As we trace back
our spiritual lineage
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to the early centuries,
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we find the Christian
church, a maligned religion.
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It was not popular.
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Many of the Christians
in the early centuries
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paid the ultimate
price for their faith
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with their lives.
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The Colosseum in Rome
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stands today as a
testament of this fact.
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Under pagan Rome,
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the Christian
church struggled along,
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but one thing was sure,
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the intensity of the persecution
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kept the church free
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from nominal and
lukewarm Christians.
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If you were a
Christian, you had to be all in.
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There was no middle ground.
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But in the fourth century,
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an event would come along
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that would change
all of that dramatically.
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The conversion of Constantine
changed the course of history
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for the whole of Christendom,
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and the roots of that come
down here to York, England.
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In 306 AD, Constantine
was declared Emperor here.
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His father, Constantius,
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was in Britain
from 305 to 306 AD
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and Constantine was
with him until his death.
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He was then declared Emperor,
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but it was not to
be a smooth sailing.
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They were
counterclaims to the Emperorship
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from Licinius and Maxentius.
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And it was before a
battle with Maxentius
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that Constantine
felt he needed more help
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than just the soldiers he had,
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and so we
sought the help of God.
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He believed he saw a cross
in the sky and heard the words
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"By this sign
you shall conquer."
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He took this as a sign
to convert to Christianity
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and a major switch
began to take place.
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Rome would go from
being pagan to papal,
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from paganism to
professed Christianity.
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Many historians debate
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the authenticity of
Constantine's conversion.
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Was it a deep
rooted biblical conviction
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or was it a political ploy
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to keep a
divided Empire together?
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One thing is sure, though,
that after his conversion
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practices crept into the church
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that previously
had no place there.
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Temples that were pagan
would change to Christian,
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the Pantheon in Rome
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was changed into
a Christian church,
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and the names of gods
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were changed to
Christian saints.
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For example,
Jupiter became St. Peter,
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and the list goes on.
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While some were
happy for these changes
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and welcome the
lack of persecution
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and their newfound status,
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there were many
Christians all over Europe
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who resisted these changes.
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For them, the
persecution continued
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as they stayed out of
line with the Mother Church.
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These were Christians
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who were maintaining
the pure Apostolic Faith
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that was handed down
to them over the years.
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It was
scattered groups of people
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all over Europe,
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in northern Italy,
in southern France,
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the Celtic
Church here in Britain,
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and in various other places.
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The Bible refers
to them as the church
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in the wilderness in
Revelation 12:6 and 14,
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they were not
always the biggest,
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they were not
always the largest,
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but God would always have people
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that were true to Him
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and that were
faithful to His Word.
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And so from this point on,
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two branches of the
church would emerge.
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The recognized, the mainstream
but the compromised church
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and then the
persecuted, often the smaller,
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but the pure church.
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The question for us today is,
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which one of these
two are we a part of?
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May we never
compromise truth for popularity,
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may we be faithful
to God and to His word,
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no matter what the situation is.
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Whilst the long night
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of the Dark Ages covered Europe
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and darkness covered the people,
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the lamp of truth
still shone brightly
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in Scotland and Ireland.
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These two countries on
the brink of the known world
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stood like a wall to resist
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the menace of
advancing religious tyranny.
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Scotland in particular,
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like the
Waldenses in northern Italy,
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found in her rugged
mountains a fortress.
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Iona is an isolated island
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that has become
famous in Christian history.
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It became a central point
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to the Celtic
Church for many centuries,
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preserving true biblical faith,
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teaching, educating, and
sending out missionaries.
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The story of
Iona starts with a man
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by the name of Columba,
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who was actually from Ireland
and was born of royal descent.
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He lived in Ireland
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and worked there
till the age of 32.
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And from the ages of 25 to 32,
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he is credited with
raising up over 300 churches.
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Having a missionary
spirit burning deep within him,
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he set sail from
Derry in the year 563
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with 200 of his
companions and came to Scotland.
