¤[Theme music]¤
00:00:10.37\00:00:19.55
>>John: This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:00:19.58\00:00:22.85
Welcome to "500."
00:00:22.88\00:00:25.15
¤[Music]¤
00:00:25.19\00:00:35.20
¤[Music]¤
00:00:35.20\00:00:42.04
Five hundred years ago the world
was a very different place.
00:00:42.07\00:00:46.78
There weren't any
cars, or airplanes.
00:00:46.81\00:00:49.38
No trains.
00:00:49.41\00:00:50.05
No buses.
00:00:50.08\00:00:50.81
No computers.
00:00:50.85\00:00:52.48
There was no radio,
00:00:52.51\00:00:53.21
no television,
00:00:53.25\00:00:54.15
no internet.
00:00:54.18\00:00:55.95
There was no plastic,
00:00:55.98\00:00:57.12
no cardboard,
00:00:57.15\00:00:58.59
no United States.
00:00:58.62\00:00:59.75
There was no Taj Mahal.
00:00:59.79\00:01:01.96
There was no junk food,
00:01:01.99\00:01:02.82
no x-rays,
00:01:02.86\00:01:03.53
no antibiotics,
00:01:03.56\00:01:04.53
no vaccines.
00:01:04.56\00:01:05.49
There was no anesthetic.
00:01:05.53\00:01:07.40
Smoking was virtually unknown.
00:01:07.46\00:01:09.50
No GMOs,
00:01:09.53\00:01:10.43
no cameras, no newspapers...
00:01:10.47\00:01:12.87
It was a different world.
00:01:12.90\00:01:15.54
Now think about this.
00:01:15.57\00:01:17.31
There was no Baptist
Church 500 years ago.
00:01:17.34\00:01:20.31
No Pentecostal Church.
00:01:20.34\00:01:22.34
There were no
Presbyterians, no Methodists,
00:01:22.38\00:01:24.45
no Seventh-day Adventists,
00:01:24.48\00:01:26.11
no Church of England
(or Episcopal Church).
00:01:26.15\00:01:28.25
In fact, there
was only one church.
00:01:28.28\00:01:32.89
Then, as now, it
was led by a pope.
00:01:32.92\00:01:36.83
The popes 500 years
ago were men like Leo X,
00:01:36.86\00:01:40.63
Adrian VI, Clement VII,
00:01:40.66\00:01:43.40
Paul III, Julius
III, and Marcellus II.
00:01:43.43\00:01:48.10
And they weren't only
leaders of the church,
00:01:48.14\00:01:51.44
but they were also immensely
powerful political figures.
00:01:51.47\00:01:55.91
Or to put it another way,
00:01:55.94\00:01:57.61
500 years ago there
was no religious freedom.
00:01:57.65\00:02:01.38
You could attend
church, listen to the priest,
00:02:01.42\00:02:03.45
maybe hear the organ music,
00:02:03.49\00:02:05.55
but you couldn't believe
what you wanted to believe.
00:02:05.59\00:02:08.52
And you definitely
couldn't read a Bible.
00:02:08.56\00:02:11.43
You believed what the
church told you to believe.
00:02:11.46\00:02:14.83
And if you dared
to do otherwise, well,
00:02:14.83\00:02:17.60
life was difficult at best.
00:02:17.63\00:02:20.54
Now, down through the ages
there were those who dissented,
00:02:20.57\00:02:23.57
but they existed in the shadows.
00:02:23.61\00:02:25.91
It was only a tiny minority
that dared to stand up against
00:02:25.94\00:02:29.68
the might of the church.
00:02:29.71\00:02:31.15
¤[Music]¤
00:02:31.18\00:02:36.35
Five hundred
years ago it was tough
00:02:36.38\00:02:38.82
if you didn't
agree with the church.
00:02:38.85\00:02:41.16
If you wanted to
believe what you believed,
00:02:41.19\00:02:43.59
you either had to be
very secretive about it,
00:02:43.63\00:02:46.46
or run the risk
of being uncovered,
00:02:46.49\00:02:48.80
persecuted,
00:02:48.83\00:02:50.60
and more than likely killed.
00:02:50.63\00:02:53.10
If you value
religious freedom today,
00:02:53.13\00:02:55.17
the freedom to belong
to the church you want
00:02:55.20\00:02:58.27
and to believe what you believe,
00:02:58.31\00:03:00.21
or even the freedom
to belong to no church
00:03:00.24\00:03:02.58
and believe there is no God,
00:03:02.61\00:03:05.28
then consider that
a few centuries ago
00:03:05.31\00:03:08.05
that freedom didn't exist.
00:03:08.08\00:03:10.55
But all that would change.
00:03:13.96\00:03:15.59
In 1517, on October the 31st,
00:03:15.62\00:03:18.99
a priest in a
small town in Germany
00:03:19.03\00:03:22.83
changed western civilization,
00:03:22.86\00:03:25.70
and risked his life by defying
the power of the ruling church.
00:03:25.73\00:03:31.21
His contribution to
history was so immense that
00:03:31.24\00:03:34.21
Time Magazine ranked him fourth
on the list of the Greatest Men
00:03:34.24\00:03:37.95
of the Millennium.
