¤[Theme music]¤
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>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me in Rome.
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¤[Music]¤
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Three million
people call this city home.
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It's one of the most
visited cities in the world--
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and has some of the planet's
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most recognizable
tourist attractions.
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Twenty million people
visit Rome every year;
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4 million alone
visit the Colosseum--
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that's 11,000 a day.
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[Traffic whirring]
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Legend has it that
Rome was founded in 753 BC,
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which means people
have been living here
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almost 3,000 years--
most likely a lot longer.
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Rome was home to the emperors--
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Constantine and
Trajan and Nero and others.
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The Olympic Games
were held here in 1960.
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Rome was bombed
during World War II.
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History oozes from the
pores of the "Eternal City."
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The Roman Empire, which
ruled for around 600 years,
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was governed from Rome.
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As well as being the
capital of Italy today,
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Rome was the
capital of the Roman Empire,
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and for half a millennium was
the largest city in the world.
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The Roman Empire stretched
all the way from Hadrian's Wall
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in the north of England,
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across Europe and north
Africa to the Persian Gulf.
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But visit Rome and there's
no escaping an obvious fact:
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The city is
dominated by a certain entity,
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which happens to be the
largest Christian denomination
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in the world.
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St. Peter's
Basilica in the Vatican City
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is one of the largest
church buildings in the world.
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It's not a cathedral.
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The cathedral of
the pope of Rome,
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who also happens to
be the bishop of Rome,
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is the Archbasilica
of St. John Lateran,
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which is about
three miles from here.
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And the faithful come
here from all over the world
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to visit shrines and
cathedrals and holy sites
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that are
important to their faith.
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Rome claims that it is the one
true church founded by Jesus,
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and that the pope is
St. Peter's successor.
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But while the church of
Rome has occupied the place
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of greatest influence
of any church in the world
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for well over a thousand years,
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there was a time when
its influence and supremacy
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was jeopardized.
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When the Protestant
Reformation challenged
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the authority of the established
church 500 years ago,
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it took on what had become
the most powerful institution
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in western civilization.
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So how did the
church become so powerful?
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Well, when the Roman Empire
collapsed in the 5th century AD,
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an enormous power
vacuum was created in Europe.
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By that time, Christianity
had been established
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as the state
religion of the Roman Empire.
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That had been so
for more than 150 years.
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There was only one
power that could provide
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any measure of stability.
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One historian put it this way:
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"With the breakup of
the Roman bureaucracy,
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the structure of
daily life was threatened
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with disintegration.
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The only trace left
of the Roman organism
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was the Catholic Church,
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and the only men with
administrative experience
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were the bishops."
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Another historian wrote:
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"The reins and skills of
government were handed down
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by a dying empire
to a virile papacy;
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the lost power
of the broken sword
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was rewon by the
magic of the consoling word;
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the armies of the state were
replaced by the missionaries
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of the Church
moving in all directions
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along the Roman roads,
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and the revolted provinces,
accepting Christianity,
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again acknowledged
the sovereignty of Rome."
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The transition from
ancient to medieval Christianity
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began in earnest
with the conversion
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of the emperor Constantine,
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which was almost certainly
only a nominal conversion.
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Constantine's Arch, built
more than 1,700 years ago,
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very near the Colosseum,
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commemorates the victory that
brought Constantine to power
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in 312 AD.
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Constantine claimed that
he'd received a vision from God,
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assuring him
that he would triumph,
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which led him to
embrace Christianity,
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which until that time
had been a persecuted sect.
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Christianity became the
means through which Constantine
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brought peace and
unity to the empire.
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But that peace and
unity came at a high price.
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As the church found acceptance
with kings and emperors,
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Christianity itself
underwent a metamorphosis.
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It began to resemble less and
less the early Christian church
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and was influenced
more and more by paganism.
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Keep in mind that the Roman
emperors, including Constantine,
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had been pagans.
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As you might imagine,
it would've been difficult,
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at best, for
Constantine's new-found faith
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not to have been influenced
by his pagan background.
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Turned out to be impossible.
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Centuries before, Jesus
had said of the Pharisees,
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"In vain they worship me,
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teaching as doctrines
the commandments of men."
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Matthew 15:9.
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Throughout western Christianity,
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paganism and the faith of Jesus,
along with church and state,
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were blended together.