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They landed here in Iona,
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just off the coast
of the Isle of Mull,
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in this bay,
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which is today
named Columba's Bay.
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Despite finding a
windswept and barren island,
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they built
houses, planted crops,
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and founded a Christian school
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which would later
attain the highest reputation
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for the pursuit
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of biblical studies and science.
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The students had a
well-rounded education.
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And in addition to their classes
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they would spend
time in physical labor,
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in gardening, in
baking, in farming,
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and in prayer, and singing.
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The students would
frequently have to spend
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18 years of study
before they were ordained
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for the gospel ministry.
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It was not a monastery
and they were not monks.
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It was a great
mission training institute.
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The Bible was central to Columba
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and the school here in Iona.
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Columba built a
church on the Bible
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and the Bible alone
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and is credited
with copying 300 copies
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of the New Testament
himself with his own hands.
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Imagine how many copies
his students and fellow faculty
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produced over the many years
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the school was based here
on this little island of Iona.
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They followed the
commandments of the Bible,
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including keeping
the fourth commandment.
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In fact, the church here in Iona
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kept the Sabbath
for several centuries.
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In many ways the believers
here were preserving a faith
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that was handed down to them
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over the generations
since the earliest believers.
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They did not see
themselves as reformers
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or as breaking away from Rome
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for the faith that they kept
had been around much longer.
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Columba labored
here for 34 years
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before passing to his
rest on the 9th of June,
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which was a Sabbath day.
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Iona would for many centuries
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be a leading center
of the Celtic Church,
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sending missionaries out
from the shores of Scotland
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flowing to the
Continental church.
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Columba's followers
would hold this island
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for 641 years
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before they were driven
out by the Benedictine Monks.
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Iona stands to us
today and gives us lessons
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in the missionary
work that took place here,
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while today many people
come for a time of peace,
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reflection, and contemplation,
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a place where they
can feel closer to God.
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We cannot deny the
work that took place here.
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Maybe God is calling
you to go and get trained,
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like the
missionaries who would come here
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to be trained and
would go out for service.
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Maybe God is calling you
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to be trained
for mission service.
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Maybe He's calling you
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to a life of full-time ministry.
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Maybe God is calling you
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to change the whole
course of your life.
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And if God is calling you,
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harden not your heart and
follow the Lord's leading.
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In the seventh century,
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Iona was a
well-equipped university.
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It was making a huge impact
both here in the British Isles
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and further afield.
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England as a
country did not exist then.
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It was split
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into different regions or areas.
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And the local king,
King Oswald of Northumbria
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sent a message to Iona
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requesting that a
missionary be sent here.
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Aidan, who had been trained
in Iona was sent down here.
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And when he arrived,
he requested of the King
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if he could set up
his training school here
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on the island of Lindisfarne.
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Lindisfarne lies
235 miles from Iona,
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which if travelled by
foot would take over a week.
00:10:06.10\00:10:09.50
It is also known
as the Holy Island,
00:10:09.54\00:10:12.01
though it's not
completely isolated
00:10:12.04\00:10:13.98
from the mainland.
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It's a tidal island,
approximately 1,000 acres,
00:10:15.38\00:10:19.25
3 miles long,
and 1.5 miles wide.
00:10:19.28\00:10:22.45
And twice a day,
when the tide comes in,
00:10:22.48\00:10:25.05
the island is isolated.
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There is
something about the solitude
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and isolation of
being on an island
00:10:29.59\00:10:32.56
that these early
missionaries seemed to value,
00:10:32.59\00:10:35.26
a place to come aside, rest,
00:10:35.30\00:10:38.17
study, and be
equipped for mission service.
00:10:38.20\00:10:41.24
Aidan was
well-balanced in character.
00:10:46.41\00:10:48.74
He was strong in
religious fervour.
00:10:48.78\00:10:51.28
He was very industrious,
00:10:51.31\00:10:52.65
and it was said
that he was never idle.