00:03:37.98\00:03:39.98
Looking at those
ranked above him,
00:03:40.02\00:03:41.45
it's easy to think he should
have been ranked number one.
00:03:41.48\00:03:47.26
Five hundred years ago,
00:03:47.29\00:03:48.69
the Protestant Reformation
began when a young priest
00:03:48.72\00:03:52.46
turned academic by the
name of Dr. Martin Luther
00:03:52.49\00:03:56.40
nailed a list of protests
to the door of this church
00:03:56.43\00:04:00.24
in Wittenberg, Germany.
00:04:00.27\00:04:01.87
When he did so,
he didn't realize
00:04:01.90\00:04:03.27
he was about to
set history on fire.
00:04:03.30\00:04:06.01
He had no intention
of starting a new church.
00:04:06.04\00:04:09.01
All Martin Luther
wanted to see was his church
00:04:09.04\00:04:11.81
come closer to the Bible.
00:04:11.85\00:04:14.15
He was calling for reform.
00:04:14.18\00:04:16.55
Bound up in the genesis of
the Protestant Reformation,
00:04:18.62\00:04:21.39
several very
important questions.
00:04:21.42\00:04:23.83
To begin with,
00:04:23.86\00:04:24.99
how important is it
that a person have that right
00:04:25.03\00:04:29.70
to determine for himself
or herself what to believe?
00:04:29.73\00:04:34.40
Five hundred years ago,
00:04:34.44\00:04:35.60
you believed what the
church told you to believe.
00:04:35.64\00:04:38.61
Beyond that, you
didn't have much of anything.
00:04:38.64\00:04:40.98
How important is it
that you choose for yourself
00:04:41.01\00:04:43.58
what you think
and what you believe?
00:04:43.61\00:04:46.98
Second, when it
comes to what you believe,
00:04:47.02\00:04:49.58
think about that
question that Pilate asked Jesus
00:04:49.62\00:04:52.69
the night before
Jesus was crucified.
00:04:52.72\00:04:54.49
Pilate said to
Him, “What is truth?”
00:04:54.52\00:04:59.39
Today you'll hear that
people have their truth.
00:04:59.43\00:05:01.93
I have my truth.
00:05:01.96\00:05:03.40
You have your truth.
00:05:03.43\00:05:05.20
What is truth?
00:05:05.23\00:05:06.77
And how do you decide?
00:05:06.80\00:05:08.60
Is truth subject to a vote?
00:05:08.64\00:05:11.34
Should there be
a, a court of ideas?
00:05:11.37\00:05:14.58
How do you decide?
00:05:14.61\00:05:16.44
Is there a standard
by which ideas or truths
00:05:16.48\00:05:21.72
can be objectively judged?
00:05:21.75\00:05:25.82
And what's truth worth?
00:05:25.85\00:05:27.39
What is the freedom to
believe actually worth?
00:05:27.42\00:05:32.53
How far do you press this?
00:05:32.56\00:05:34.83
When is it worth being
a troubler of the people?
00:05:34.86\00:05:38.90
And is there ever a time that
the freedom to believe your own
00:05:38.93\00:05:43.84
ideas is something
that's actually worth dying for?
00:05:43.87\00:05:48.94
¤[Music]¤
00:05:48.98\00:05:52.61
Now, when you
think of a person's
00:05:52.65\00:05:54.68
deeply held personal beliefs,
00:05:54.72\00:05:57.49
you could dismiss that
as just ideas, theories.
00:05:57.52\00:06:02.02
But what we know
is that a person's
00:06:02.06\00:06:04.33
deeply held personal
beliefs provide the framework
00:06:04.36\00:06:08.23
for that person's entire life,
00:06:08.26\00:06:09.86
and they certainly
form that person's faith.
00:06:09.90\00:06:14.47
In looking at the
Protestant Reformation,
00:06:14.50\00:06:16.04
it's important that
you go back and consider
00:06:16.07\00:06:18.11
the foundation of
Christianity altogether.
00:06:18.14\00:06:22.38
Reform today
typically means new ideas,
00:06:22.41\00:06:25.98
whether you're dealing
with political, cultural,
00:06:26.01\00:06:28.32
social, or religious reform.
00:06:28.35\00:06:29.92
It's about finding
something new, whatever's next.
00:06:29.95\00:06:33.96
But not the way God sees it.
00:06:33.99\00:06:36.12
As God looks at reform,
typically He calls us back.
00:06:36.16\00:06:39.59
He calls us back to old ideas,
00:06:39.63\00:06:43.03
to things that he
has established already.
00:06:43.06\00:06:47.40
Speaking for God, the
prophet Jeremiah said this:
00:06:47.44\00:06:49.94
“Thus says the Lord,
Stand in the ways and see,
00:06:49.97\00:06:54.14
and ask for the old paths,
00:06:54.18\00:06:56.21
where the good way
is, and walk in it;
00:06:56.24\00:06:59.55
then you shall find rest
for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16).
00:06:59.58\00:07:05.12
The Bible, both the
Old and the New Testaments,
00:07:05.15\00:07:08.16
form the basis of the
early Christian church.
00:07:08.19\00:07:11.83
The Apostle Paul, writing
to young Timothy said that
00:07:11.86\00:07:14.56
“all Scripture is
given by inspiration of God,
00:07:14.56\00:07:17.47
and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction,
00:07:17.50\00:07:21.77
and for
instruction in righteousness.”