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The Roman Empire
was a pagan empire.
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When it embraced Christianity,
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it didn't rid
itself of pagan influences.
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Instead, it embraced
them and absorbed them.
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As a result, the church
lost the power of the gospel.
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The story is told
that Pope Julius II
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was once speaking with the
scholar Erasmus here in Rome.
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He referred to the
church's great wealth
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and then referenced Peter's
statement in Acts chapter 3:
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"Silver and gold have I none."
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The pope turned to
the scholar, and he said,
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"Well, we cannot
say that now, can we?"
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And the scholar
replied by saying,
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"No, we cannot.
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And neither can we
say, 'Rise up and walk.'"
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Back with more in just a moment.
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¤[Music]¤
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>>John: I'm John
Bradshaw from It Is Written,
00:07:05.55\00:07:07.72
inviting you to
join me for "500,"
00:07:07.76\00:07:11.36
nine programs
produced by It Is Written,
00:07:11.39\00:07:13.66
taking you deep
into the Reformation.
00:07:13.70\00:07:16.77
This is the 500th
anniversary of the beginning
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of the Reformation,
00:07:19.93\00:07:21.07
when Martin Luther
nailed his Ninety-five Theses
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to the door of the Castle
Church in Wittenberg, Germany.
00:07:23.57\00:07:26.31
We'll take you to Wittenberg,
00:07:26.34\00:07:27.81
and to Belgium, to
England, to Ireland,
00:07:27.84\00:07:31.01
to Rome, to the Vatican City,
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and introduce you to the people
who created the Reformation,
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who pushed the
Reformation forward.
00:07:36.15\00:07:38.02
We'll take you to
sites all throughout Europe
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where the reformers
lived and, in some cases, died.
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We'll bring you
back to the United States
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and take you to a
little farm in upstate New York
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and show you how God
spread the Reformation here.
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Don't miss "500."
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You can own the
"500" series on DVD.
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Call us on 888-664-5573,
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or visit us online
at itiswritten.shop.
00:08:00.34\00:08:05.05
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:08:06.41\00:08:08.92
The New Testament
church had very little wealth
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and absolutely
no political power.
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But it did have what the
Apostle Paul described as
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"the power of God to salvation."
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And the book of
Acts says that that power
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"turned the world upside down."
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But when the church
compromised with the world
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in order to receive
favor and protection,
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that primitive power
of the gospel was lost.
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¤[Music]¤
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But civil and ecclesiastical
power soon fell into the hands
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of the church as
Europe searched for stability.
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The emperor Justinian,
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who had ruled what
was once the eastern half
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of the Roman Empire,
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became the champion
for Roman Christianity.
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The emperor became
the defender of the church
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and set about to
destroy, by military means,
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the theological
enemies of the church.
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Tribes such as the Heruli,
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the Ostrogoths, and the Vandals
were subdued and conquered.
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One historian
reflected upon these conquests:
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"The Church, with the shadow of
the ancient authority behind it,
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was the only symbol
left of imperial Rome,
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and its bishop, the Pope,
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was the city's only recourse
for leadership and protection.
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The Roman Empire in
Europe would be replaced
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by the spiritual empire--
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which came to be
temporal as well--
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whose reigning seigneur
was the bishop of Rome."
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There were some
colorful characters
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associated with the
papacy in the Middle Ages.
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Pope Gregory VII, who
reigned in the 11th century,
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forced the
German emperor Henry IV
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to wait outside in
the snow for three days
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before agreeing to see him
and reconcile him to the church.
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Now, you might not expect things
to be done that way today,
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but in the medieval church,
that's how things were done.
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¤[Music]¤
00:10:09.30\00:10:13.71
Pope Sixtus IV,
00:10:13.74\00:10:15.71
famous for building
the Sistine Chapel in Rome,
00:10:15.74\00:10:18.38
which was named for him,
reigned in the 15th century.
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He was also deeply
involved in the politics
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of the Italian states,
00:10:26.39\00:10:28.66
and in 1476 he was
involved in a conspiracy
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to assassinate an Italian
statesman and his brother,
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whose family at the time were
rulers in the city of Florence.
00:10:36.20\00:10:40.14
Other popes, such as
Alexander VI and Julius II,
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kept mistresses and
fathered illegitimate sons,
00:10:43.64\00:10:47.18
and even maneuvered
these illegitimate sons
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into positions of influence.