00:10:52.68\00:10:54.92
In him was that living flame
00:10:54.95\00:10:57.09
which burned so strong
in many of the missionaries
00:10:57.12\00:11:00.06
that were sent out
by Patrick and Columba.
00:11:00.09\00:11:03.46
He was deeply
concerned for the poor
00:11:03.49\00:11:05.93
and spent much of his life
00:11:05.96\00:11:07.50
in an effort of
ransoming slaves.
00:11:07.53\00:11:09.63
You see, he had a
very practical faith.
00:11:09.66\00:11:12.13
He did for England
00:11:19.44\00:11:20.78
what Columba had
done for Scotland.
00:11:20.81\00:11:23.58
In establishing the
training Center here,
00:11:23.61\00:11:26.01
the fields were
used to give work
00:11:26.05\00:11:27.85
to support the students.
00:11:27.88\00:11:29.85
They also established
other training centers
00:11:29.88\00:11:31.85
in places like
Melrose and Whitby.
00:11:31.89\00:11:34.79
Aidan was succeeded by Finan.
00:11:34.82\00:11:37.09
And he
established a training Center
00:11:37.13\00:11:39.39
in Tilbury in Essex
00:11:39.43\00:11:40.80
and was instrumental
00:11:40.83\00:11:42.16
in evangelizing central England.
00:11:42.20\00:11:44.73
Finan was succeeded by Colman.
00:11:44.77\00:11:47.54
And in 30 years these 3 men
00:11:47.57\00:11:50.31
did a powerful
work here in England
00:11:50.34\00:11:52.47
and paganism was swept away
00:11:52.51\00:11:54.48
and replaced by
New Testament religion.
00:11:54.51\00:11:58.55
These great men were not monks
as we would understand today
00:11:58.58\00:12:02.32
but missionaries
maintaining the faith
00:12:02.35\00:12:04.75
that they had learned on Iona.
00:12:04.79\00:12:06.69
In Truth
Triumphant, page 127, it reads,
00:12:06.72\00:12:10.33
"It is no exaggeration to say
00:12:10.36\00:12:12.76
that, with the
exception of Kent and Sussex,
00:12:12.79\00:12:15.30
the whole English race
00:12:15.33\00:12:16.73
received the
foundation of their faith
00:12:16.77\00:12:18.93
from Celtic missionaries."
00:12:18.97\00:12:22.20
You see, in 30 years,
00:12:22.24\00:12:23.57
these men took the
gospel to the country of England
00:12:23.61\00:12:26.98
and almost 3 quarters
00:12:27.01\00:12:28.41
was won by
their missionary work.
00:12:28.44\00:12:31.55
They did this in an age
where they had no internet,
00:12:31.58\00:12:34.02
no TVs, no modern forms of
communication that we have.
00:12:34.05\00:12:38.49
Today God has placed us
00:12:38.52\00:12:40.59
in different
parts of this country,
00:12:40.62\00:12:42.36
in different parts of the world.
00:12:42.39\00:12:44.33
And He's given to us His Word,
00:12:44.36\00:12:46.23
He's given to us the message
00:12:46.26\00:12:48.16
that He wants to be
taken to every nation,
00:12:48.20\00:12:50.50
tongue, and people.
00:12:50.53\00:12:52.23
May we be faithful
in our local churches
00:12:52.27\00:12:55.00
and in the communities
that our churches are placed in
00:12:55.04\00:12:57.44
that we would take the message
00:12:57.47\00:12:58.91
and share it with
those who have not heard
00:12:58.94\00:13:02.04
that Jesus can come soon.
00:13:02.08\00:13:03.88
Whitby, England,
today a seaside town,
00:13:27.60\00:13:30.57
but the spiritual
heritage of this town
00:13:30.61\00:13:32.94
dates all the way back
to the seventh century.
00:13:32.97\00:13:35.68
In 656, the abbey was
founded by Abbess Hilda.