00:07:21.80\00:07:23.41
That's Second
Timothy 3 and verse 16.
00:07:23.44\00:07:25.91
The consuming passion
of the early Christians,
00:07:25.94\00:07:29.74
the death, burial,
and resurrection of Jesus
00:07:29.78\00:07:32.58
for the salvation of humanity,
00:07:32.61\00:07:34.42
was said by Paul to
rest upon the Scriptures:
00:07:34.45\00:07:38.12
“For I delivered to you first of
all that which I also received:
00:07:38.15\00:07:42.62
that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures,
00:07:42.66\00:07:46.86
And that He was buried,
00:07:46.90\00:07:47.93
and that He rose
again the third day
00:07:47.96\00:07:50.70
according to the Scriptures”
(1 Corinthians 15:3 and 4).
00:07:50.73\00:07:55.37
The New Testament teaching
of justification by faith,
00:07:55.40\00:07:58.74
a central focus of the
Protestant Reformation,
00:07:58.77\00:08:01.84
is also said by Paul
to rest upon Scripture.
00:08:01.88\00:08:05.41
Listen to what he said in
Romans, chapter 1, verses 16-17:
00:08:05.45\00:08:10.32
“For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ,
00:08:10.35\00:08:13.86
for it is the power of
God to salvation for everyone
00:08:13.89\00:08:18.13
who believes,
00:08:18.16\00:08:19.56
for the Jew first
and also for the Greek.
00:08:19.59\00:08:23.77
For in it the
righteousness of God
00:08:23.80\00:08:26.00
is revealed from faith
to faith; as it is written,
00:08:26.03\00:08:30.21
‘The just shall live by
faith'” (Romans 1:16 and 17).
00:08:30.24\00:08:36.28
What was clear to the founders
of the Christian religion
00:08:36.31\00:08:39.48
is that the message they shared
was the Word of the eternal God.
00:08:39.51\00:08:44.65
“When you received the word
of God which you heard from us,
00:08:44.69\00:08:47.26
you welcomed it
not as the word of men,
00:08:47.29\00:08:50.23
but as it is in
truth, the word of God,
00:08:50.26\00:08:54.63
which also effectively
works in you who believe”
00:08:54.66\00:08:58.17
(1 Thessalonians 2:13).
00:08:58.20\00:09:00.70
When certain individuals
got it in their heads
00:09:00.74\00:09:02.90
that the church
had to be reformed,
00:09:02.94\00:09:05.31
and when they chose to
put their lives on the line
00:09:05.34\00:09:07.68
to see that it happened,
00:09:07.71\00:09:09.64
things were
going to get exciting.
00:09:09.68\00:09:13.62
I'll be back with
more in just a moment.
00:09:13.65\00:09:15.58
¤[Music]¤
00:09:15.62\00:09:20.86
[Sound of wolves]
00:09:23.66\00:09:27.76
¤[Music]¤
00:09:27.83\00:09:35.47
[Camera equipment rattling]
00:09:35.50\00:09:38.17
[Rustling in grass]
00:09:38.21\00:09:41.41
[People talking]
00:09:41.44\00:09:43.08
[Wind Gusts]
00:09:43.11\00:09:48.42
¤[Music]¤
00:09:48.45\00:09:58.49
¤[Music]¤
00:09:58.49\00:10:07.27
[Cheering]
00:10:07.30\00:10:18.18
¤[Music]¤
00:10:18.21\00:10:31.06
>>John: This is It Is
Written, I'm John Bradshaw.
00:10:32.23\00:10:35.06
Thanks for joining me for "500."
00:10:35.10\00:10:38.60
Now, think of some of the great
reform movements of history.
00:10:38.63\00:10:42.04
The Civil Rights
movement in the United States.
00:10:42.07\00:10:44.71
Lunch counter sit-ins.
00:10:44.74\00:10:46.24
Bus boycotts.
00:10:46.27\00:10:47.64
Protest marches.
00:10:47.68\00:10:49.51
Where would the
United States be today
00:10:49.54\00:10:51.45
without those heroes who stood
up boldly and demanded reform?
00:10:51.48\00:10:56.38
Many lost their lives.
00:10:56.42\00:10:59.52
Was it worth it?
00:10:59.55\00:11:01.79
The fall of European
communism in the early 1990s.
00:11:01.82\00:11:05.36
Starting with Lech Walesa
and the Solidarity Movement,
00:11:05.39\00:11:09.13
and desperate East Germans
00:11:09.16\00:11:11.07
who wanted to see the
Berlin Wall come down,
00:11:11.10\00:11:14.20
and Czechs who
protested in Wenceslas Square.
00:11:14.24\00:11:19.04
Was that worth it?
00:11:19.07\00:11:20.64
The Boston Tea Party in 1773.
00:11:20.68\00:11:23.95
Of course the list goes on.
00:11:23.98\00:11:26.11
Sometimes protest is
absolutely essential.
00:11:26.15\00:11:30.62
A protest about
taxation without representation?
00:11:30.65\00:11:33.76
Yeah, that's important.
00:11:33.79\00:11:35.19
Your country is occupied?