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¤[Music]¤
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[Crowd murmuring]
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[Water running]
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Of course, they weren't all bad,
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and you can't judge
an entire organization
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by a few rotten eggs.
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But it was a system
that dictated to countries,
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manipulated states,
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and believed that the line
separating church and state
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should simply disappear.
00:11:18.47\00:11:21.14
And it helps us to
understand why the Reformation
00:11:21.18\00:11:23.51
should take place at all.
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The system was simply broken.
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In time, the
papacy got to the place
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where tradition had
authority over Scripture.
00:11:30.49\00:11:34.09
Pope Innocent III, who
ruled between 1198 and 1216
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and was the most powerful
of all of the medieval popes,
00:11:38.16\00:11:41.16
had this to say
about his spiritual role:
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"The successor of
Peter is the Vicar of Christ;
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he has been established as a
mediator between God and man,
00:11:48.30\00:11:52.21
below God but beyond man,
00:11:52.24\00:11:54.64
less than God but more than man,
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who shall judge all
and be judged by no one."
00:11:57.78\00:12:01.42
And the church had
tools at its disposal
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to strike fear into
the heart of people--
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a people who were
largely ignorant and,
00:12:07.09\00:12:09.72
when it came to the Scriptures,
completely illiterate.
00:12:09.76\00:12:13.50
The sentence of
interdict, a sort of censure
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that the church would
place upon dissenters,
00:12:16.63\00:12:18.37
meant that sins
couldn't be forgiven;
00:12:18.40\00:12:21.00
the sacraments
couldn't be dispensed;
00:12:21.04\00:12:22.77
prayers for the
dead couldn't be heard.
00:12:22.80\00:12:25.21
Essentially, heaven was cut off
00:12:25.24\00:12:28.04
for people who were
living in the affected area.
00:12:28.08\00:12:30.38
And when you consider that the
church is the doorway to heaven,
00:12:30.41\00:12:34.28
well, when the church
goes ahead and shuts that door,
00:12:34.32\00:12:37.29
you can imagine.
00:12:37.32\00:12:38.52
During the
reign of Innocent III,
00:12:38.55\00:12:40.12
the nation of France
was placed under interdict
00:12:40.16\00:12:43.02
as the pope tried
to persuade the king
00:12:43.06\00:12:46.09
to take back his estranged wife.
00:12:46.13\00:12:48.40
During the 1400s,
the city of Prague,
00:12:48.43\00:12:51.23
in what was then Bohemia
and is now the Czech Republic,
00:12:51.27\00:12:54.50
suffered a similar fate during
the ministry of John Huss.
00:12:54.54\00:12:58.44
¤[Music]¤
00:12:58.47\00:13:02.14
[Wind blowing]
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And it got much
worse than interdict.
00:13:04.28\00:13:06.92
Anyone living in the
world dominated by the church
00:13:06.95\00:13:09.72
in the Middle Ages had to
deal with some grim realities.
00:13:09.75\00:13:14.12
Under the
influence of Saint Augustine,
00:13:14.16\00:13:16.42
the church accepted the
theory that humanity's willpower
00:13:16.46\00:13:19.76
was so depraved that the
use of force against heretics
00:13:19.79\00:13:24.33
and sinners was
sometimes necessary.
00:13:24.37\00:13:28.07
As a result, the
medieval church resorted
00:13:28.10\00:13:30.84
to some of the most brutal
tactics ever seen in history,
00:13:30.87\00:13:34.01
as a means of controlling
the consciences of God's people.
00:13:34.04\00:13:37.48
Christians
during these centuries
00:13:37.51\00:13:39.05
were burned at the stake,
00:13:39.08\00:13:40.82
tortured on the rack,
00:13:40.85\00:13:42.85
and a whole lot more--
all in the name of God.
00:13:42.88\00:13:47.82
¤[Music]¤
00:13:47.86\00:13:54.30
One historian wrote,
00:13:54.30\00:13:55.93
"Compared with the
persecution of heresy in Europe
00:13:55.96\00:13:58.70
from 1227 to 1492,
00:13:58.73\00:14:02.07
the persecution of
Christians by Romans
00:14:02.10\00:14:04.17
in the first three
centuries after Christ
00:14:04.21\00:14:06.98
was a mild and humane procedure.
