Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001475A
01:30 ♪[Theme music]♪
01:40 ♪[Theme music]♪ 01:49 >>John: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 01:53 Thanks for joining me in Rome. 01:56 ♪[Music]♪ 01:57 3 million people call this city home. 02:01 It's one of the most visited cities in the world. 02:05 And has some of the planet's most 02:07 recognizable tourist attractions. 02:11 20 million people visit Rome every year. 02:15 4 million alone visit the Colosseum. 02:19 That's 11,000 a day. 02:20 [Vehicle sounds] 02:23 Legend has is that Rome was founded in 753 B.C. 02:27 Which means people have been living here 02:29 almost 3 thousand years; most likely a lot longer. 02:34 Rome was home to the emperors, 02:36 Constantine, 02:37 and Trajan, 02:38 and Nero, 02:39 and others. 02:40 The Olyimpc games were held here in 1960, 02:43 Rome was bombed during Word War II, 02:46 history oozes from the pores of the eternal city. 02:56 The Roman empire which ruled for around 600 years 02:59 was governed from Rome. 03:01 As well as being the capital of Italy today, 03:04 Rome was the capital of the Roman empire, 03:06 and for half a millenium was the largest city in the world. 03:10 The Roman empire stretched all the way from Hadrian's wall 03:14 in the north of England, 03:15 across Europe and north Africa to the Persian Gulf. 03:19 But visit Rome and there's no escaping an obvious fact, 03:23 the city is dominated by a certain entity which happens 03:26 to be the largest Christian denomination in the world. 03:31 St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican city 03:33 is one of the largest church buildings in the world. 03:36 It's not a cathedral, 03:38 the cathedral of the pope of Rome, 03:40 who also happens to be the Bishop of Rome 03:42 is the archbasilica of St. John Lateran; 03:45 which is about 3 miles from here. 03:48 And the faithful come here from all over the world 03:50 to visit shrines and cathedrals and Holy sites 03:54 that are important to their faith. 04:00 Rome claims that it is the one true church founded by Jesus, 04:05 and that the pope is St. Peter's successor. 04:10 But while the church of Rome has occupied the place 04:13 of greatest influence of any church in the world 04:15 for well over a thousand years, 04:18 there was a time when its influence and supremacy 04:21 was jeopardized. 04:28 When the Protestant Reformation challenged 04:30 the authority of the established church 500 years ago, 04:34 it took on what had become the most powerful institution 04:37 in western civilization. 04:41 So how did the church become so powerful? 04:44 Well when the Roman empire collapsed 04:45 in the 5th century A.D. 04:47 an enormous power vacuum was created in Europe. 04:51 By that time, Christianity had been established 04:54 as the state religion of the Roman empire. 04:57 That had been so for more than 150 years. 05:00 There was only one power that could provide 05:04 any measure of stability, 05:06 one historian put it this way. 05:09 “With the breakup of the Roman bureaucracy the structure of 05:12 daily life was threatened with disintegration. 05:16 The only trace left of the Roman organism 05:18 was the Catholic Church, 05:21 and the only men with administrative experience 05:24 were the bishops.” 05:26 Another historian wrote: 05:27 “The reins and skills of government were 05:30 handed down by a dying empire to a virile papacy; 05:35 the lost power of the broken sword was rewon 05:38 by the magic of the consoling word; 05:41 the armies of the state were replaced by the missionaries 05:44 of the Church moving in all directions 05:47 along the Roman roads, 05:49 and the revolted provinces, accepting Christianity, 05:53 again acknowledged the sovereignty of Rome.” 06:03 The transition from ancient to medieval Christianity 06:07 began in earnest with the conversion 06:09 of the emperor Constantine. 06:11 Which was almost certainly only a nominal conversion. 06:15 Constantine's arch, built more than 1700 years ago, 06:19 very near the Colliseum, 06:21 commemorates the victory that brought Constantine to power 06:24 in 312 A.D. 06:29 Constantine claimed that he'd received a vision from God 06:32 assuring him that he would triumph 06:34 which led him to embrace Christianity, 06:36 which until that time had been a persecuted sect. 06:40 Christianity became the means through which Constantine 06:43 brought peace and unity to the empire. 