00:11:35.22\00:11:36.99
Well, that's important too.
00:11:37.03\00:11:38.09
You don't like your
system of government;
00:11:38.13\00:11:40.83
you feel like
you're being oppressed.
00:11:40.86\00:11:43.10
Well, most of us
can only imagine.
00:11:43.13\00:11:45.43
But the
Protestant Reformation was
00:11:45.47\00:11:47.87
on an
altogether different level.
00:11:47.90\00:11:49.74
¤[Music]¤
00:11:49.77\00:11:55.28
Christianity began with
people such as Peter and James
00:11:55.31\00:11:58.61
and John and Paul
and Silas and Timothy,
00:11:58.65\00:12:01.98
carrying forward the
message of the gospel.
00:12:02.02\00:12:04.85
But after a few centuries,
00:12:04.89\00:12:06.12
that message
began to get clouded.
00:12:06.15\00:12:09.36
When the Roman Empire
officially accepted Christianity
00:12:09.39\00:12:11.99
and called off its
persecution of the church,
00:12:12.03\00:12:15.30
faith in Jesus became popular.
00:12:15.33\00:12:17.47
Unfortunately, it
also became corrupt.
00:12:17.50\00:12:21.54
Jesus had warned His disciples,
00:12:21.57\00:12:23.41
saying to them in
Luke 6 and verse 26,
00:12:23.44\00:12:25.37
“Woe unto you when all
men speak well of you.”
00:12:25.41\00:12:30.38
Instead of the Bible deciding
what Christians should believe,
00:12:30.41\00:12:33.72
church councils and bishops,
00:12:33.75\00:12:35.82
even Roman
emperors like Constantine,
00:12:35.85\00:12:38.15
began making these decisions.
00:12:38.19\00:12:39.52
Now, of course, not all
of those decisions were bad.
00:12:39.55\00:12:43.06
But more and more
these human judgments
00:12:43.09\00:12:45.29
began subverting the
authority of the Bible.
00:12:45.33\00:12:49.00
Church tradition began to
hold veto power over Scripture.
00:12:49.03\00:12:53.34
Jesus's words regarding
the Pharisees of His day
00:12:53.37\00:12:56.77
began to hold more
and more relevance.
00:12:56.81\00:12:59.21
“And in vain they worship
Me, teaching as doctrines
00:12:59.24\00:13:03.45
the commandments of
men” (Matthew 15:9).
00:13:03.48\00:13:06.55
In the centuries that
followed the so-called
00:13:06.58\00:13:09.28
conversion of Constantine,
00:13:09.32\00:13:11.35
this reliance on human
ideas and human traditions
00:13:11.39\00:13:14.29
became more and more pronounced.
00:13:14.32\00:13:16.52
Those who wanted
to follow the Bible
00:13:16.56\00:13:18.13
were forced to go underground.
00:13:18.16\00:13:20.73
¤[Music]¤
00:13:20.76\00:13:24.37
The Vatican became
more and more powerful,
00:13:24.40\00:13:26.87
effectively governing
the lives and the souls
00:13:26.90\00:13:29.54
and the political
institutions of Europe.
00:13:29.57\00:13:33.51
No pope was more
powerful than Pope Innocent III,
00:13:33.54\00:13:36.61
who reigned from 1198 to 1216,
00:13:36.64\00:13:40.32
a period that's
been referred to as the
00:13:40.35\00:13:42.12
“high noon” of the papacy.
00:13:42.15\00:13:44.62
A leading Protestant historian,
J.A. Wylie, wrote that
00:13:44.65\00:13:47.89
“the noon of the papacy
was the midnight of the world.”
00:13:47.92\00:13:52.39
Innocent III was able to
compel the monarchs of Europe
00:13:52.43\00:13:56.16
to do his will.
00:13:56.20\00:13:57.97
At times he deposed
those who would not.
00:13:58.00\00:14:00.84
¤[Music]¤
00:14:00.87\00:14:04.41
One weapon that the
church had in its arsenal
00:14:04.44\00:14:07.34
was something
known as interdict.
00:14:07.38\00:14:10.18
A territory that was
censured with an interdict
00:14:10.21\00:14:12.51
was made to
believe that the priests
00:14:12.55\00:14:14.72
would not hear confession,
00:14:14.75\00:14:16.65
prayers would not be
offered for the dead,
00:14:16.69\00:14:18.59
and the sacraments of the
church would not be dispensed.
00:14:18.62\00:14:22.19
Now, for anybody who
actually believed that the pope
00:14:22.22\00:14:24.69
held the keys to God's kingdom,
this was absolutely terrifying.
00:14:24.73\00:14:29.86
They were effectively
shut out from the grace of God.
00:14:29.90\00:14:33.94
Now this mindset that had
existed for hundreds of years
00:14:33.97\00:14:37.01
and which greeted
the Protestant reformers
00:14:37.04\00:14:39.67
at the beginning of
the sixteenth century
00:14:39.71\00:14:41.34
¤[Music]¤
00:14:41.38\00:14:42.64
John Wycliffe,
the English scholar
00:14:42.68\00:14:44.71
who translated the Latin
Bible into English in the 1300s,
00:14:44.75\00:14:48.45
is often called the “morning
star of the Reformation.”