00:14:07.01\00:14:10.71
Making every allowance
required of an historian
00:14:10.75\00:14:13.75
and permitted to a Christian,
00:14:13.78\00:14:15.65
we must rank the Inquisition,
00:14:15.68\00:14:17.75
along with the wars and
persecutions of our time,
00:14:17.79\00:14:20.79
as among the darkest
blots on the record of mankind,
00:14:20.82\00:14:24.33
revealing a ferocity
unknown in any beast."
00:14:24.36\00:14:28.53
¤[Music]¤
00:14:28.56\00:14:29.73
So you can understand why
Wycliffe spoke out in England,
00:14:29.76\00:14:33.03
and why John Huss protested
in what we know today to be
00:14:33.07\00:14:35.87
the Czech Republic,
00:14:35.90\00:14:37.41
why Calvin rose up in Geneva
00:14:37.44\00:14:39.57
and Knox in Scotland
00:14:39.61\00:14:41.01
and Zwingli in Zurich.
00:14:41.04\00:14:42.81
The church was
broken, abusing its power,
00:14:42.84\00:14:46.78
choking off the
Scriptures from the people,
00:14:46.82\00:14:49.08
and teaching
falsehood in the place of truth.
00:14:49.12\00:14:53.05
Of course, church
leaders today don't speak
00:14:54.19\00:14:56.29
in quite the same tone
as Pope Innocent III did,
00:14:56.32\00:14:59.26
all those years ago.
00:14:59.29\00:15:00.96
But Rome still takes a
hard line on how its teachings
00:15:00.96\00:15:03.97
are to be evaluated,
00:15:04.00\00:15:05.23
maintaining it holds a unique
place among Christian faiths.
00:15:05.27\00:15:09.67
In 1997,
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger,
00:15:09.70\00:15:12.61
who went on to
become Pope Benedict XVI,
00:15:12.64\00:15:15.51
said that the use of Scripture
to evaluate church teaching
00:15:15.54\00:15:19.08
"was one of the
most dangerous currents
00:15:19.11\00:15:21.55
to flow out of the
Vatican II Council."
00:15:21.58\00:15:25.45
So what do you do when
you're a church leader,
00:15:25.49\00:15:28.29
and you discover that
there are inconsistencies
00:15:28.32\00:15:30.83
between what the Bible teaches
and what you hold to be true
00:15:30.86\00:15:34.56
as an organization?
00:15:34.60\00:15:36.00
Problem or not?
00:15:36.03\00:15:38.00
We'll find out in just a moment.
00:15:38.03\00:15:40.57
¤[Music]¤
00:15:40.60\00:15:46.01
>>Announcer: In Matthew
4:4, the Word of God says,
00:15:48.64\00:15:51.31
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:15:51.35\00:15:54.45
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:15:54.48\00:15:58.19
"Every Word" is a one-minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:15:58.22\00:16:01.49
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw
00:16:01.52\00:16:03.36
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:16:03.39\00:16:06.36
Look for "Every
Word" on selected networks
00:16:06.39\00:16:09.06
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:16:09.10\00:16:11.57
itiswritten.com.
00:16:11.60\00:16:13.94
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:16:13.97\00:16:16.04
Watch "Every Word."
00:16:16.07\00:16:17.01
You'll be glad you did.
00:16:17.04\00:16:19.01
Here's a sample.
00:16:19.04\00:16:21.81
¤["Every Word" theme music]¤
00:16:22.51\00:16:27.75
>>John Bradshaw:
Five hundred years
00:16:27.78\00:16:28.85
after the
Protestant Reformation began
00:16:28.88\00:16:30.49
on October the 31st, 1517,
00:16:30.52\00:16:33.25
we might be tempted to
wonder what Luther and Knox
00:16:33.29\00:16:35.36
and Zwingli and Calvin
00:16:35.39\00:16:36.22
and Farel and
Beza and the Huguenots
00:16:36.26\00:16:37.83
and the Anabaptists and
so many others achieved.
00:16:37.86\00:16:41.56
Today it would seem
that the protest is over.
00:16:41.60\00:16:44.23
Even though the most
influential church in the world
00:16:44.27\00:16:46.37
offers indulgences,
00:16:46.40\00:16:47.50
hears confessions,
00:16:47.54\00:16:48.47
teaches justification
by faith and works,
00:16:48.50\00:16:51.24
considers Mary
the queen of heaven,
00:16:51.27\00:16:53.58
where are the Protestants today?