00:13:35.71\00:13:39.95
And in 663, the
Whitby Synod was held here
00:13:39.98\00:13:43.65
between the leaders
of the Celtic Church
00:13:43.69\00:13:45.75
and the leaders of
the Catholic Church
00:13:45.79\00:13:47.82
and it was not
without confrontation.
00:13:47.86\00:13:50.06
This synod set
the dates for Easter
00:13:50.09\00:13:52.33
that are kept
by the church today
00:13:52.36\00:13:54.50
and it also led
to the establishment
00:13:54.53\00:13:56.97
of the Roman
religion elsewhere in England.
00:13:57.00\00:14:00.04
At that time, in
this part of England,
00:14:04.81\00:14:07.68
the Celtic Church
was the dominant faith
00:14:07.71\00:14:10.18
due to the
missionary work of Aidan
00:14:10.21\00:14:12.41
who had been
sent over from Iona.
00:14:12.45\00:14:15.05
These people
were Bible believers.
00:14:15.08\00:14:17.22
They kept the Sabbath,
00:14:17.25\00:14:18.59
and they did not
recognize the papacy
00:14:18.62\00:14:20.46
as ruler in spiritual affairs.
00:14:20.49\00:14:22.86
Coleman was the
successor of Finan,
00:14:30.20\00:14:32.57
Finan was the
successor of Aidan,
00:14:32.60\00:14:34.50
who originally started
the work here in England.
00:14:34.54\00:14:37.21
And Coleman had
only been working
00:14:37.24\00:14:38.67
for three years
00:14:38.71\00:14:40.04
when the Council
of Whitby was called.
00:14:40.08\00:14:41.94
He had a couple of
things against him, firstly,
00:14:41.98\00:14:43.95
that he had only been
working for three years,
00:14:43.98\00:14:46.58
secondly, that
his opponent Wilfrid
00:14:46.61\00:14:48.78
was well drilled
in the Papal argument.
00:14:48.82\00:14:51.52
And thirdly,
00:14:51.55\00:14:52.89
that the queen of
the king was Catholic.
00:14:52.92\00:14:55.96
The principal
question of the debate
00:14:55.99\00:14:58.09
was when would the
date of Easter lie.
00:14:58.13\00:15:01.73
Now Wilfrid had spent four years
00:15:01.76\00:15:03.63
before this in Rome,
where he was well studied.
00:15:03.67\00:15:06.60
And he wanted to come back here
00:15:06.63\00:15:08.10
to Northumbria,
00:15:08.14\00:15:09.47
determined to bring
00:15:09.50\00:15:10.84
the Celtic
Church into subjugation.
00:15:10.87\00:15:13.88
He wanted an open debate.
00:15:13.91\00:15:16.24
And King Oswy
agreed for an open forum.
00:15:16.28\00:15:19.01
So on one side you had Coleman,
00:15:19.05\00:15:21.12
the Scottish
clerks, and Abbess Hilda
00:15:21.15\00:15:23.42
and on the other
side you had the king,
00:15:23.45\00:15:25.79
the prince, the
queen, and Wilfrid.
00:15:25.82\00:15:28.32
And so the debate began.
00:15:28.36\00:15:32.76
Coleman skilfully
answered the questions
00:15:32.79\00:15:35.13
in regards to Easter,
00:15:35.16\00:15:36.53
but Wilfrid
brought the debate around
00:15:36.56\00:15:38.97
to the issue of
Peter's authority
00:15:39.00\00:15:41.14
and eventually succeeded
00:15:41.17\00:15:42.70
in convincing the
king of his arguments.
00:15:42.74\00:15:45.41
The king and the
people decided to conform
00:15:45.44\00:15:48.58
to the pretended
superiority of the Papal Easter,
00:15:48.61\00:15:51.91
and thus align the church
in England with the papacy,
00:15:51.95\00:15:55.95
a shift from its original roots.
00:15:55.98\00:16:00.32
Coleman soon left
for the island of Iona
00:16:00.36\00:16:03.06
and following this
four dark centuries
00:16:03.09\00:16:05.46
followed in England.