00:14:48.48\00:14:52.62
Wycliffe spoke against
what he saw as the inaccuracies
00:14:52.65\00:14:56.93
of the state church.
00:14:56.96\00:14:58.23
Church leaders in Rome
summoned him to stand trial,
00:14:58.26\00:15:01.80
intending to end his life.
00:15:01.83\00:15:04.00
He got sick and died
before he could be tried,
00:15:04.03\00:15:06.10
but Wycliffe's work was done.
00:15:06.13\00:15:09.84
But such was the animosity
of the church towards him
00:15:09.87\00:15:12.21
that his body was
exhumed, and it was burned,
00:15:12.24\00:15:16.34
and his ashes
were dumped in a river.
00:15:16.38\00:15:18.91
Wycliffe's
teachings were carried forward
00:15:22.15\00:15:24.12
by a Bohemian
priest named John Huss.
00:15:24.15\00:15:28.22
The church summoned Huss to a
council in Constance, Germany,
00:15:28.26\00:15:31.29
and promised him protection.
00:15:31.33\00:15:33.60
Huss arrived in
Constance and was arrested,
00:15:33.63\00:15:36.63
thrown into a horrible
prison, sentenced to death,
00:15:36.67\00:15:40.37
and was then
burned at the stake.
00:15:40.40\00:15:43.87
But as one historian wrote,
00:15:43.91\00:15:45.47
“The blood of the
martyrs was seed.”
00:15:45.51\00:15:48.01
The persecution
the Reformers suffered
00:15:48.04\00:15:51.21
only seemed to
further their cause.
00:15:51.25\00:15:54.92
And the need for
reform seemed obvious.
00:15:54.95\00:15:57.95
The luxury and the depravity
indulged in by church leaders
00:15:57.99\00:16:01.12
was breathtaking.
00:16:01.16\00:16:02.82
It's no secret
that there were popes
00:16:02.86\00:16:04.16
who fathered
illegitimate children.
00:16:04.19\00:16:06.16
Church offices
were bought and sold,
00:16:06.19\00:16:09.60
and the luxurious
lifestyle of church leaders
00:16:09.63\00:16:11.73
was out of sync with
the self-denial of Jesus.
00:16:11.77\00:16:14.97
Speaking of the
corruption of that time,
00:16:15.00\00:16:16.84
one historian wrote that
00:16:16.87\00:16:18.87
“the advance of the Turks
00:16:18.91\00:16:20.21
since the fall of
Constantinople in 1453
00:16:20.24\00:16:23.61
was generally considered
to have been allowed by God
00:16:23.65\00:16:27.05
in punishment for
the sins of the Church.”
00:16:27.08\00:16:31.15
The Christian church was
certainly ready for a change.
00:16:31.19\00:16:35.26
But how would
that change come about?
00:16:35.29\00:16:37.39
We'll find out in just a moment.
00:16:37.43\00:16:39.19
¤[Music]¤
00:16:39.23\00:16:44.50
>>Announcer: In Matthew
4:4, the Word of God says,
00:16:47.57\00:16:50.14
"It is written,
00:16:50.17\00:16:51.17
'Man shall not
live by bead alone,
00:16:51.21\00:16:53.31
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:16:53.34\00:16:57.05
"Every Word" is a one-minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:16:57.08\00:17:00.38
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw,
00:17:00.42\00:17:02.52
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:17:02.55\00:17:05.59
Look for "Every
Word" on selected networks,
00:17:05.62\00:17:08.46
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:17:08.49\00:17:10.73
ItIsWritten.com.
00:17:10.76\00:17:12.86
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:17:12.89\00:17:14.93
Watch “Every Word.”
00:17:14.96\00:17:16.26
You'll be glad you did.
00:17:16.30\00:17:17.87
Here's a sample.
00:17:17.90\00:17:20.07
¤[Music]¤
00:17:20.54\00:17:25.14
>>John: After he was arrested,
00:17:25.17\00:17:26.24
a New York man
confessed to six burglaries,
00:17:26.27\00:17:29.34
in the borough of Queens.
00:17:29.38\00:17:30.71
He broke into
churches and stole from them.
00:17:30.75\00:17:32.75
He said he did it
because “I'm mad at God.
00:17:32.78\00:17:35.15
I don't like church anymore.
I break in to get back at God.”
00:17:35.18\00:17:39.29
Get back at God?
00:17:39.32\00:17:40.66
After all God has done for you;
00:17:40.69\00:17:42.32
brought you into existence,
00:17:42.36\00:17:43.53
sustained you,
00:17:43.56\00:17:44.26
gave you opportunity,
00:17:44.29\00:17:45.19
and promised you
everlasting life,
00:17:45.23\00:17:47.96
in a world where there's no sin,
00:17:48.00\00:17:49.16
disappointment,
or broken dreams.
00:17:49.20\00:17:51.30
You can't get back at God.
00:17:51.33\00:17:53.60
If you want to get back at
anyone that'll be the devil who
00:17:53.64\00:17:55.94
is responsible for every ounce
of misery that has ever existed.
00:17:55.97\00:18:00.38
Jesus said in John 5 verse 40:
00:18:00.41\00:18:02.48
“But you are not willing to come
to Me that you may have life.”
