HISTORY
OF THE CHURCH PART II
At the time the Roman Empire conquered the whole world, the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH became very big. The bishop in Rome spontaneously became the bishop of all bishops in the whole world and was called the pope – what a big deviation from the truth! The ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH eventually became an international or a world church, headed by the pope. The pope having both the political and religious control became very powerful. History tells us that the very character and moral of many of the popes would tend to identify them as successors of pagan priests, rather that representatives of Christ. They committed sins such as adultery, sodomy, simony, rape, murder and drunkenness. Form the time the papal system was fully developed, no one was allowed to open the Bible for one thousand years, from the sixth century to the sixteenth century. This period was called the DARK AGES. The condition was dark and evil because God’s word was not there to bring light (Psalms 119:130).
II.
REFORMATION HSTORY (A.D. 1517 – PRESENT)
During the Dark Ages the Bible was closed for one thousand years. At the time of Martin Luther, because of the construction work on St. Peter’s basilica a special drive was made by the pope to raise money through the granting of indulgence; i.e. the giving of money and prayers for the release of the tormented souls in purgatory. The lord used Martin Luther to open the Bible. He saw the truth that heavens could not be bought with money. If salvation could simply be bought with money then the kingdom of God would be hell because it would be filled with liars, thieves, adulterers, murderers, lawless, unrighteous and unbelieving people. Martin Luther preached that a person is justified by faith (Eph. 2:8-9). Thus, exposing the false teaching that by giving money souls could be delivered from purgatory.
So when Luther arose, the kings who do not want to be ruled by the pope who ruled the whole world during that time felt that it was a good opportunity. Seeing the situation the pope used force to arrest the reformers. But many kings and princes supported Luther and the fighting was severe. And the result of the reformation was the state churches. In England, the CHURCH IN ENGLAND was formed, also called the EPISCOPAL or ANGLICAN CHURCH; in Germany, the LUTHERAN CHURCH; in Holland and Switzerland, the reformed churches. They are also known as Protestant Churches.
The State religion of State church has a very interesting definition: it means the religion of a nation ordained by the nation or by the king or emperor for the people of that nation. In other words, once one is born a subject of a nation, he becomes a member of the religion of that nation. Anyone born in Germany is automatically a Lutheran and the one born in England is automatically an Anglican – no choice. Hence, in the state churches the membership even of the unbelieving sinners is a must. As a result the church became a mixture of genuine believers and fallen sinners. What a tragic damage to the purity of the Body of Christ!
Many did not approve of the state church and opposed the state church’s fault. The ground or basis of these churches was either a particular doctrine, a type of church government, a special way of living, or a particular person. Because of the fact that the church is administrated by the Presbeterio or elders people formed the PREYSBETERIAN CHURCH in A.D. 1563; because of baptism they formed the BAPTIST CHURCH in A.D. 1607; because of Wesley they formed the METHODIST CHURCH in A.D. 1739; and later thousands of groups arose. These independent churches are also known as private churches, free churches or we call them today, denominations. In a particular locality there might be hundreds of churches like commercial stores bearing different trade names and competing with each other – what a great division in the Body of Christ and a tremendous confusion among the Christians!
III.
THE PRESENT RECOVERY
Bro. E.H. Broodbent in his book "The Pilgrim Church" pointed out that the line of the Lord’s recovery started in the second century and has continued throughout the centuries. In A.D. 313 Christianity (ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH) became the official religion of the ROMAN EMPIRE under Constantine. The trend of departure from the New Testament came to the height when Leo I became the pope. By then all Christianity was one church, and all the churches became the branches of Rome.
Not every one went along with this trend. Some stood firm, and would not be swallowed up by the religious world that was there already one with the political world. They were generally criticized and branded as heretics and many ruthlessly slain for what they stood for.