00:16:05.49\00:16:07.03
Soon after, the Danish
Vikings swept through England,
00:16:07.06\00:16:10.07
bringing with them
a flood of Paganism.
00:16:10.10\00:16:13.40
The Celtic Church
would remain strong
00:16:13.44\00:16:15.30
in Scotland and Wales
00:16:15.34\00:16:16.81
and in Ireland,
but even in England,
00:16:16.84\00:16:18.94
followers of truth
00:16:18.97\00:16:20.31
would persist
over the centuries.
00:16:20.34\00:16:22.14
The seed sown by Aidan,
Finan, and Colman would continue
00:16:22.18\00:16:27.08
so that when John Wycliffe
began his marvelous revival
00:16:27.12\00:16:30.59
centuries later,
00:16:30.62\00:16:31.95
his followers
are thought by some
00:16:31.99\00:16:33.99
to be those who maintained
from generation to generation
00:16:34.02\00:16:37.33
the doctrines of Aidan.
00:16:37.36\00:16:39.39
One thing we learn here
from the Council of Whitby
00:16:39.43\00:16:42.03
is that though the cause of
God took an apparent defeat,
00:16:42.06\00:16:45.73
we have to remember
00:16:45.77\00:16:47.10
that we're living
in a great controversy
00:16:47.14\00:16:49.17
where there's a battle
between truth and evil.
00:16:49.20\00:16:52.07
And like in the
words of the song
00:16:52.11\00:16:54.04
Once to Every Man and
Nation, where the words go,
00:16:54.08\00:16:57.01
"Though the
cause of evil prosper,
00:16:57.05\00:16:59.95
yet 'tis truth alone is strong."
00:16:59.98\00:17:03.35
Sometimes in our
life or in our work,
00:17:03.39\00:17:06.02
it can look
like the cause of God
00:17:06.05\00:17:08.42
is taking a beating.
00:17:08.46\00:17:09.79
It can look like the
cause of God is suffering,
00:17:09.82\00:17:12.76
yet we need to remember
00:17:12.79\00:17:14.33
that we're living
in a great controversy.
00:17:14.36\00:17:16.46
There's a battle
between truth and error,
00:17:16.50\00:17:18.83
between right and
wrong, between God and Satan.
00:17:18.87\00:17:22.87
If we abide in Christ, if
we align ourselves with God,
00:17:22.90\00:17:27.14
we can know that
we will always end up
00:17:27.18\00:17:29.14
on the winning side,
00:17:29.18\00:17:30.51
though on the way
00:17:30.55\00:17:31.88
there will
sometimes be apparent defeats.
00:17:31.91\00:17:34.18
Dinooth was a heroic figure
00:17:57.67\00:17:59.61
who lived in the
fifth and sixth centuries
00:17:59.64\00:18:02.04
and was director of Christianity
00:18:02.08\00:18:04.25
in England and Wales
00:18:04.28\00:18:05.61
around the time
00:18:05.65\00:18:06.98
of the beginning of
the 1260 year prophecy
00:18:07.02\00:18:09.82
in 538
00:18:09.85\00:18:11.19
and led the church
00:18:11.22\00:18:12.55
during its critical
encounter with Augustine,
00:18:12.59\00:18:15.39
the founder of the
papal church in Britain.
00:18:15.42\00:18:18.46
He was a contemporary of Columba
00:18:18.49\00:18:20.43
and had received
his training from him.
00:18:20.46\00:18:23.47
Here in Bangor-on-Dee in Wales,
00:18:23.50\00:18:26.13
a training
institute was established
00:18:26.17\00:18:28.60
that would be key in
establishing this country
00:18:28.64\00:18:31.54
as a mighty force for truth
00:18:31.57\00:18:33.38
and resisting the
advances of Rome for centuries.
00:18:33.41\00:18:37.01
The school here in
Bangor was not a small one
00:18:47.99\00:18:51.13
with just 20 or 30 students
00:18:51.16\00:18:53.43
but would have had hundreds
00:18:53.46\00:18:54.80
and at times
thousands of students.
