When Christianity Re-Formed - A church synopsis from Luther’s 95 Theses until the 2nd Great Awakening (Oct 31, 1517 – 1790-1840)
The Reformation was NOT a time when the church reformed and rid itself of a few evil practices. Rather, it was a time when the church completely re-formed, at least in Western Europe, and almost in Eastern Europe too. In the east the Nestorians dwindled.
The Lollards were still preaching England, and the Waldenses were active from Spain to south Germany until merging with the Swiss Reformers. But the Reformation really took off due to the printing press. Everyone could now read God’s word for themselves!
There were three good and two bad strands to the Reformation. First the three good strands.
Martin Luther: Emperor Charles V: “A single friar who goes counter to all Christianity for a thousand years must be wrong” Consubstantiation: the bread and wine turn to Christ’s body and blood too.
Reformed Churches, started by Ulrich Zwingli, and later John Calvin said Lord’s supper is a memorial. Both Reformed and Lutherans taught the Great Commission was no longer binding in their day. Catholics converted many in Asia and the New World, and only towards the end did Protestants get their act together on missions.
Peaceful Anabaptists such as Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz in Switzerland, and Menno Simons in north Germany. The said becoming a Christian was a decision, hence believer’s baptism and rulers must not coerce conversions. Lutherans, Reformed, and Catholics agreed on one thing: Anabaptists must die.
Violent Anabaptists under Thomas Müntzer and others took over Munster, Germany, killing both Catholics and Lutherans, until they were all killed.
Unitarian anabaptists in northeastern Europe denied the Trinity. They were suppressed by Catholics.
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Year AD |
Timeline of Luther’s 95 These until the 2nd Great Awakening (1517-1840 A.D.) |
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10/31/1517 |
Luther nails 95 theses to Wittenberg door |
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1521-1527- |
Graebel, Felix Manz, & Swiss Anabaptists |
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1521 |
German Diet of Worms condemns Luther |
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1480-1525- |
Thomas Müntzer & violent Anabaptists |
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1413-1532 |
English kings persecute the Lollards |
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1487-1545 |
Crusade against the Waldenses |
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1530 |
Philip Melanchthon Augsburg Confession |
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1480-1528 |
Balthasar Hubmaier Anabaptist. Burned |
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10/1-3/1529 |
Marburg Colloquy: Luther & Zwingli differ |
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1454-1531 |
Ulrich Zwingli, reformer. denied Revelation |
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1519-1531 |
Zwinglian Johannes Oecolampadius |
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10/12/1532 |
Synod of Waldenses joining Zwinglians |
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1534 |
Luther’s German translation from Erasmus |
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1494-1536 |
Cardinal Cajetan, an opponent of Luther |
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1469-1536 |
Erasmus of Rotterdam. Greek NT |
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1515-1536 |
William Tyndale’s Bible Translation. |
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1523-1536 |
Spanish king orders Cortez to convert all Indians. 6 million baptized in Mexico |
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1563 |
Jakob Hutter & the Amish |
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1480-1541 |
Andreas Karlstadt, foe & friend of Luther |
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1473-1543 |
Copernicus said earth orbits the sun. John Owen, Pope Paul V, Luther against this |
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1536-1561- |
Menno Simons peaceful north German Anabaptist. Founded Mennonites |
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1551-1790 |
Inquisition bans Bible and exterminates Protestants in Spain. Bible OK in 1790. |
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1534-1552 |
Francis Xavier in India, Indonesia, Japan |
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1531-1553 |
Michael Servetus denies the Trinity. Calvinists burned him before Catholics did |
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1554-1562- |
Lelio and Fausto Sozzini and Unitarians |
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1545-1563 |
Catholic Council of Trent. Met in different cities because plague kept breaking out. |
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1536-1564 |
John Calvin of Geneva. Reformed theology |
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1583 |
100K Catholics in the Philippines |
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1538-1584 |
Protestants exterminated in Italy |
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1600 |
Portuguese convert 300K in Japan |
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1611 |
King James Bible translated |
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1588-1605 |
Jacob Arminius, ex-Calvinist |
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1609-1612 |
John Smyth & Baptists in Holland & England |
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1614 |
Jesuit Luis del Alcazar, first Preterist |
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1383-1638 |
Ottomans devise th e Devirsme system |
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1692 |
Chinese Emperor allows Christianity 300K |
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1614-1697 |
