John Huss was one of the principle Christian leaders responsible for helping to ignite the reformation, as he was a proponent of John Wycliffe, who is largely credited with kindling the flame which let to the sweeping changes in Christendom.
As a Catholic priest he attempted to reform the Medieval church, attempting to engender a discourse over the writings and assertions of Wycliffe, even though he didn't necessarily agree with everything Wycliffe wrote. He was adamant that they weren't to be cast off as casually as they had been by Catholic leaders.
Those believing in the teachings of Huss were called Hussites in that day, and later on those that were called the Moravian Church by outsiders considered themselves spiritual heirs of Huss.
Among other things, Huss battled against the assertion by Catholic clergy that they were the only ones making up the church. Huss and Wycliffe both blasted this as a falsehood. That easily can be seen as a precursor to one of the main themes of the reformation: the priesthood of all believers.
The priesthood of all believers refers to more than that of course, but to be even considered a priesthood, ordinary believers first had to be recognized as officially part of the church.
Huss also spoke against the immorality of Catholic leaders and their love for money by charging for the services offered by priests, such as "confession, for mass, for the sacrament, for indulgences, for churching a woman, for a blessing, for burials, for funeral services and prayers," said Huss, according to Macek, 16.
Below is a film biography of Huss and his battle against the excesses and immorality of the Catholic church leaders of his day.
Huss, who is also called Jan Huss outside the West, was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415.
Huss and Wycliffe are two of the major influences on Martin Luther who is largely credited with sparking the reformation.
Biography of John Huss
Showing posts with label John Wycliffe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Wycliffe. Show all posts
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The Bible is by far the most important and popular book in the history of the world, and for centuries there was a battle waging over its translation and use.
Leaders in the Catholic Church didn't want the scriptures in the hands of the common people, especially in a language they could understand it in.
Reformers like Wycliffe, Tyndale and Cranmer battled to get it into the hands of the people, which threatened the Catholic hierarchy which rightly knew it was a threat to their authority; time has proven that to be exactly right.
Accompanying the battle for the Bible was the question of ultimate authority itself: would it be the Bible or men? While the Holy Scriptures are winning out, this battle continues on to this day.
Here are several videos on the history of the battle for the Bible to be released in languages people understood, as well as the resultant battle for where ultimate authority truly lies. The two go together.
There were other issues being fought over, but all of them stemmed from these two.
It was so intense that many people were martyred over it.
Battle For The Bible - The English Bible - Wycliffe, Tyndale,
Cranmer
The Forbidden Book - History of The English Bible
A Lamp In The Dark: Untold history of Bible ~ Full Film
Leaders in the Catholic Church didn't want the scriptures in the hands of the common people, especially in a language they could understand it in.
Reformers like Wycliffe, Tyndale and Cranmer battled to get it into the hands of the people, which threatened the Catholic hierarchy which rightly knew it was a threat to their authority; time has proven that to be exactly right.
Accompanying the battle for the Bible was the question of ultimate authority itself: would it be the Bible or men? While the Holy Scriptures are winning out, this battle continues on to this day.
Here are several videos on the history of the battle for the Bible to be released in languages people understood, as well as the resultant battle for where ultimate authority truly lies. The two go together.
There were other issues being fought over, but all of them stemmed from these two.
It was so intense that many people were martyred over it.
Battle For The Bible - The English Bible - Wycliffe, Tyndale,
Cranmer
The Forbidden Book - History of The English Bible
A Lamp In The Dark: Untold history of Bible ~ Full Film
John Wycliffe played an enormous pre-reformation role in preparation for a much-needed change in Christianity and the corrupt church of the day.
One of his major contributions was the introduction of the bible in the vernacular of the common people, something strongly opposed by Catholic leaders.
While he wasn't the first, he was probably the loudest and most effective opponent of the church as the final authority, rather than the Word of God. That didn't go over too well for him over the years, as you might well suspect.
As a matter of fact, after his death he was condemned as a heretic by the Catholic leaders at the Council of Constance, whom had his bones dug up and burned and then cast into a river.
Later he sent out two preachers at a time declaring many of the truths he held so dear. These itinerant preachers were eventually known as the Lollards.
One of his major attacks on the Catholic Church, of which he was part, was concerning ecclesiocracy. That is much different than theocracy, in which the principles of Jesus Christ influence the role, influence parameters of governments in the world. Ecclesiocracy was the rule of the clergy over the kings of the world, and thus, the governments and people. That has always been outside the call of God as far as spiritual leaders go, and Wycliffe attacked it with a vengeance.
That's not to say kings and government leaders aren't ministers of God, but that's only in regard to bearing the sword, as Paul says in Romans, not as being over the church of Jesus Christ in any way.
In other words, governmental leaders have an important but defined role by God, while ministers of the gospel have an entirely different one.
The church of Jesus Christ and its leaders are to influence the direction of government leaders, not be over them. Neither are governments to have any sway over the churches. They are completely different entities under God with different purposes and roles to play.
Wycliffe saw that and preached it throughout his life.
There is much more to the story of course, which is why I have included these two videos on the life of Wycliffe and how he and the Lollards influenced history.
John Wycliffe - Biography
The Life and Ministry of John Wycliffe
The Life and Ministry of John Wycliffe
One of his major contributions was the introduction of the bible in the vernacular of the common people, something strongly opposed by Catholic leaders.
While he wasn't the first, he was probably the loudest and most effective opponent of the church as the final authority, rather than the Word of God. That didn't go over too well for him over the years, as you might well suspect.
