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THE EARLY CHURCH
As we approach the month of October, it is fitting that a connection be established between the Baptist Denomination, the early Church and the Protestant Reformation. This is important for two reasons. First, it will remind us of the foundational truth believed by all Christians of the early Church that we are the holy catholic church, existing as one body, under the banner of one faith, and called by one Lord. While there are many banners by which we are called, the reality of it all is that despite this diversity, we are still one. Second, it’s fitting that by God’s Providence the series on “the origin of Baptists” should coincide with the month of October. This is important for two reasons. First it is the month of Halloween or what is sometimes called “all saints day.” Second, it is the month when one of the most important events in Church history took place. On October 31st, 1517, a young Augustinian Monk posted ninety-five Theses to the door of the Church of Wittenberg, Germany. This was not an act of rebellion, but one designed to engage the religious leaders of his day in a religious debate on the efficacy of indulgences (acts of kindness to pay for sins). Instead of a debate, his actions began a series of events that eventually lead to the Protestant Reformation. This monk’s name was Martin Luther. God used his passion for the truth to set aflame a fire within Christendom that would again turn the world upside down! Additionally, it reaffirmed Christ’s promise that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church” (Matt. 16:18, My Translation). What is the significance of all this to the origin of our denomination and Halloween? Prior to Luther’s action, the Church of Rome was the recognized and I might add, self-appointed religious institution of that day. As a result, the distinction between the world and the Church was all but lost as the state and church became virtually one entity. As a result, paganism and ritualism became the order of the day. God’s infallibility was superceded by man’s fallibility. Jesus Christ’s redemptive work was over shadowed and became secondary to the doctrine of Mariology. All these and more had made the light of the Gospel very dim—it was indeed the age of darkness. However, just when the darkness had reached its darkest hour, God moved upon “the remnant” to dispel it. This is and has always been God’s way. He seems to wait until Satan has played his trump card and then He pull the rug from beneath His feet. What an awesome God is our God! On the Reformation Wall in Switzerland is a phrase that accurately captured the impact of the Protestant Reformation—“Post Tenebras Lux”, or “After Darkness Light.” In the upcoming weeks we will look at how Baptists were an inevitable outgrowth of this movement.
In Christ, Minister John Cobb
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