06:46 But that peace and unity came at a high price. 06:51 As the church found acceptance with kings and emporers, 06:55 Christianity itself underwent a metamorphisis. 06:58 It began to resemble less and less the early Christan church, 07:03 and was influenced more and more, by Paganism. 07:07 Keep in mind that the Roman emporers including Constantine, 07:10 had been Pagans. 07:12 As you might imagine, it would've been difficult at best 07:16 for Constantine's new found faith not to have been 07:19 influenced by his Pagan background. 07:22 Turned out to be impossible. 07:25 Centuries before Jesus had said of the Pharisees: 07:28 “In vain they worship Me, 07:30 teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” 07:33 Matthew 15:9. 07:35 Throughout western Christianity, 07:37 Paganism and the faith of Jesus along with church and state, 07:41 were blended together. 07:43 The Roman empire was a Pagan empire, 07:46 when it embraced Christianity 07:48 it didn't rid itself of Pagan influences. 07:51 Instead, it embraced them and absorbed them. 07:56 As a result, the church lost the power of the Gospel. 08:01 The story is told that Pope Julius the second 08:04 was once speaking with the scholar Erasmus here in Rome. 08:08 He referred to the church's great wealth 08:10 and then referenced Peter's statement in Acts chapter 3: 08:13 “Silver and gold have I none.” 08:16 The pope turned to the scholar and he said, 08:18 “well we cannot say that now, can we?” 08:21 And the scholar replied by saying. 08:22 “no we cannot. 08:24 And neither can we say, rise up and walk.” 08:27 Back with more in just a moment. 08:29 [Music] 08:36 >>John: I'm John Bradshaw from It Is Written, 08:38 inviting you to join me for 500, 08:42 nine programs produced by it Is Written 08:44 taking you deep into the Reformation. 08:47 This is the 500th anniversary of the beginning 08:50 of the Reformation, 08:51 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses 08:54 to the door of the Castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. 08:57 We'll take you to Wittenberg, 08:58 and to Belgium, 08:59 to England, 09:00 to Ireland, 09:01 to Rome, 09:02 to the Vatican City, 09:03 and introduce you to the people who created the Reformation, 09:06 who pushed the Reformation forward. 09:08 We'll take you to sites all throughout Europe 09:10 where the reformers lived and, in some cases, died. 09:13 We'll bring you back to the United States 09:15 and take you to a little farm in upstate New York, 09:18 and show you how God spread the Reformation here. 09:21 Don't miss 500. 09:23 You can own the 500 series on DVD. 09:26 Call us on 888-664-5573, 09:31 or visit us online at itiswritten.shop. 09:37 >>John: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 09:39 The New Testament church had very little wealth 09:42 and absolutely no political power. 09:45 But it did have what the apostle Paul described as 09:48 “the power of God to salvation.” 09:51 And the book of Acts says that that power 09:53 “turned the world upside down.” 09:56 But when the church compromised with the world 09:58 in order to receive favor and protection, 10:02 that primitive power of the Gospel was lost. 10:05 ♪[Music]♪ 10:11 But civil and ecclesiastical power soon fell into the hands 10:15 of the church as Europe searched for stability. 10:19 The Emperor Justinian, 10:21 who had ruled what was once the eastern half of the Roman Empire 10:24 became the champion for Roman Christianity. 10:27 The Emperor became the defender of the church, 10:30 and set about to destroy by military means 10:34 the theological enemies of the church. 10:37 Tribes such as the Heruli, 10:38 the Ostrogoths and the Vandals were subdued and conquered. 10:43 One historian reflected upon these conquests. 10:47 “The Church, with the shadow of the ancient authority behind it, 10:51 was the only symbol left of imperial Rome, 10:54 and its bishop, 10:55 the Pope, 10:57 was the city's only recourse for leadership and protection, 11:00 The Roman Empire in Europe would be replaced 11:03 by the spiritual empire, 11:05 which came to be temporal as well, 11:07 whose reigning seigneur was the bishop of Rome.” 11:13 There were some colorful characters associated with 11:15 the papacy in the Middle Ages. 11:18 Pope Gregory the Seventh, who reigned in the 11th century, 11:22 forced the German Emperor Henry IV 11:25 to wait outside in the snow for three days 11:30 before agreeing to see him and reconcile him to the church. 