Lesson 3: Why Are There So Many Churches (Part 2)

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Lesson Overview

Scripture Text: whereas Zwingli went

Why Are There So Many Churches

The Catholic Church continued to develop and gain power for over a thousand years. The pope’s power became stronger and stretched even into political matters. The Catholic Church waged war to increase its power and bishops used political influence and pressure to gain power and influence. The Catholic Church also built magnificent buildings, such as St. Peter’s church in Rome. However, warfare and building projects needed money. In order to raise money, the Church began to sell some church offices to the highest bidder (Cox 50). Another sche me was selling indulgences. The indulgence would pay for sin for the buyer or even for one who was dead. The Catholic Church teaches that when one dies, he goes to purgatory to “purge,” or burn off, the venial (mild) sins. An indulgence is a good act that can take away a sin so the believer does not have to suffer long in purgatory. The Catholic Church raised a lot of money for building St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome by selling indulgences (Thomas 52-53). Seeds of Revolution Fundraising schemes, political meddling, doctrinal errors, and immorality among the clergy led to dis s atis f acti o n am on g s o me Catholics. Some groups tried to reform the church but were often (Part 2)? persecuted and killed by the Catholic hierarchy. The Albigenses in Southern France (1170 A.D.) opposed the authority of traditions, purgatory, and image worship. Pope Innocent III incited a crusade to slaughter them (Cox 51). John Wycliffe (1324-2384) opposed the authority of the pope , trans ubs tantiation, auricular confession. He is best known for translating the Bible into the English language for which he was persecuted (Cox 51-52). John Huss and Jerome Savonarola were two other men who opposed abuses in the Catholic Church and were burned to death by the order of the church. These people, and more, were but the thunder in the distance for the Reformation Movement which would soon storm over the religious world.

The Protestant Reformation

Though the Church was often successful in persecuting and exterminating opposition, the ideas of reforming the Catholic Church continued to grow. The most prominent of the reformers was Martin Luther. Luther was a monk and a professor at the university in Wittenberg, Germany. In the early 1500’s, a controversy arose which necessitated Luther’s presence in

Why Are There So Many Churches? (Part 2)

Rome to represent the two sides in the dispute before the Pope. In Rome , Luther saw the irreverent and immoral behavior of the priests and monks. Luther returned to Wittenberg with a more realistic view of the church and its leadership. During this period, Pope Leo X sent a man named John Tetzel to sell indulgences to finance the building of St. Peter’s in Rome. Luther opposed the selling of indulgences from the pulpit and in writing to Tetzel (Thomas 54). On October 31, 1571, seeing that Tetzel continued to sell indulgences, Luther nailed 95 propositions opposing the sale of indulgences and invited debate. A great debate ensued and many people supported Luther. In 1520, Pope Leo X issued a decree demanding Luther change his views within 60 days. Luther burned the decree and thus severed his relationship with the

Catholic Church (Cox 56). He

continued to condemn papal authority and the system of sacraments within the Catholic Church. Though brought before church councils, he would not retract his statements and was protected by those who favored his teachings. The Lutheran movement today continues in the tradition of Luther’s teachings. In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli, a highly educated priest, began a reform encouraged by the success of Luther. Zwingli was a Greek scholar and expounded on the scriptures to his audiences in Zurich. He opposed the authority of the pope, human doctrines, prayers to saints and priests, priestly celibacy, and considered the mass idolatrous; favoring instead a return to the simple Lord’s Supper (Taylor 23). A primary difference between Zwingli and Luther was their approach to the scripture. Luther favored any practice that was not contrary to further and opposed what was not taught within the word of God. In France, John Calvin led reformation efforts. Calvin renounced Catholicism desiring a purified Christianity. In 1534 he began to develop a doctrine in a published work called the Institutes of the Christian Religion 460). The doctrine, though very logical, begins from a false view of God’s sovereignty and so contradicts the word of God in that it removes man’s free will in choosing to serve or reject God. The doctrine is the basis of the Presbyterian religion. Many other religious bodies have adopted part or all of Calvinism’s tenets:

T

otal Hereditary Depravity

U

nconditional Election

L

imited Atonement

I

rresistible Grace

P

erseverance of the Saints Though it seemed that these reformers meant well, Phil noticed that their efforts resulted in the establishment of denominational division. Now he understood the problem, but how could he find a solution?

Why Are There So Many Churches? (Part 2)

Main Branches of the

Reformation Churches

Roman Catholic Church

Greek Orthodox

Lutheran

Church of England

Presbyterian

Baptist

Episcopal (US)

Congregationalists

Methodists

1880-1900 Adapted from Burton W. Barber

Holiness/Pentecostal

Questions for Discussion & Study

1. What are indulgences in the Catholic Church? Why were they such a problem for Luther?

2. How did the Catholic Church treat the early reformers?

3. What was the fundamental difference between Luther and Zwingli’s view of the scriptures?

4. Why did the Reformation efforts cause religious division?