00:18:02.51\00:18:06.11
If you want to right
wrongs, come to faith in Christ.
00:18:06.15\00:18:09.38
Staying away from God only
plays into the devil's hands.
00:18:09.42\00:18:14.02
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:18:14.06\00:18:15.59
Let's live today by every word.
00:18:15.62\00:18:17.89
¤[Music]¤
00:18:17.93\00:18:20.23
¤[Music]¤
00:18:20.96\00:18:23.57
One hundred years
after the death of Huss,
00:18:23.60\00:18:26.60
a young German priest by
the name of Martin Luther
00:18:26.63\00:18:30.21
found himself in
the city of Rome,
00:18:30.24\00:18:33.21
seeking to earn God's favor
00:18:33.24\00:18:35.21
by climbing on his
knees up Pilate's Staircase.
00:18:35.24\00:18:40.02
The church
claimed that Jesus Himself
00:18:40.05\00:18:41.75
had walked on that staircase,
00:18:41.78\00:18:43.75
and that it had
been miraculously
00:18:43.79\00:18:45.52
transported from
Jerusalem to Rome.
00:18:45.55\00:18:48.72
While performing this act,
Luther seemed to hear a voice
00:18:48.76\00:18:52.63
as loud as thunder,
00:18:52.66\00:18:54.93
declaring in his ear the
gospel truth articulated by
00:18:54.93\00:18:57.80
both testaments
of the sacred Word:
00:18:57.83\00:19:00.57
“The just shall live
by faith” (Romans 1:17;
00:19:00.60\00:19:04.17
Habakkuk 2, verse 4).
00:19:04.21\00:19:07.51
So why was Luther walking
up a staircase on his knees?
00:19:07.54\00:19:11.05
Because Luther believed
that climbing those steps
00:19:11.08\00:19:15.68
would earn favor with God.
00:19:15.72\00:19:19.02
And why did Luther believe that?
00:19:19.05\00:19:20.89
Because that's
what the church taught.
00:19:20.92\00:19:23.96
¤[Music]¤
00:19:23.99\00:19:24.93
[Birds chirping]
00:19:24.96\00:19:27.40
The church taught that you could
reduce your punishment for sin,
00:19:27.46\00:19:31.23
that you could lessen
the “temporal effects of sin”
00:19:31.27\00:19:35.04
by doing things such as
attending a certain church
00:19:35.07\00:19:38.14
on a certain day,
00:19:38.17\00:19:39.44
honoring the
“blessed sacrament,”
00:19:39.47\00:19:41.31
praying the rosary,
00:19:41.34\00:19:43.31
or climbing the Scala Sancta,
00:19:43.35\00:19:45.91
Pilate's
Staircase, on your knees.
00:19:45.95\00:19:48.52
In fact, the church
still believes this.
00:19:48.55\00:19:52.09
Here's what the church
says about indulgences.
00:19:52.12\00:19:55.42
"An indulgence is a
remission before God
00:19:55.46\00:19:58.99
of the temporal punishment
due to sins whose guilt
00:19:59.03\00:20:03.60
has already been forgiven,
00:20:03.63\00:20:05.73
which the faithful Christian
who is duly disposed gains
00:20:05.77\00:20:09.37
under certain
prescribed conditions
00:20:09.40\00:20:12.61
through the action
of the Church which,
00:20:12.64\00:20:14.84
as the minister of redemption,
00:20:14.88\00:20:17.11
dispenses and
applies with authority
00:20:17.15\00:20:20.22
the treasury of
the satisfactions
00:20:20.25\00:20:22.32
of Christ and the saints.”
00:20:22.35\00:20:25.12
So you can understand why Luther
felt he had to do something.
00:20:25.15\00:20:28.86
The church was
teaching salvation by works.
00:20:28.89\00:20:32.89
In fact,
indulgences were sold for money.
00:20:32.93\00:20:36.16
Money was raised for the
building of St Peter's Basilica
00:20:36.20\00:20:39.63
through the
selling of indulgences.
00:20:39.67\00:20:41.57
This was Luther's reality.
00:20:41.60\00:20:44.61
Of course he had to protest.
00:20:44.64\00:20:46.44
¤[Music]¤
00:20:46.47\00:20:49.64
That moment at
Pilate's Staircase proved to be
00:20:49.68\00:20:51.85
the turning point in
Martin Luther's experience.
00:20:51.88\00:20:54.85
With that voice
still ringing in his heart,
00:20:54.88\00:20:57.12
he sprang to his feet
and fled from the place
00:20:57.15\00:21:01.12
in shame and horror.
00:21:01.16\00:21:02.26
¤[Music]¤
00:21:02.29\00:21:03.22
Luther's zeal would spark a fire
00:21:03.26\00:21:05.56
that spread
throughout Europe and beyond.
00:21:05.59\00:21:08.70
From John Calvin's Geneva
to William Tyndale's England,
00:21:08.73\00:21:12.23
from France to
Scandinavia and the Netherlands,
00:21:12.27\00:21:15.00
and then to
Plymouth Rock on an unknown
00:21:15.04\00:21:17.44
and distant shore,
00:21:17.47\00:21:19.34
the message of
supreme biblical authority,
00:21:19.37\00:21:21.98
justification
through faith in Christ,
00:21:22.01\00:21:24.71
and a conscience
set free from civil
00:21:24.75\00:21:26.51
and ecclesiastical control,
00:21:26.55\00:21:28.68
would inspire millions of
hearts and alter the course
00:21:28.72\00:21:32.75
of human events.