11:34 Now, you might not expect things to be done that way today, 11:36 but in the medieval church, that's how things were done. 11:40 ♪[Music]♪ 11:44 Pope Sixtus the Fourth, 11:46 famous for building the Sistine Chapel in Rome, 11:49 which was named for him, reigned in the 15th century. 11:54 He was also deeply involved in the politics 11:57 of the Italian States, 11:59 and in 1476 he was involved in a conspiracy 12:03 to assassinate an Italian statesman and his brother, 12:07 whose family at the time were rulers in the city of Florence. 12:11 Other popes such as Alexander the Sixth and Julius the Second 12:14 kept mistresses and fathered illegitimate sons, 12:18 and even maneuvered these illegitimate sons 12:20 into positions of influence. 12:22 [Crowd noises] 12:35 Of course they weren't all bad, 12:37 and you can't judge an entire organization 12:39 by a few rotten eggs. 12:42 But it was a system that dictated to countries, 12:44 manipulated states, 12:46 and believed that the line separating church and state 12:49 should simply disappear. 12:52 And it helps us to understand why the Reformation 12:54 should take place at all. 12:56 The system was simply broken. 12:59 In time, the papacy got to the place 13:01 where tradition had authority over Scripture. 13:05 Pope Innocent III, who ruled between 1198 and 1216, 13:09 and was the most powerful of all of the medieval popes, 13:12 had this to say about his spiritual role: 13:15 "The successor of Peter is the Vicar of Christ; 13:19 he has been established as a mediator between God and man, 13:23 below God but beyond man, 13:25 less than God but more than man, 13:28 who shall judge all and be judged by no one." 13:33 And the church had tools at its disposal 13:35 to strike fear into the heart of people, 13:38 of people who were largely ignorant and, 13:40 when it came to the scriptures, completely illiterate. 13:44 The sentence of interdict, 13:46 a sort of censure the church placed upon dissenters, 13:49 meant that sins couldn't be forgiven, 13:51 the sacraments couldn't be dispensed, 13:53 prayers for the dead couldn't be heard. 13:56 Essentially, heaven was cut off for people 13:59 who were living in the affected area. 14:01 And when you consider that the church is the doorway to heaven, 14:04 well, when the church goes ahead and shuts that door, 14:08 you can imagine. 14:09 During the reign of Innocent III, 14:11 the nation of France was placed under interdict 14:14 as the pope tried to persuade the king 14:17 to take back his estranged wife. 14:19 During the 1400s, the city of Prague, 14:22 in what was then Bohemia and is now the Czech Republic, 14:25 suffered a similar fate during the ministry of John Huss. 14:29 [Sound of water] 14:35 And it got much worse than interdict. 14:37 Anyone living in the world dominated by the church 14:40 in the Middle Ages had to deal with some grim realities. 14:45 Under the influence of Saint Augustine, 14:47 the church accepted the theory that humanity's willpower 14:50 was so depraved that the use of force against heretics 14:55 and sinners was sometimes necessary. 14:59 As a result, the medieval church resorted to some of the most 15:02 brutal tactics ever seen in history as a means of 15:05 controlling the consciences of God's people. 15:08 Christians during these centuries 15:10 were burned at the stake, 15:11 tortured on the rack, 15:14 and a whole lot more, all in the name of God. 15:18 ♪[Music]♪ 15:25 One historian wrote, 15:27 “Compared with the persecution of heresy in Europe 15:29 from 1227 to 1492, 15:33 the persecution of Christians by Romans 15:35 in the first three centuries after Christ 15:38 was a mild and humane procedure. 15:41 Making every allowance required of an historian 15:44 and permitted to a Christian, we must rank the Inquisition, 15:48 along with the wars and persecutions of our time, 15:51 as among the darkest blots on the record of mankind, 15:55 revealing a ferocity unknown in any beast.” 