SOLA, SOLA, SOLA (2 OF 2)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: I Corinthians 3:1-10
This content is part of a series.
Sola, Sola, Sola (2 of 2)
Series: Reformation Thoughts
Jeff Strite
I Corinthians 3:1-10
500 ago, on October 31st, a very special thing took place in Church history. A Catholic priest named Martin nailed a challenge to the Catholic Church on a Church door Wittenberg, Germany. It was called the ''95 Theses'' (or 95 criticisms) of the Roman Catholic Church's practice of selling indulgences - which were essentially legal papers that ''sold forgiveness''. The Catholic Church taught that people who bought these papers were assured that they would not suffer for their sins in a fictitious place called Purgatory. Purgatory was a place where ''good Catholics'' had to go to work off the guilt of sins they already been forgiven of.
Luther rejected that false teaching and the Church became so angry with him that they intended to have him executed ... but they just couldn't get it done. But Luther wasn't the first to challenge Catholic teachings.
ILLUS: About 200 years before Martin Luther, a Catholic priest in England named John Wycliffe had the audacity to declare that the pope and the church were second in authority to Scripture (That's something the Catholic Church denies. They believe that they wrote the Bible, therefore they have authority interpret it or alter it as they see fit); he denied that the church had the authority to sell forgiveness (indulgences) and he began a translation of the Bible into English. This English translation wasn't finished until after he died a natural death 64, but the Catholic Church wasn't pleased that he was doing that. They condemned Wycliffe with these words:
''By this translation, the Scriptures have become vulgar, and they are more available to lay, and even to women who can read, than they were to learned scholars, who have a high intelligence. So the pearl of the gospel is scattered and trodden underfoot by swine.''
For this reason the followers of Wycliffe's teachings were often designated by Catholic officials a ...
Series: Reformation Thoughts
Jeff Strite
I Corinthians 3:1-10
500 ago, on October 31st, a very special thing took place in Church history. A Catholic priest named Martin nailed a challenge to the Catholic Church on a Church door Wittenberg, Germany. It was called the ''95 Theses'' (or 95 criticisms) of the Roman Catholic Church's practice of selling indulgences - which were essentially legal papers that ''sold forgiveness''. The Catholic Church taught that people who bought these papers were assured that they would not suffer for their sins in a fictitious place called Purgatory. Purgatory was a place where ''good Catholics'' had to go to work off the guilt of sins they already been forgiven of.
Luther rejected that false teaching and the Church became so angry with him that they intended to have him executed ... but they just couldn't get it done. But Luther wasn't the first to challenge Catholic teachings.
ILLUS: About 200 years before Martin Luther, a Catholic priest in England named John Wycliffe had the audacity to declare that the pope and the church were second in authority to Scripture (That's something the Catholic Church denies. They believe that they wrote the Bible, therefore they have authority interpret it or alter it as they see fit); he denied that the church had the authority to sell forgiveness (indulgences) and he began a translation of the Bible into English. This English translation wasn't finished until after he died a natural death 64, but the Catholic Church wasn't pleased that he was doing that. They condemned Wycliffe with these words:
''By this translation, the Scriptures have become vulgar, and they are more available to lay, and even to women who can read, than they were to learned scholars, who have a high intelligence. So the pearl of the gospel is scattered and trodden underfoot by swine.''
For this reason the followers of Wycliffe's teachings were often designated by Catholic officials a ...
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