in the Institutes developed into the dominant theology for the international expansion of the Reformation.
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