200K Christians martyred in Japan |
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1629-1631 |
Cyril Lucar, Calvinist Gr. Orthodox Patriarch |
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1564-1642 |
Galileo Galilei, Christian astronomer |
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1581-1656 |
James Ussher, Protestant Irish archbishop |
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1654-1662 |
Blaise Pascal and Catholic Jensenists |
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1700 |
130-155 million Christians, 21% of the world |
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1690-1748 |
Isaac Watts, theologian, logician, 750 hymns |
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1714-1770 |
George Whitfield, 1st Great Awakening |
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1738-1791 |
John and Charles Wesley, Methodism |
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1800 |
200-205 million Christians, 23% of world |
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1807 |
Wilbur Wilberforce. Anti-slavery British MP |
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1807 |
Robert Morrison, Chinese Bible translation |
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1527-1810 |
Swiss Calvinists persecute Anabaptists |
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1806-1812 |
Henry Martin missionary to India & Persia |
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1825-1831 |
Adoniram Judson, Boardmans, Ko Tha Byu, Ko May Byn, missionaries in Burma |
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1761-1834 |
William Carey, Baptist Missionary Society |
Let’s play what-if
What if the Reformation came to the Greek Orthodox church? It did! Cyril Lucar, who studied in Geneva, became the patriarch, the top position in the Greek Orthodox church. He was banished a number of times, and ultimately the Sultan executed him for allegedly causing trouble. After his execution the Orthodox Council of Jerusalem in 1672, by the decree of Dositheus, recognized, and rejected, each point of Reformed theology.
Luther expelling Andreas Karlstadt
Andreas Karlstadt was Luther’s teacher at one time, and joined the Luther during the reformation. Luther and Karlstadt debated Catholic opponents together. When Luther went into hiding, Karlstadt and Philippe Melanchthon ran the Lutheran church. Later Luther opposed him because Karlstadt had some different beliefs. Unlike Luther, Karlstadt believed the bread and wine were only representative of Jesus, thought all statues should be taken out of the church immediately. He also thought that though we have the effects or Adam’s sin, Adam’s guilt was not imputed to us. Starting in 1523 Karlstadt held to believer’s baptism, not the infant baptism of Luther. Luther said that those who believed in believer’s baptism should be killed, and Luther only changed his mind in the last sermon he gave. Karlstadt differed from Calvinists on losing salvation, differed from Luther on the Lord’s Supper, and differed from both on believer’s baptism.
Anabaptist Balthasar Hübmaier
From winter 1523 to May, 1528, Hübmaier was born again in a Zwinglian church, debated Catholics on images and the mass, pastored over 18,000 people in Moravia as an Anabaptist, and wrote some great works. One wonders what more he might have done if he had been around longer than the six years between coming to Christ and being tortured on the rack, and later burned at the stake by Catholics. He said denying free will slanders God as a tyrant. If no free will, then people must rob and steal because they must obey God’s decreed will. Hübmaier taught that Christ died for all, and He alone saved us, not infant baptism. Thus, we should be baptized when we believe. He twice recanted his view on believer’s baptism under torture, though he regretted it later.
Hübmaier had a way with words: “Even though my body may be eaten by worms, drowned, frozen, or burned, I will receive true honor at the joyous resurrection of my flesh.”
“O, we wish to be good evangelical Christians; we boast about our great faith, but have never touched the works of the gospel and faith with the smallest finger. Therefore we are, as stated above be, nothing but mouth Christians, ear Christians, and paper Christians, but not action Christians. ... I confess this article with all my strength: that faith by itself alone is not worthy to be called faith, for there can be no true faith without the works of love.” p.43-44) Justification 1526
Menno Simons and a boat of Calvinists
Menno Simon was an Anabaptist originally in fellowship with Thomas Müntzer, but broke with them when they advocated using violence. Mennonites are named after him. In the winter of 1553/1554 a group of Calvinists fleeing from Bloody Mary in England by boat got stuck in the ice just outside the port of Wismar. When the Lutherans heard they were Calvinists, they just left them to freeze to death. But Simons and his group heard of them, and though they were not Calvinists they came out with their pickaxes, freed and the boat the rescue the people. The Calvinists asked what they could do for the Anabaptists and the only thing Simons asked was that they would agree to a debate. The Calvinist debater made some good points against Simons’ wrong teaching that Jesus body and blood were physically different than ours.
Verses to remember them by
Jeremiah 23:1-4 “'Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!' says Yahweh. Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says against the shepherds who feed my people: “You have scattered my flock, driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings,” says Yahweh. 'I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they will be fruitful and multiply. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, neither will any be lacking,' says Yahweh.” (World English Bible)