00:16:53.61\00:16:55.38
Protestants are being welcomed
back into the church of Rome,
00:16:55.41\00:16:57.68
and many see this as positive.
00:16:57.71\00:16:59.38
It's been said,
00:16:59.41\00:17:00.92
"It's more important
to be divided by truth
00:17:00.95\00:17:03.62
than it is to be
united by error."
00:17:03.65\00:17:05.72
Paul said in 2
Timothy 4, verse 2,
00:17:05.75\00:17:08.16
"Preach the Word; be instant
in season, out of season;
00:17:08.19\00:17:11.59
reprove, rebuke, exhort with
all longsuffering and doctrine."
00:17:11.63\00:17:14.73
The Word.
00:17:14.73\00:17:16.60
Anything less will never do.
00:17:16.63\00:17:18.30
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:17:18.33\00:17:19.73
Let's live today by every word.
00:17:19.77\00:17:22.20
¤[Music]¤
00:17:22.84\00:17:25.17
>>John Bradshaw: By the
time of the Reformation,
00:17:25.21\00:17:26.91
the church of Rome
had become, by far,
00:17:26.94\00:17:29.51
not only the most
powerful church on the planet,
00:17:29.54\00:17:32.75
but also the most
powerful political entity.
00:17:32.78\00:17:35.62
And that happened
as Rome filled a vacuum
00:17:35.65\00:17:37.92
left by the failed Roman Empire.
00:17:37.95\00:17:40.42
It was basically
thrust into that role.
00:17:40.46\00:17:42.79
That could have been
a wonderful opportunity
00:17:42.82\00:17:44.83
for church leaders to elevate
the gospel and the message
00:17:44.86\00:17:47.96
of Christ's righteousness
and grace and mercy.
00:17:48.00\00:17:53.07
But tradition started
coming into the church
00:17:53.10\00:17:55.37
a lot like a rising
tide creeping up a beach.
00:17:55.40\00:17:58.51
One of the unique teachings that
the reformers were up against
00:17:58.54\00:18:01.98
was that of the magisterium,
00:18:02.01\00:18:03.38
the teaching
office of the church,
00:18:03.41\00:18:05.85
the church's ability to decide
what's true and what is not.
00:18:05.88\00:18:10.22
It's said that Jesus Christ
00:18:10.25\00:18:12.99
is the source of all
of the church's teachings,
00:18:13.02\00:18:15.26
but that those
teachings rest upon Scripture
00:18:15.29\00:18:18.43
and "sacred tradition."
00:18:18.46\00:18:21.06
In other words,
00:18:21.10\00:18:22.30
our traditions provide us with
an unerring source of truth,
00:18:22.33\00:18:25.63
and we know that to be
true because we say it is true,
00:18:25.67\00:18:30.51
and we can say it's
true because God has given us
00:18:30.54\00:18:33.11
the authority to do that,
00:18:33.14\00:18:34.34
and we know He's given us that
authority because we say so.
00:18:34.38\00:18:40.25
¤[Music]¤
00:18:40.28\00:18:49.09
The teachings of the
magisterium are said to be
00:18:49.12\00:18:51.39
"the prime God-given
means of finding the truth."
00:18:51.43\00:18:55.70
But appealing to the
Bible as your authority
00:18:55.73\00:18:58.97
only gets you
someplace if people accept
00:18:59.00\00:19:02.17
that the Bible is authoritative.
00:19:02.20\00:19:04.77
Now, do the
teachings of the church
00:19:04.81\00:19:06.14
ever contradict the
teachings of the Bible?
00:19:06.17\00:19:08.64
Yes, at times they do.
00:19:08.68\00:19:10.75
But that's okay, because
the church says it's okay.
00:19:10.78\00:19:16.02
Even Pope John Paul II admitted
that he was contradicting
00:19:16.05\00:19:19.65
the teachings of Jesus:
00:19:19.69\00:19:22.09
"Have no fear when people
call me the Vicar of Christ,
00:19:22.12\00:19:25.89
when they say
to me 'Holy Father'
00:19:25.93\00:19:28.06
or 'Your Holiness,'
00:19:28.10\00:19:29.56
or use terms similar to these,
00:19:29.60\00:19:31.77
which seem even
inimical to the gospel.
