A Brief History of the Reformation
This is a quick look at history to help you understand how we arrived at Calvin's "doctrines of grace."
1. The Catholic Church and Martin Luther
Historically, you have Jesus and the apostles, and then as time passes, the Catholic Church develops into a major institution. Over time, the Pope ended up dictating how to read and interpret Scripture. Then Martin Luther came along and said, "Hey, I don't agree with what is being taught here, and I believe people should be able to read the Bible for themselves in their own language." That was the central point of the video we watched. Luther posted his 95 Theses on the church door, igniting what we call the Protestant Reformation.
2. The Printing Press and John Calvin
At the same time, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, which allowed Luther's ideas to be published and disseminated rapidly across Germany and beyond. The printing press really added fuel to the fire. Later, John Calvin came along as a key theologian studying and writing on doctrine. His disciple and mentee was a man named Theodore Beza.
3. The Arminian Controversy and the Synod of Dort
Eventually, Jacobus Arminius responded to the theology that Calvin and Beza were teaching, essentially saying, "I don't know if I agree with what these guys are saying." Keep in mind, people were now reading the Bible for themselves in their own language because it was being translated out of Latin. This created a major theological controversy between the followers of Arminius and the followers of Calvin and Beza. To address these differences, church leaders convened the Synod of Dort—a major council formed to evaluate the disputes. Out of this council came the five points of Calvinism, often remembered by the acronym TULIP and referred to as the "doctrines of grace," which we will be discussing throughout our time together. It's important to note that Calvin didn't set out to invent "Calvinism" or "TULIP"—he was simply a theologian. Later followers structured and named these points, which form the framework we teach here.
4. Tyndale and the English Bible
Around this same era, William Tyndale became the first person to translate the Bible directly into English from the original languages. Tyndale carried forward the mission of Luther, Gutenberg, and Calvin: making the Bible accessible to everyone. That historical line connects directly to us today, allowing us to read the Scriptures in English.
5. Why Translation and Church History Matter
This historical context is crucial. As Protestants, we believe the Bible is infallible—meaning God's Word is perfect and without error. While translation is a deep subject we can explore further, we firmly believe the Bible in English is trustworthy and reliable. God speaks to us directly when we read His Word, even in translation. There are various translation approaches—our church primarily uses the ESV (English Standard Version) and sometimes the CSB (Christian Standard Bible), alongside others like the NIV or NLT.
Conclusion
But the bottom line is this: we can read Scripture in our native language without losing confidence that it is truly the Word of God. Understanding these key figures helps us see where we fit into church history and why we discuss these doctrines. I am deeply Reformed and Protestant, and I care about these truths. My hope is that this passion comes through and that you, too, grow confident in what you believe and why you believe it.