15:59 ♪[Music]♪ 16:00 So you can understand why Wycliffe spoke out in England, 16:04 and why John Huss protested in what we know today to be 16:07 the Czech Republic, 16:08 why Calvin rose up in Geneva 16:10 and Knox in Scotland 16:12 and Zwingli in Zurich. 16:14 The church was broken, abusing its power, 16:18 choking off the Scriptures from the people, 16:20 and teaching falsehood in the place of truth. 16:25 Of course, church leaders today don't speak in quite the same 16:28 tone as Pope Innocent III did all those years ago. 16:32 But Rome still takes a hard line on how its teachings 16:35 are to be evaluated, 16:36 maintaining it holds a unique place among Christian faiths. 16:40 In 1997, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 16:43 who went on to become Pope Benedict XVI, 16:46 said that the use of Scripture to evaluate Church teaching 16:50 “was one of the most dangerous currents 16:52 to flow out of the Vatican II Council.” 16:56 So what do you do when you're a church leader 16:59 and you discover that there are inconsistencies between 17:02 what the Bible teaches and what you hold to 17:05 be true as an organization? 17:07 Problem, or not? 17:09 We'll find out in just a moment. 17:11 ♪[Music]♪ 17:19 >>Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, 17:22 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 17:25 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 17:29 “Every Word” 17:30 is a one-minute, Bible-based daily devotional 17:32 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw, 17:34 and designed especially for busy people like you. 17:37 Look for Every Word on selected networks, 17:40 or watch it online every day on our website, 17:42 ItIsWritten.com. 17:45 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 17:47 Watch “Every Word.” 17:48 You'll be glad you did. 17:50 Here's a sample. 17:53 ♪[Theme music]♪ 17:58 >>John: Five hundred years after the Protestant Reformation 18:01 began on October 31, 1517, 18:04 we might be tempted to wonder what Luther and Knox 18:06 and Zwingli and Calvin 18:07 and Farel and Beza and the Huguenots 18:09 and the Anabaptists and so many others achieved. 18:12 Today it would seem that the protest is over. 18:15 Even though the most influential church in the world 18:17 offers indulgences, 18:18 hears confessions, 18:19 teaches justification by faith and works, 18:22 considers Mary the queen of Heaven, 18:24 where're the Protestants today? 18:26 Protestants are being welcomed back into the church of Rome, 18:29 and many see this as positive. 18:30 It's been said it's more important 18:33 to be divided by truth than it is to be united by error. 18:37 Paul said in II Timothy 4, verse 2, 18:39 “Preach the word; be instant in season, 18:42 out of season; reprove, rebuke, 18:44 exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” 18:46 The Word. 18:47 Anything less will never do. 18:49 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 18:51 Let's live today by every Word. 18:52 ♪[Music]♪ 18:56 >>John: By the time of the Reformation, 18:58 the church of Rome had become by far 19:00 not only the most powerful church on the planet, 19:04 but also the most powerful political entity. 19:07 And that happened as Rome filled a vacuum left 19:09 by the failed Roman Empire. 19:11 It was basically thrust into that role. 19:13 That could have been a wonderful opportunity 19:16 for church leaders to elevate the gospel and the message 19:19 of Christ's righteousness and grace and mercy. 19:24 But traditions started coming into the church 19:26 a lot like a rising tide creeping up a beach. 19:29 One of the unique teachings that the Reformers were up against 19:33 was that of the Magisterium, 19:34 the “teaching office” of the church, 19:37 the church's ability to decide what's true and what is not. 19:41 It's said that Jesus Christ is the source 19:45 of all of the church's teachings, 19:46 but that those teachings rest upon Scripture AND 19:51 “sacred tradition.” 19:52 In other words, 19:53 our traditions provide us with a source of unerring truth, 19:56 and we know that to be true because we say it is true. 20:01 And we can say it's true because God has given us 20:04 the authority to do that. 20:05 And we know He's given us that authority because we say so. 20:11 ♪[Music]♪ 20:20 The teachings of the Magisterium are said to be 20:22 “the prime, God-given means of finding the truth.” 