Sermon Notes January 28, 2007

The Reformation

Important Dates in the Protestant Reformation:

1415 Jan Hus is burned at the stake as a heretic for teaching that the church was all the people and not limited to clergy, that the head of the church was Christ and not the Pope, and against ethical abuses such as the selling of indulgences.

1447 Gutenburg invents the printing press. Suddenly information is available in a way that it never had been before. In 1455 the Gutenburg Bible is printed and suddenly Bibles are available to many more people than ever before.

October 31, 1517 Luther posts his 95 theses calling for a debate within the church regarding questions of salvation and the church’s practice of selling indulgences.

1521 Luther is excommunicated by Pope Leo X and declared an outlaw by emperor Charles V, Luther is forced into exile.

1534 Luther completes a translation of the Bible into German.

1538 John Calvin is exiled from Geneva (he is invited to return in 1540.)

Sola Scriptura Literally translates as “Scripture Alone”
The basis of Luther’s reformation was the idea that Scripture alone was the basis for Christian faith. This was a refutation of the Church’s traditions as having a role in matters of faith.

TULIP Common acronym for Calvin’s theology
Total depravity. This is the idea of original sin.
Unconditional Election. The idea that God has chosen some people.
Limited Atonement. This suggests that God died for some but not all people.
Irresistible Grace. The elect will be called by the Holy Spirit.
Perseverance of the Saints. The saints rest with God.