00:19:31.80\00:19:34.97
Christ Himself declared,
00:19:35.00\00:19:37.04
'Call no one on
earth your father;
00:19:37.07\00:19:39.61
you have but one
father in heaven.
00:19:39.64\00:19:41.78
Do not be called Master;
00:19:41.81\00:19:43.58
you have but one Master,
the Messiah' (Matthew 23:9-10).
00:19:43.61\00:19:48.55
These expressions, nevertheless,
00:19:48.58\00:19:50.15
have evolved out
of a long tradition,
00:19:50.19\00:19:52.85
becoming part of common usage.
00:19:52.89\00:19:55.59
One must not be afraid
of these words either."
00:19:55.62\00:19:59.79
Modern popes have also made it
clear that people must confess
00:19:59.83\00:20:03.67
their sins to a priest to
receive God's forgiveness.
00:20:03.70\00:20:07.97
"Rebuffing a belief
widely shared by Protestants
00:20:09.14\00:20:12.17
and a growing
number of Roman Catholics,
00:20:12.21\00:20:13.94
Pope John Paul II
on Tuesday dismissed
00:20:13.98\00:20:17.38
the 'widespread idea that
one can obtain forgiveness
00:20:17.41\00:20:21.08
directly from God,'
00:20:21.12\00:20:22.92
and exhorted
Catholics to confess more often
00:20:22.95\00:20:25.72
to their priests."
00:20:25.75\00:20:27.86
The Apostle John wrote,
00:20:27.89\00:20:29.12
"If we confess our sins,
00:20:29.16\00:20:31.19
He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins
00:20:31.23\00:20:35.00
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness."
00:20:35.03\00:20:40.50
And the reformers knew that
00:20:40.54\00:20:42.80
and were determined that people
could find forgiveness in Christ
00:20:42.84\00:20:46.61
rather than through a
church and its sacraments.
00:20:46.64\00:20:50.08
One of the practices
that spurred Martin Luther
00:20:50.11\00:20:52.61
to write his Ninety-Five Theses
was the selling of indulgences.
00:20:52.65\00:20:57.15
But even though the
selling of indulgences
00:20:57.19\00:20:58.75
virtually
kick-started the Reformation,
00:20:58.79\00:21:01.49
things haven't changed.
00:21:01.52\00:21:03.43
"Pope John Paul II
announced yesterday
00:21:03.46\00:21:05.63
that throughout the
millennium celebration,
00:21:05.66\00:21:07.96
penitents who do a charitable
deed or give up cigarettes
00:21:08.00\00:21:11.53
or alcohol for a day
can earn an 'indulgence'
00:21:11.57\00:21:15.44
that will
eliminate time in purgatory."
00:21:15.47\00:21:18.14
This was reported
in the New York Times:
00:21:18.17\00:21:21.24
"In recent months
dioceses around the world
00:21:21.28\00:21:24.08
have been offering
Catholics a spiritual benefit
00:21:24.11\00:21:26.55
that fell out of favor
decades ago, the indulgence.
00:21:26.58\00:21:30.82
A sort of amnesty from
punishment in the afterlife
00:21:30.85\00:21:34.02
and reminding them
of the church's clout
00:21:34.06\00:21:36.29
in mitigating the wages of sin.
00:21:36.32\00:21:39.23
The fact that many Catholics
under 50 have never sought one,
00:21:39.26\00:21:42.50
and never heard of indulgences
00:21:42.53\00:21:44.00
except in high
school European history
00:21:44.03\00:21:46.50
(Martin Luther denounced
the selling of them in 1517
00:21:46.53\00:21:50.37
while igniting the
Protestant Reformation),
00:21:50.41\00:21:53.14
simply makes their
reintroduction more urgent
00:21:53.17\00:21:56.08
among church leaders bent
on restoring fading traditions
00:21:56.11\00:21:59.78
of penance in what they
see as a self-satisfied world."
00:21:59.81\00:22:04.09
So the issues that were raised
by the Protestant reformers
00:22:06.15\00:22:09.89
still exist today,
00:22:09.92\00:22:11.86
emphasized by a headline
that appeared on the front page
00:22:11.89\00:22:14.73
of the Los Angeles
Times back in the year 2000:
00:22:14.73\00:22:18.60
"Vatican Declares Catholicism
Sole Path to Salvation."