00:21:32.79\00:21:33.96
[Birds singing]
00:21:33.99\00:21:39.29
Luther and
others would also teach
00:21:39.33\00:21:41.03
the principle of "Sola
Scriptura," the Bible alone.
00:21:41.06\00:21:45.97
The Reformers believed that
any teaching should be subjected
00:21:46.00\00:21:48.94
to the ultimate
authority: God's Word.
00:21:48.97\00:21:52.34
Now, 500 years later,
00:21:52.37\00:21:54.21
in much of Christianity,
00:21:54.24\00:21:55.58
we simply take that for granted.
00:21:55.61\00:21:58.08
But five hundred years ago?
00:21:58.11\00:22:00.12
No way.
00:22:00.15\00:22:01.22
That's not the way
the church was run.
00:22:01.25\00:22:04.82
Now, of course, the
Reformers were human,
00:22:04.85\00:22:07.62
and human beings are faulty.
00:22:07.66\00:22:09.96
Martin Luther
certainly had his faults.
00:22:09.99\00:22:12.76
But we must keep in
mind that the Reformers
00:22:12.79\00:22:14.93
came to the Bible a
lot like an archaeologist
00:22:14.96\00:22:18.07
comes to an artifact.
00:22:18.10\00:22:19.57
It was new to them.
00:22:19.60\00:22:21.47
They had to
wrestle with the Bible
00:22:21.50\00:22:23.10
and work some things out.
00:22:23.14\00:22:24.71
They didn't have the
benefit of hundreds of years
00:22:24.74\00:22:26.81
of scholarship
having gone before them.
00:22:26.84\00:22:29.14
Now the truth is,
00:22:29.18\00:22:30.15
we inherit a lot of
what we believe by the people
00:22:30.18\00:22:33.82
who've gone before us
and done the heavy lifting.
00:22:33.85\00:22:36.75
Which is fine, as long
as what we receive from
00:22:36.79\00:22:40.62
those who have
gone before us is true.
00:22:40.66\00:22:43.26
In all cases,
00:22:43.29\00:22:44.46
it's important that we go
to the Bible and find out.
00:22:44.49\00:22:47.13
¤[Music]¤
00:22:47.20\00:22:50.00
With the translation
of the Bible by Luther
00:22:50.03\00:22:52.40
and Tyndale and others,
00:22:52.43\00:22:53.70
into German and English
00:22:53.74\00:22:55.87
and French and Polish and Czech,
00:22:55.90\00:22:58.57
and with the advent
of the printing press,
00:22:58.61\00:23:00.51
the common people soon
had access to God's Word.
00:23:00.54\00:23:04.78
And when the Bible was put
in the hands of Bible students
00:23:04.81\00:23:07.78
hungry for Scripture,
00:23:07.82\00:23:09.85
the church and the world
could never be the same again.
00:23:09.88\00:23:13.79
¤[Music]¤
00:23:13.82\00:23:17.63
The church of Rome wasn't about
to quietly tolerate an attack
00:23:17.66\00:23:20.90
on what they genuinely believed
was their God-given right
00:23:20.93\00:23:24.77
to direct the minds and
hearts of men and women,
00:23:24.80\00:23:27.97
to compel them in faith in God,
00:23:28.00\00:23:30.27
and to correct them
when they fell into error.
00:23:30.31\00:23:33.44
The Counter-Reformation would
see Rome fight back, forcefully,
00:23:33.48\00:23:39.15
creatively, and
not always obviously.
00:23:39.18\00:23:41.85
¤[Music]¤
00:23:41.88\00:23:43.22
So what does a church do when
its authority is threatened,
00:23:43.25\00:23:46.72
along with its hold on
the minds of the people
00:23:46.76\00:23:49.02
of the western world?
00:23:49.06\00:23:50.93
In Europe, there
was a lot of bloodshed.
00:23:50.96\00:23:54.30
Protestants were
burned at the stake.
00:23:54.36\00:23:57.10
Thousands died in the St
Bartholomew's Day Massacre
00:23:57.13\00:23:59.77
in France in 1572.
00:23:59.80\00:24:01.60
And anything resembling
toleration disappeared.
00:24:01.64\00:24:06.31
More than 200,000 fled France.
00:24:06.34\00:24:10.85
The first foreigners
to reach what would become
00:24:10.88\00:24:13.08
the United States of America
00:24:13.11\00:24:14.82
were Protestants
of English descent.
00:24:14.85\00:24:17.69
But even then there
would be growing pains.
00:24:17.72\00:24:20.46
The Puritans of New England
believed that religious freedom
00:24:20.49\00:24:24.09
applied to you only
if you lived and believed
00:24:24.13\00:24:27.50
and worshipped as they did.
00:24:27.56\00:24:30.13
But then along
came Roger Williams,
00:24:30.17\00:24:32.63
who introduced the concept
of religious liberty for all.
00:24:32.67\00:24:37.11
And then the truth
would go marching on.