20:27 But appealing to the Bible as your authority 20:30 only gets you someplace if people accept 20:33 that the Bible is authoritative. 20:36 Now, do the teachings of the church 20:37 ever contradict the teachings of the Bible? 20:39 Yes, at times they do. 20:42 But that's okay, because the church says it's okay. 20:47 Even Pope John Paul II admitted 20:49 that he was contradicting the teachings of Jesus. 20:53 "Have no fear when people call me the Vicar of Christ, 20:57 when they say to me 'Holy Father' 20:59 or 'Your Holiness,' 21:00 or use terms similar to these, 21:03 which seem even inimical to the gospel. 21:06 Christ Himself declared, 21:08 'Call no one on earth your father; 21:11 you have but one father in heaven. 21:13 Do not be called Master; 21:15 you have but one Master, the Messiah' (Matthew 23:9-10). 21:19 These expressions, nevertheless, 21:21 have evolved out of a long tradition, 21:24 becoming part of common usage. 21:27 One must not be afraid of these words either.” 21:31 Modern popes have also made it clear that people must confess 21:35 their sins to a priest to receive God's forgiveness. 21:40 “Rebuffing a belief widely shared by Protestants 21:43 and a growing number of Roman Catholics, 21:45 Pope John Paul II on Tuesday dismissed the 21:49 'widespread idea that one can obtain forgiveness 21:52 directly from God,' 21:54 and exhorted Catholics to confess more often 21:57 to their priests.” 21:59 The Apostle John wrote, 22:00 “If we confess our sins, 22:02 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 22:06 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 22:12 And the Reformers knew that, 22:14 and were determined that people could find forgiveness in Christ 22:18 rather than through a church and its sacraments. 22:21 One of the practices that spurred Martin Luther 22:24 to write his 95 theses was the selling of indulgences. 22:28 But even though the selling of indulgences 22:30 virtually kick-started the Reformation, 22:32 things haven't changed. 22:34 "Pope John Paul II announced yesterday 22:37 that throughout the millennium celebration, 22:39 penitents who do a charitable deed or give up cigarettes 22:43 or alcohol for a day can earn an 'indulgence' 22:46 that will eliminate time in purgatory." 22:49 This was reported in the New York Times: 22:52 “In recent months dioceses around the world 22:55 have been offering Catholics a spiritual benefit 22:58 that fell out of favor decades ago, the indulgence, 23:02 a sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife, 23:05 and reminding them of the church's clout 23:07 in mitigating the wages of sin. 23:10 “The fact that many Catholics under 50 have never sought one, 23:14 and never heard of indulgences 23:15 except in high school European history 23:18 (Martin Luther denounced the selling of them in 1517 23:22 while igniting the Protestant Reformation), 23:24 simply makes their reintroduction more urgent 23:27 among church leaders bent on restoring fading traditions 23:31 of penance in what they see as a self-satisfied world.” 23:37 So the issues that were raised by the Protestant Reformers 23:41 still exist today, 23:43 emphasized by a headline that appeared on the front page 23:46 of the Los Angeles Times back in the year 2000: 23:50 "Vatican Declares Catholicism Sole Path to Salvation." 23:55 The Secretary of the World Council of Churches 23:58 at the time said this in response: 24:00 “It's realistic to acknowledge that this is the official 24:03 Catholic position and we cannot simply wish it away.” 24:07 Men like John Huss and his colleague Jerome in Bohemia, 24:11 Louis de Berquin in France, 24:13 William Tyndale of England, 24:14 Ridley, 24:15 Latimer and Cranmer in England, 24:17 Patrick Hamilton and George Wishart in Scotland, 24:19 and millions of others during those dark, 24:22 blood-stained centuries, gave their lives, 24:24 in the words of the apostle John, 24:27 “for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” 24:30 (Revelation. 1:2). 24:33 There's a remarkable story told about a Dutch Anabaptist 24:36 named Dirk Willems, 24:38 who was condemned to die by the church 24:40 for refusing to adhere to the church's teachings, 24:43 specifically on infant baptism. 