00:22:18.63\00:22:24.34
The Secretary of the World
Council of Churches at the time
00:22:24.37\00:22:27.18
said this in response:
00:22:27.21\00:22:29.08
"It's realistic to acknowledge
that this is the official
00:22:29.11\00:22:31.55
Catholic position and we
cannot simply wish it away."
00:22:31.58\00:22:35.92
Men like John Huss and his
colleague Jerome in Bohemia,
00:22:35.95\00:22:39.42
Louis de Berquin in France,
00:22:39.45\00:22:41.49
William Tyndale of England,
00:22:41.52\00:22:43.22
Ridley, Latimer,
and Cranmer in England,
00:22:43.26\00:22:45.83
Patrick Hamilton and
George Wishart in Scotland,
00:22:45.86\00:22:47.96
and millions of
others during those dark,
00:22:48.00\00:22:50.30
blood-stained
centuries, gave their lives,
00:22:50.33\00:22:53.20
in the words of
the Apostle John,
00:22:53.23\00:22:55.37
"for the Word of God and for
the testimony of Jesus Christ."
00:22:55.40\00:22:59.07
Revelation 1:2.
00:22:59.11\00:23:01.91
There's a remarkable story
told about a Dutch Anabaptist
00:23:01.94\00:23:04.71
named Dirk Willems,
00:23:04.75\00:23:06.82
who was condemned
to die by the church
00:23:06.85\00:23:09.12
for refusing to adhere
to the church's teachings,
00:23:09.15\00:23:11.62
specifically on infant baptism.
00:23:11.65\00:23:14.69
But Willems managed to escape
from where he was being held,
00:23:14.72\00:23:18.16
and he crept across the
frozen ice covering a moat.
00:23:18.19\00:23:21.93
A prison guard noticed what was
going on and pursued Willems,
00:23:21.96\00:23:25.53
but he fell through that
thin ice into the frigid waters.
00:23:25.57\00:23:29.67
He cried out for help.
00:23:29.70\00:23:30.84
There was nobody to help him,
00:23:30.87\00:23:32.47
except for the
escaping Dirk Willems,
00:23:32.51\00:23:35.08
who did not want
to see the man perish.
00:23:35.11\00:23:38.25
He went back
and rescued the man,
00:23:38.28\00:23:39.88
but he paid a high
price for his bravery.
00:23:39.91\00:23:44.82
He was recaptured,
00:23:44.85\00:23:46.59
put in prison again,
00:23:46.62\00:23:48.46
and was burned at
the stake by the church.
00:23:48.49\00:23:51.83
See, these great
men and women of faith
00:23:51.86\00:23:54.00
believed the words of Jesus
found in Revelation 2, verse 10,
00:23:54.03\00:23:57.17
where Jesus said,
00:23:57.20\00:23:58.13
"Be faithful unto death,
00:23:58.17\00:24:00.94
and I will give
you the crown of life."
00:24:00.97\00:24:03.34
This was the world into which
00:24:06.57\00:24:08.11
the Protestant
reformers were born.
00:24:08.14\00:24:10.15
They rose up to oppose
something God had never intended
00:24:12.21\00:24:15.28
would be created:
00:24:15.32\00:24:16.55
a system of salvation
based on works and not grace,
00:24:16.58\00:24:21.56
where the only
freedom believers had
00:24:21.59\00:24:23.36
was that given
them by the church.
00:24:23.39\00:24:25.39
A powerful system that,
00:24:25.43\00:24:28.13
believing it was
doing the work of God,
00:24:28.16\00:24:30.13
was prepared to use
force to get its way.
00:24:30.17\00:24:34.27
But the dark clouds that
held back the light of truth,
00:24:36.64\00:24:39.27
the unholy alliance
of church and state,
00:24:39.31\00:24:43.81
couldn't endure forever.
00:24:43.85\00:24:46.38
The corruption and cruelty
of the Renaissance church
00:24:46.41\00:24:49.28
was like the
hour before the dawn.
00:24:49.32\00:24:52.62
The morning sun would
soon drive away the darkness.
00:24:52.65\00:24:56.19
Grace and truth
would break forth.