00:18:54.83\00:18:57.07
There was one particular story
00:18:57.10\00:18:58.83
soon after the
leaders of the Celtic Church
00:18:58.87\00:19:01.47
had met with Augustine
00:19:01.50\00:19:02.84
and rejected his
teachings and authority,
00:19:02.87\00:19:05.77
when 1,200 ministerial students
00:19:05.81\00:19:08.21
from this school
were slaughtered.
00:19:08.24\00:19:10.55
The Welsh church
was one of the sturdiest
00:19:10.58\00:19:12.98
and withstood
much opposition to it,
00:19:13.01\00:19:15.35
maintaining its
stance the longest
00:19:15.38\00:19:17.79
out of the churches in
England, Scotland, and Wales.
00:19:17.82\00:19:21.29
They differed with
Rome on many points,
00:19:21.32\00:19:23.96
but the supremacy of
the bishops, celibacy,
00:19:23.99\00:19:26.70
and the Sabbath were
three of the main ones.
00:19:26.73\00:19:29.73
"There is much evidence
00:19:29.76\00:19:31.10
that the Sabbath
prevailed in Wales universally
00:19:31.13\00:19:33.70
until AD 115
00:19:33.74\00:19:35.97
when the first Roman
bishop was seated at St David's.
00:19:36.00\00:19:39.57
The old Welsh
Sabbath-keeping churches
00:19:39.61\00:19:42.08
did not even then
altogether bow the knee to Rome,
00:19:42.11\00:19:45.38
but fled to their hiding places
00:19:45.41\00:19:47.45
where the ordinances
of the gospel to this day
00:19:47.48\00:19:50.32
have been administered
in their primitive mode
00:19:50.35\00:19:52.69
without being adulterated
by the corrupt Church of Rome."
00:19:52.72\00:19:56.86
So in the sixth
and seventh centuries
00:19:56.89\00:19:58.63
we see a strong Celtic Church.
00:19:58.66\00:20:00.76
Patrick had been the
evangelist in Ireland,
00:20:00.80\00:20:03.43
Columba in
Scotland, Aidan in England,
00:20:03.47\00:20:06.33
and Dinooth had established
00:20:06.37\00:20:08.10
a training Center here in Wales.
00:20:08.14\00:20:10.97
But the gospel would
flow from these shores
00:20:11.01\00:20:13.48
over to Europe
00:20:13.51\00:20:14.84
through the ministry of
a man called Columbanus.
00:20:14.88\00:20:17.45
He was trained here in Bangor
00:20:17.48\00:20:19.58
and he would carry
the light to France,
00:20:19.61\00:20:21.68
Switzerland, Germany, and Italy,
00:20:21.72\00:20:24.15
establishing training
centers on the continent.
00:20:24.19\00:20:26.86
The first place he
established a school
00:20:38.80\00:20:40.97
was in France.
00:20:41.00\00:20:42.34
Here, along with 13
others who would come with him,
00:20:42.37\00:20:44.67
these Celtic
missionaries lived their lives,
00:20:44.71\00:20:47.18
reading the scriptures
and teaching other people.
00:20:47.21\00:20:49.84
No longer did
the youth of the land
00:20:49.88\00:20:51.81
have to travel to
Ireland, Scotland, or Wales
00:20:51.85\00:20:54.58
to receive training,
00:20:54.62\00:20:55.95
but right in Europe they
could receive an education
00:20:55.98\00:20:58.75
of the highest standard.
00:20:58.79\00:21:00.22
Soon this
school became too small
00:21:00.26\00:21:02.39
and he planted
another one nearby,
00:21:02.42\00:21:04.66
and then another one nearby,
00:21:04.69\00:21:06.09
all within 20
miles of each other.
00:21:06.13\00:21:08.66
Later on in his life,
00:21:08.70\00:21:10.03
he would plant schools in
Switzerland and in Germany.
