Let us, therefore, begin exploring this heritage of ours from where it all began.
The Apostolic Age (AD 70)
After Jesus left for heaven, His disciples, under the new power of the Holy Spirit continued to witness about Him. This is when Christianity and the Christian Church began. The Apostles are therefore, the foundation of the Church where everything we are today is built upon (Eph 2:20). This apostolic age is also the highest point of the power of Christianity because it is during this time that the Gospel rapidly spread; being validated by genuine miracles such as raising the dead. Despite extreme persecution from both the Jews and the Roman government (which led to the death of early martyrs like Stephen, James the brother of John) the Church grew from strength to strength - from Jerusalem to Rome and to the rest of the world. The main Apostles of this time include Simon Peter, John, Paul and James. The Gospel cost these men dearly as they all suffered painful deaths; hangings, crucifixions, stabbing, burnings and beatings except for John who died of natural death.
The Rise of the Roman Church (AD 320)
A new error emerged when Emperor Constantine took over Rome. Unlike his predecessors Nero and Domitian who murdered thousands of Believers, Constantine claimed to have converted to Christianity. Therefore there was no more killing of Christians, instead, Constantine turned to persecuting non-believers and forced them to convert into Christianity. Such forced conversions which were not true salvation from the heart resulted in many pagans coming to church with their rituals and idols. This was the birth of a new kind of a Church which was a mixture of both paganism (non-Christian belief system) and Christianity. During this time, many true believers who did not want to be part of the Roman Church hid themselves.
The Middle Ages (AD1905)
The Roman Church continued to thrive; new doctrines like the worship of Mary began. Popes were introduced, who were priests that were elevated to the level of being mediators for sinners in place of Jesus who is the only Mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5). This period in history is what is famously known as the Dark Ages, also the same time when Christians were involved in wars against Muslims. These wars were called crusades, and those who fought were called crusaders and were promised straight heaven when they died in war. The Middle Ages were, therefore, the lowest and weakest point of the Christian Faith.
The Reformation
As the Church in Rome continued to go further away from the Bible and the Gospel truth, on 31 October 1517 a German Priest named Martin Luther publicly took a stand against the corruption of the Church and called for a return to the Word of God. Many true believers joined Luther and a Reformation or restoration of biblical truth happened. 31 October is celebrated by Christians as Reformation Day and 2016 marked 500 years since the Reformation. The main part of the reformation was the return of the doctrine of salvation through faith alone unlike salvation by good works as the Roman Church had been teaching.
The summary of the teachings that developed through the Reformation is what is called the five solas; sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fidei, sola Kristos and soli Deo gloria. Translated into English, these mean that salvation is according to Scripture alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Those who still emphasize these doctrines are called today the Reformed Believers.
Luther and his followers became known as Protestants, for they protested against the Church of Rome. The Reformation also resulted in the first division of the Church, because from Protestants grew all the other churches and denominations such as the Lutheran Church, Baptist church, Anglican Church, Methodist Church and many others, while the Roman church remained and became known as the Roman Catholic Church.
The Puritans
In 1560, in England, a new group of believers called the Puritans emerged. These believed the Reformation did not purify the church enough; hence they introduced a more biblical understanding of Scripture and a more practical way of holiness. Puritans are noteworthy for their doctrine of 'sola Scriptura' (scripture alone) which taught that dreams, revelations, visions and prophecies were not to be accepted in the Church. They believed that God speaks through Scripture alone and has revealed everything that man has to know therein (based on 2 Tim 3:16). The Puritans were also known for their serious devotion to Christ and for preaching fearful biblical doctrines known as fire and brimstone. Notable Puritans include John Owen, John Bunyan, John Flavel, Tomas Watson and many others. Most Puritans were persecuted by the English government and later expelled from the city of London.
The Moravians
Similar to the Puritans, in 1720 another protestant group called the Moravian believers emerged. The Moravians, however, traced their roots to Moravia, a town in the Czech Republic, 50 years before Martin Luther's Reformation. These believers are famous for their 100-year-old prayer service, which was a 24hr continuous prayer session until it lasted 100 years. They were also serious to follow Christ's command "love one another". John Wesley, the Methodist Church founder is said to have been converted after he been in fellowship with the Moravians. Notable Moravians include Count Zinzendorf and David Mitschmann among others.
Age of Missions
The Reformation was also responsible for producing individuals who wanted to give their lives in spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth. When colonization of continents such as Africa began, the missionaries used such opportunities to preach Christ in areas where He had not been known. Apart from the Gospel we have now, the missionaries were also responsible for helping poor communities by building schools and hospitals, of which many of which are still operating today. If anything we ought to be grateful and even inspired by such individuals that the Lord raised for us. Notable missionaries include David Livingstone, Hudson Taylor, William Cary and others.
Today’s Church Age
As of today, under Christianity sits a highly divided belief system of denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church, Mormon Church, Jehovah Witness Church, SDA Church, Reformed Church, Pentecostal church, and newly formed denominations like the Charismatic Prosperity Church.
But what can we learn about all this? Watch out for part 2
Happy Reformation Month!
Sinothi Ncube
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