00:24:58.03\00:25:00.76
¤[Music]¤
00:25:00.80\00:25:04.93
In Old Testament times,
00:25:04.97\00:25:06.23
God's people
suffered for many years
00:25:06.27\00:25:08.24
under the heavy
hand of Egyptian slavery.
00:25:08.27\00:25:11.77
But then there was a
miraculous breakthrough,
00:25:11.81\00:25:14.04
and God delivered His people,
00:25:14.08\00:25:15.44
opening up the Red Sea
00:25:15.48\00:25:17.75
and guiding them
to the Promised Land.
00:25:17.78\00:25:19.78
Well, there would be a
miraculous breakthrough again.
00:25:21.62\00:25:24.09
The light of God's
Word was going to shine.
00:25:24.12\00:25:26.59
God's plans would
not be frustrated.
00:25:26.62\00:25:29.86
A new day would dawn
for believers everywhere.
00:25:29.89\00:25:32.69
God's work was not done.
00:25:32.73\00:25:35.13
Great days were ahead.
00:25:35.16\00:25:36.40
¤[Music]¤
00:25:36.43\00:25:42.34
>>John: Who is the
mystery beast of Revelation?
00:25:43.84\00:25:46.37
The book of
Revelation speaks of a power
00:25:46.41\00:25:48.14
of tremendous religious
and political significance
00:25:48.18\00:25:50.95
that will rise up
in earth's last days.
00:25:50.98\00:25:53.78
Find out who it is by
receiving this free offer,
00:25:53.82\00:25:56.72
"The Mystery
Beast of Revelation."
00:25:56.75\00:25:59.19
Call us on 800-253-3000,
00:25:59.22\00:26:02.42
or visit us online
at itiswritten.com.
00:26:02.46\00:26:06.19
Or you can write to
the address on your screen.
00:26:06.23\00:26:08.93
I'd like you to
receive our free offer,
00:26:08.96\00:26:11.20
"The Mystery
Beast of Revelation."
00:26:11.23\00:26:13.74
Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:13.77\00:26:15.54
exists due to the gracious
support of people like you.
00:26:15.57\00:26:19.81
It's your support that makes
it possible for It Is Written
00:26:19.84\00:26:22.04
to share Jesus and the
great truths of the Bible
00:26:22.08\00:26:25.28
with the world.
00:26:25.31\00:26:26.85
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:26.88\00:26:28.65
to the address on your screen,
00:26:28.68\00:26:30.49
or you can support It Is
Written through our website:
00:26:30.52\00:26:32.69
itiswritten.com.
00:26:32.72\00:26:35.59
Thanks for your
generous support.
00:26:35.62\00:26:37.06
Our number is 800-253-3000,
00:26:37.09\00:26:40.43
and our web address is
00:26:40.46\00:26:41.40
itiswritten.com.
00:26:41.43\00:26:43.26
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:26:44.80\00:26:46.70
Our Father in heaven,
00:26:46.74\00:26:48.54
we thank You
that in Your goodness
00:26:48.57\00:26:49.84
You have
preserved Your Word for us.
00:26:49.87\00:26:52.81
We thank You for
Jesus, "the Word made flesh."
00:26:52.84\00:26:55.61
We wish that He
would live in our hearts,
00:26:55.64\00:26:57.35
and we pray You
would make that so.
00:26:57.38\00:27:00.15
And we pray that our lives
would be based on Your Word.
00:27:00.18\00:27:04.79
We thank You that there
were men and women of old
00:27:04.82\00:27:07.02
who dared to
stand up for Your Word.
00:27:07.06\00:27:08.89
They, in many cases,
00:27:08.92\00:27:10.63
paid the ultimate price so
we could have delivered to us
00:27:10.66\00:27:14.30
the freedom that comes
through knowing You personally,
00:27:14.30\00:27:19.20
through Your Word.
00:27:19.23\00:27:20.97
So bless us, Lord, I
pray, that any reform
00:27:21.00\00:27:23.44
that must take place in
our own lives would happen
00:27:23.47\00:27:26.78
so that we can
be, by Your grace,
00:27:26.81\00:27:28.88
everything that
You wish we would be.
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We thank You and
ask Your blessing,
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and we pray
together in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Thanks so much for joining me.
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I'm looking forward
to seeing you again.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[Theme music]¤
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¤[Theme music]¤
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