00:21:10.07\00:21:14.37
Even as he was
nearing the end of his life
00:21:14.40\00:21:16.64
at 70 years old,
he did not slow down.
00:21:16.67\00:21:20.08
Now settling in Italy,
he was joyfully received
00:21:20.11\00:21:23.68
and the
commonality between the faith
00:21:23.71\00:21:25.38
of the Celtic Church
00:21:25.41\00:21:26.75
and that of the
Waldensians was seen
00:21:26.78\00:21:28.88
as he found a strong
bond with the believers there.
00:21:28.92\00:21:32.49
Refusing to enjoy a
comfortable retirement,
00:21:32.52\00:21:35.66
he asked the king for a
place to plant a new center
00:21:35.69\00:21:39.26
and the locality of Bobbio
00:21:39.29\00:21:41.00
with its ruined
church was given him
00:21:41.03\00:21:43.43
and he established a
school and library there.
00:21:43.47\00:21:46.40
He died one year
00:21:53.27\00:21:54.64
after founding the
school in Bobbio, Italy
00:21:54.68\00:21:57.11
in the year 615
at the age of 72.
00:21:57.15\00:22:00.58
He lived a faithful life,
00:22:00.62\00:22:02.18
learning the
gospel here in Wales
00:22:02.22\00:22:04.35
and then dedicating his life
00:22:04.39\00:22:06.19
to the spreading of the
gospel in foreign lands,
00:22:06.22\00:22:08.82
setting up mission
institutes all over Europe.
00:22:08.86\00:22:12.33
One thing that stands out to
us from the life of Columbanus
00:22:12.36\00:22:15.86
is that he worked for God
all the way until the end.
00:22:15.90\00:22:19.40
He didn't enjoy
an easy retirement,
00:22:19.43\00:22:21.44
but he kept pressing on.
00:22:21.47\00:22:23.17
No matter who we are,
00:22:23.20\00:22:24.54
whether we work for the church
00:22:24.57\00:22:25.91
or whether we don't
work for the church,
00:22:25.94\00:22:27.51
whether we are employed,
whether we're unemployed,
00:22:27.54\00:22:29.61
whether we are old
or whether we are young,
00:22:29.64\00:22:31.78
let us be faithful
to God wherever we are,
00:22:31.81\00:22:34.92
using the talents
00:22:34.95\00:22:36.28
God has given to us
all the way until the end.
00:22:36.32\00:22:39.65
Whilst the Celtic Church
00:22:55.50\00:22:56.84
was maintaining the
pure apostolic faith
00:22:56.87\00:22:59.37
in the British Isles and
evangelizing there as well,
00:22:59.41\00:23:02.74
the Waldensians
were doing the same here
00:23:02.78\00:23:05.18
in northern Italy.
00:23:05.21\00:23:06.72
The word Waldensian
means people of the valleys.
00:23:06.75\00:23:10.55
Originally, though, in Italian,
it was Vallenses with a V.
00:23:10.59\00:23:14.99
It was translated
into the French as Vaudois.
00:23:15.02\00:23:18.46
But in the 12th century,
00:23:18.49\00:23:19.83
the V changed to a W and
one of the Ls became a D,
00:23:19.86\00:23:23.80
from where we get the
name Waldensian today.
00:23:23.83\00:23:27.50
The Waldensians
did not see themselves
00:23:27.54\00:23:30.01
as reformers.
00:23:30.04\00:23:31.37
They did not see themselves
00:23:31.41\00:23:32.74
as needing to
separate from Rome,
00:23:32.77\00:23:34.64
for they said we
have never belonged to it.
00:23:34.68\00:23:36.95
They said they were
part of the apostolic faith
00:23:36.98\00:23:39.25
and could trace their origins
00:23:39.28\00:23:40.82
all the way back to
the early centuries.
00:23:40.85\00:23:43.18
In fact,
00:23:43.22\00:23:44.55
when we look at the
history of the Waldensians
00:23:44.59\00:23:46.45
over several hundred
years, if not millennia,
00:23:46.49\00:23:50.56
we can see that they were around
00:23:50.59\00:23:52.13
in the very early centuries.