As a matter of fact, after his death he was condemned as a heretic by the Catholic leaders at the Council of Constance, whom had his bones dug up and burned and then cast into a river.
Later he sent out two preachers at a time declaring many of the truths he held so dear. These itinerant preachers were eventually known as the Lollards.
One of his major attacks on the Catholic Church, of which he was part, was concerning ecclesiocracy. That is much different than theocracy, in which the principles of Jesus Christ influence the role, influence parameters of governments in the world. Ecclesiocracy was the rule of the clergy over the kings of the world, and thus, the governments and people. That has always been outside the call of God as far as spiritual leaders go, and Wycliffe attacked it with a vengeance.
That's not to say kings and government leaders aren't ministers of God, but that's only in regard to bearing the sword, as Paul says in Romans, not as being over the church of Jesus Christ in any way.
In other words, governmental leaders have an important but defined role by God, while ministers of the gospel have an entirely different one.
The church of Jesus Christ and its leaders are to influence the direction of government leaders, not be over them. Neither are governments to have any sway over the churches. They are completely different entities under God with different purposes and roles to play.
Wycliffe saw that and preached it throughout his life.
There is much more to the story of course, which is why I have included these two videos on the life of Wycliffe and how he and the Lollards influenced history.
John Wycliffe - Biography
The Life and Ministry of John Wycliffe
The Life and Ministry of John Wycliffe
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Before we get into some of the importance of Wycliffe, it will be interesting to note a similarity that existed in his time that also existed in the time of Martin Luther.
Both of these men have been given great importance in playing a role in the reforming of the church. Yet, interestingly enough, none of this could have happened over a normal lifespan if they hadn’t received help. What am I talking about? One of the most interesting facts that link the two of them is that they had physical protection from civic rulers of their day that protected them from harm by the religious authorities that wanted to kill them.
This gave them enough time to repeatedly get their message across in a way that has lasted throughout the centuries.
Why is Wycliffe so important? He is one of the few, which over a lifetime, were able to challenge the absolute power of the existing religious institution without being martyred.
This gave him time to not only write against the errors of the day, but to train up others that went out all over to show forth the ways of God more clearly. These that inherited this ministry were eventually called ‘Lollards.’
One of the things that Wycliffe did was to point out that there was only one mediator between God and man. While this may not sound too radical by today’s standards, back then it was not only revolutionary, but considered heretical.
Back then it must be remembered that for the most part it wasn’t doctrine that was what people thought of when they heard the word heresy; rather it was whether someone went along with the notion that the institutional church leaders had absolute authority. Challenge that authority in any way and you were considered a heretic and worthy of death. Versions of this continue to this day.
Another one of the important things that he accomplished was that he oversaw and participated in the translating of the scriptures into the language of the common people of his nation, which was English.
As throughout all of history, this was hated by those who loved absolute power over men. It went against the concept of centralized power. It affirmed the reality that Christ was to be the center of all things.
Wycliffe began to see the church in a light that many in our day still do not understand fully or live out practically. He talks of the church not being an institutional organization whose leaders are ordered in some type of power-based hierarchy. Rather he was seeing it as many today have, in the light of being a body, the bride, a living organism being filled with Christ through the Spirit.
He saw that salvation came through Christ and Christ alone, not through some type of official connection to an institution.
While there were others before him that saw these things and lived them, Wycliffe was able to survive long enough to show forth some of these things and to pass them on to others that took them up and ran with them for generations to come. He was truly a remarkable individual.
Both of these men have been given great importance in playing a role in the reforming of the church. Yet, interestingly enough, none of this could have happened over a normal lifespan if they hadn’t received help. What am I talking about? One of the most interesting facts that link the two of them is that they had physical protection from civic rulers of their day that protected them from harm by the religious authorities that wanted to kill them.
This gave them enough time to repeatedly get their message across in a way that has lasted throughout the centuries.
Why is Wycliffe so important? He is one of the few, which over a lifetime, were able to challenge the absolute power of the existing religious institution without being martyred.
This gave him time to not only write against the errors of the day, but to train up others that went out all over to show forth the ways of God more clearly. These that inherited this ministry were eventually called ‘Lollards.’
One of the things that Wycliffe did was to point out that there was only one mediator between God and man. While this may not sound too radical by today’s standards, back then it was not only revolutionary, but considered heretical.
Back then it must be remembered that for the most part it wasn’t doctrine that was what people thought of when they heard the word heresy; rather it was whether someone went along with the notion that the institutional church leaders had absolute authority. Challenge that authority in any way and you were considered a heretic and worthy of death. Versions of this continue to this day.
Another one of the important things that he accomplished was that he oversaw and participated in the translating of the scriptures into the language of the common people of his nation, which was English.
As throughout all of history, this was hated by those who loved absolute power over men. It went against the concept of centralized power. It affirmed the reality that Christ was to be the center of all things.
Wycliffe began to see the church in a light that many in our day still do not understand fully or live out practically. He talks of the church not being an institutional organization whose leaders are ordered in some type of power-based hierarchy. Rather he was seeing it as many today have, in the light of being a body, the bride, a living organism being filled with Christ through the Spirit.
He saw that salvation came through Christ and Christ alone, not through some type of official connection to an institution.
While there were others before him that saw these things and lived them, Wycliffe was able to survive long enough to show forth some of these things and to pass them on to others that took them up and ran with them for generations to come. He was truly a remarkable individual.
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