24:46 But Willems managed to escape from where he was being held, 24:49 and he crept across the frozen ice covering a moat. 24:53 A prison guard noticed what was going on and pursued Willems, 24:57 but he fell through that thin ice into the frigid waters. 25:01 He cried help for help. 25:02 There was nobody to help him 25:04 except for the escaping Dirk Willems, 25:06 who did not want to see the man perish. 25:10 He went back and rescued the man, 25:11 but he paid a high price for his bravery. 25:16 He was recaptured, 25:18 put in prison again, 25:20 and was burned at the stake by the church. 25:23 See, these great men and women of faith 25:25 believed the words of Jesus found in Revelation 2, verse 10, 25:28 where Jesus said, 25:29 “Be faithful unto death, 25:32 and I will give you the crown of life.” 25:38 This was the world into which 25:39 the Protestant Reformers were born. 25:43 They rose up to oppose something God 25:45 had never intended would be created: 25:48 a system of salvation based on works and not grace, 25:53 where the only freedom believers had was that 25:55 given them by the church. 25:57 A powerful system that, 25:59 believing it was doing the work of God, 26:01 was prepared to use force to get its way. 26:08 But the dark clouds that held back the light of truth, 26:11 the unholy alliance of church and state, 26:15 couldn't endure forever. 26:18 The corruption and cruelty of the Renaissance church 26:21 was like the hour before the dawn. 26:24 The morning sun would soon drive away the darkness. 26:29 Grace and truth would break forth. 26:32 ♪[Music]♪ 26:36 In Old Testament times, 26:38 God's people suffered for many years 26:40 under the heavy hand of Egyptian slavery. 26:43 But then there was a miraculous breakthrough, 26:45 and God delivered His people, 26:47 opening up the Red Sea 26:49 and guiding them to the Promised Land. 26:53 Well, there would be a miraculous breakthrough again. 26:55 The light of God's Word was going to shine. 26:58 God's plans would not be frustrated. 27:01 A new day would dawn for believers everywhere. 27:04 God's work was not done. 27:07 Great days were ahead. 27:08 ♪[Music]♪ 27:15 >>John: Who is the mystery beast of Revelation? 27:18 The Book of Revelation speaks of a power of tremendous 27:20 religious and political significance that will rise up 27:23 in Earth's last days. 27:25 Find out who it is by receiving this free offer, 27:28 “The Mystery Beast of Revelation.” 27:31 Call us on 800-253-3000, 27:34 or visit us online at itiswritten.com. 27:38 Or you can write to the address on your screen. 27:40 I'd like you to receive our free offer, 27:43 “The Mystery Beast of Revelation.” 27:45 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 27:47 exists due to the gracious support of people like you. 27:51 It's your support that makes it possible for It Is Written 27:53 to share Jesus and the great truths of the Bible 27:57 with the world. 27:58 You can send your tax-deductible gift 28:00 to the address on your screen, 28:02 or you can support It Is Written through our website, 28:04 itiswritten.com. 28:07 Thanks for your generous support. 28:09 Our number is 800-253-3000, 28:12 and our web address is 28:13 itiswritten.com. 28:16 >>John: Let's prayer together now. 28:18 Our Father in Heaven, 28:20 we thank You that in Your goodness 28:21 You have preserved Your Word for us. 28:24 We thank You for Jesus, the Word made flesh. 28:27 We wish that He would live in our hearts 28:29 and we pray You would make that so. 28:32 And we pray that our lives would be based on Your Word. 28:36 We thank You that there were men and women of old 28:38 who dared to stand up for Your Word, 28:40 they in many cases paid the ultimate price 28:43 so we could have delivered to us the freedom 28:47 that comes through knowing You personally, 28:51 through Your Word. 28:52 So bless us Lord I pray that any reform 28:55 that must take place in our own lives would happen 28:58 so that we can be by Your Grace, 29:00 everything that You wish we would be. 29:04 We thank You and ask Your blessing and we pray together 29:06 in Jesus' name, 29:07 Amen. 29:09 Thanks so much for joining me, 29:10 I'm looking forward to seeing you again. 29:12 Until then, remember: 29:14 “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, 29:18 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." 29:22 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2017-10-20