00:23:52.16\00:23:53.90
In the fourth
century with Vigilantius,
00:23:53.93\00:23:56.30
we can see them in the seventh,
the eighth, the ninth century.
00:23:56.33\00:23:59.53
Some people say
that the first Waldensian
00:24:09.44\00:24:11.71
was Peter Waldo
in the 12th century,
00:24:11.75\00:24:14.32
but this is not really accurate.
00:24:14.35\00:24:16.55
Whilst it is true
00:24:16.58\00:24:18.05
that Peter Waldo was
a merchantman from Lyon.
00:24:18.09\00:24:21.32
He did sell all of his
goods and commit his life
00:24:21.36\00:24:24.29
to the preaching of the gospel.
00:24:24.33\00:24:26.13
He was not the first Waldensian
00:24:26.16\00:24:28.36
and their roots
trace back much before him.
00:24:28.40\00:24:31.53
In fact, one of the
early names for the Waldensians
00:24:31.57\00:24:34.67
was actually the word Insabbati,
00:24:34.70\00:24:37.61
showing clearly
that the Waldensians
00:24:37.64\00:24:39.51
were Sabbath keepers
00:24:39.54\00:24:40.88
as they were
named after the very day
00:24:40.91\00:24:42.74
upon which they worshipped.
00:24:42.78\00:24:44.71
As the
Waldensians were coming up
00:24:44.75\00:24:46.45
in the early centuries
00:24:46.48\00:24:48.08
and the Roman Catholic
Church was forming as well,
00:24:48.12\00:24:51.25
both of them saw the heathens
around them as a mission field.
00:24:51.29\00:24:55.42
But whilst the
Roman Catholic Church
00:24:55.46\00:24:57.53
used the power of the law
00:24:57.56\00:24:59.56
and the sword and
political alliances
00:24:59.59\00:25:02.10
to win people over,
00:25:02.13\00:25:03.67
the Waldensians put their faith
in the strength of God's Word.
00:25:03.70\00:25:08.00
When you gaze on the
magnificent mountains
00:25:16.28\00:25:18.85
that surround us,
00:25:18.88\00:25:20.22
you cannot but admit
00:25:20.25\00:25:22.08
that God provided a
safe retreat for his people.
00:25:22.12\00:25:26.02
To the
Waldensians was given the task
00:25:26.05\00:25:28.26
of passing the light on
00:25:28.29\00:25:30.13
to the
Protestants of modern time
00:25:30.16\00:25:32.73
and penetrating the darkness
with true Bible doctrine.
00:25:32.76\00:25:38.73
Indeed they
maintained longer than any group
00:25:38.77\00:25:42.57
in the struggle
to preserve the Bible
00:25:42.60\00:25:45.24
and primitive Christianity.
00:25:45.27\00:25:48.08
In upcoming episodes,
00:25:48.11\00:25:50.05
we're gonna see the
caves in which they hid
00:25:50.08\00:25:52.95
and where they met for worship.
00:25:52.98\00:25:54.78
We're gonna see the places
00:25:54.82\00:25:56.58
where they
trained their young people
00:25:56.62\00:25:58.75
and how to study the Bible
00:25:58.79\00:26:00.56
and then how to be missionaries.
00:26:00.59\00:26:02.89
We're also gonna climb mountains
00:26:02.92\00:26:05.06
and see the cliffs
00:26:05.09\00:26:06.43
over which the Waldensians
were hurled to their death
00:26:06.46\00:26:09.73
in times of persecution.
00:26:09.76\00:26:12.60
Truly, the
Waldensians stand to us today
00:26:12.63\00:26:15.97
as a group of people
who believed in the Bible,
00:26:16.00\00:26:18.77
as a group of people
00:26:18.81\00:26:20.14
who believed in mission service.
00:26:20.18\00:26:22.28
They are a key part of
our spiritual lineage today.
00:26:22.31\00:26:27.75