00:24:37.14\00:24:40.44
Through men like
Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich
00:24:40.48\00:24:43.28
and John Wesley and his
brother Charles in England.
00:24:43.31\00:24:46.25
Through Philip
Melanchthon and Thomas Cranmer
00:24:46.28\00:24:48.88
and Hugh Latimer
and Nicholas Ridley
00:24:48.92\00:24:50.62
and Theodore Beza
and John Knox in Scotland
00:24:50.65\00:24:53.59
and Huss and Jerome
00:24:53.62\00:24:54.46
and William Farel
and Roger Williams
00:24:54.49\00:24:57.29
and many others.
00:24:57.33\00:24:58.96
So when did the Reformation end?
00:24:58.99\00:25:01.46
Or has it ended?
00:25:01.50\00:25:03.70
Perhaps there's
still a work to be done,
00:25:03.73\00:25:06.10
a work of reform,
00:25:06.13\00:25:07.57
a work of calling
people to faithfulness to God
00:25:07.60\00:25:10.97
and to faith in the Word of God.
00:25:11.01\00:25:13.41
Throughout the rest
of this series, 500,
00:25:13.44\00:25:16.48
you'll meet some of the great
characters of the Reformation.
00:25:16.51\00:25:20.22
Your faith in God will grow,
00:25:20.25\00:25:22.58
and your personal
experience with God
00:25:22.62\00:25:25.29
will be richly blessed.
00:25:25.32\00:25:26.62
¤[Music]¤
00:25:26.65\00:25:31.66
>>John: The book of Revelation
makes clear that Babylon
00:25:34.23\00:25:37.03
will be a major
player on the prophetic scene
00:25:37.07\00:25:39.93
down in the close of time.
00:25:39.97\00:25:41.80
How do we understand that?
00:25:41.84\00:25:43.14
Well, that's why I'd
like you to have this book.
00:25:43.17\00:25:44.61
I wrote it.
00:25:44.64\00:25:45.67
“Babylon Rising.”
00:25:45.71\00:25:47.31
To receive it,
call us at 800-253-3000.
00:25:47.34\00:25:52.28
Or visit us online
at www.itiswritten.com.
00:25:52.31\00:25:57.52
Or you can write to
the address on your screen.
00:25:57.55\00:26:00.12
I'd like you to
receive our free offer,
00:26:00.16\00:26:02.46
“Babylon Rising.”
00:26:02.49\00:26:04.33
And thanks for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:04.36\00:26:06.26
exists because
of the kind support
00:26:06.29\00:26:08.20
of people just like you.
00:26:08.23\00:26:10.40
Your donation makes it
possible for It Is Written
00:26:10.43\00:26:12.90
to share life-changing
biblical truth with the world.
00:26:12.93\00:26:17.51
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:17.54\00:26:19.34
to the address on your screen,
00:26:19.37\00:26:21.18
or you can support It Is
Written through our website,
00:26:21.21\00:26:23.61
itiswritten.com.
00:26:23.65\00:26:25.61
Thanks for your
generous support.
00:26:25.65\00:26:27.75
Our number is 800-253-3000,
00:26:27.78\00:26:31.15
and our web
address is itiswritten.com.
00:26:31.19\00:26:33.82
>>John: Let's pray together now.
00:26:35.32\00:26:37.26
Our Father in heaven,
00:26:37.29\00:26:38.29
we thank You that You
have preserved Your Word,
00:26:38.33\00:26:41.56
that we can possess the
Bible not only in our hands,
00:26:41.60\00:26:46.20
but in our hearts.
00:26:46.23\00:26:47.94
And we thank You for Jesus,
00:26:47.97\00:26:49.84
the One the Bible
calls the "Word made flesh."
00:26:49.87\00:26:54.11
As down through the ages
You have guided Your truth,
00:26:54.14\00:26:57.68
guided Your Word
and led Your people,
00:26:57.71\00:27:00.82
I pray that You
would guide us now.
00:27:00.85\00:27:03.45
Friend, do you need to
experience a reformation
00:27:03.49\00:27:06.99
in your heart?
00:27:07.02\00:27:09.16
Father, as we talk
about the Reformation
00:27:09.19\00:27:10.83
from an historical perspective,
00:27:10.86\00:27:12.79
we recognize we must experience
reformation in our lives.
00:27:12.83\00:27:15.93
So now we pray that
You would take our hearts,
00:27:15.96\00:27:19.43
make them Yours.
00:27:19.47\00:27:20.57
Friend, now is an opportunity
for you to yield to God.
00:27:20.60\00:27:23.27
Would you do that?
00:27:23.30\00:27:25.14
Our Father, we thank You,
00:27:25.17\00:27:26.71
as we continue
to study in "500,"
00:27:26.74\00:27:30.15
we pray for Your blessing,
00:27:30.18\00:27:32.41
and we pray in Jesus's name,
00:27:32.45\00:27:35.92
Amen.
00:27:35.95\00:27:38.25
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:38.29\00:27:39.39
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:39.42\00:27:41.72
Until then, remember:
00:27:41.76\00:27:43.06
"It is written,
00:27:43.09\00:27:45.16
'Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:27:45.19\00:27:47.20
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:47.23\00:27:51.73
¤[Theme music]¤
00:27:51.77\00:28:06.85