Some Church History

If we wish to understand why Christianity is the way it is today and if we wish to avoid making the mistakes others have made in their Christian life, it behooves us to study Church history.  The people listed here had a major impact on the church, some for its good and some for its bad. We will stay away from modern day preachers and teachers, leaving that for another study.

MARTIN LUTHER JOHN CALVIN

Throughout the history of the Christian Church there have been good guys and bad guys.  The good guys being those who made true disciples of Christ and who taught clearly and accurately and the bad guys being those who misrepresented teachings in the Bible and who perverted the Gospel of salvation by Grace alone.  While none of the “good guys” was perfect, they all made major contributions towards leading believers away from error and towards the truth of Sacred Scripture. Most of the “good guys” were known as Protestant Reformers, who were teaching and preaching against the many false teachings and practices of the Catholic Church – in an attempt to “reform” or correct erroneous Catholic doctrine. The ones in the list who were alive more recently, were those who subscribed to the “Reformed Faith”, meaning they believed and taught about the biblical doctrines of election and predestination.

 

SOME OF THE GOOD GUYS

Preachers Of Salvation By Grace Alone Through Faith Alone In Jesus Christ Alone

click on a name to read their biography
John Wyckliffe (1320 – 1384)
John Huss (1369-1415)
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531)
William Farel (1489-1565)
William Tyndale (1494-1536)
John Calvin (1509-1564)
John Foxe (1516-1587)
Theodore Beza (1519 – 1605)
John Owen (1616–1683)
John Bunyan (1628 – 1688)
Benjamin Keach (1640-1704)
Matthew Henry (1662-1714)
John Gill (1697-1771)
George Whitefield (1714-1770)
Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Arthur Pink (1886-1952)
Lorraine Boettner (1901-1990)
James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000)

 
Many people today – who think they are in the “right” Church or denomination and who think they are in the “true” Church – don’t realize they are following the erroneous teachings of the leaders of their Church or sect or cult. Most likely, these people have not looked OUTSIDE of their religion for truth about its history, its leaders and its false doctrines and practices. Their leaders may have even told them not to look OUTSIDE or not to trust any information from OUTSIDE of their current religious entity.
 

SOME OF THE BAD GUYS

Preachers Of Major False Doctrine, Especially As It Relates To Salvation

click on a name to read their biography
ALL the popes and their priests – claim to represent true Christianity while really representing a blend of Christianity and many pagan religions
Pelagius (354-440? AD) – did not believe in the doctrine of original sin
Jacobus Arminius (1516-1609) – unarguably the father of the false “free will” gospel
Charles Finney (1792-1875) – invented altar calls, causing many Christians to think that it is up to the sinner to get himself saved by walking down an aisle or reciting some sinner’s prayer
Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) – started the Jehovah’s Witnesses
Joseph Smith (1805-1844) & Brigham Young (1801-1877) – started the Mormon church
William Miller (1782–1849) – started 7th Day Adventism
Ellen G White (1827-1915) – prophetess of 7th Day Adventism
John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) – came up with the current “Rapture of the Church” which is why he is considered the father of modern dispensationalism
John Wesley (1703-1791) – founder of the Methodist movement and strong advocate of Arminian (free-will) theology

 

English Bible Versions Timeline:

Significant Confessions, Creeds & Religious Documents:

A Narrower Creed

 

The Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed which are subscribed to by many churches and denominations are so broad in scope that even apostate churches agree with those creeds.  Here is a creed that only the lover’s of God’s sovereignty can agree with:

 

“We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ fully and finally accomplished redemption for all of God’s elect when He died on the cross of Calvary. We believe that when He died as our Substitute under the wrath of God that He fully and finally satisfied Divine justice by paying the sin debt and thereby secured salvation for all for whom He died. We believe that Christ through the Holy Spirit will also succeed in effectually calling and bringing all that He died for with Him into everlasting Glory. We believe that any gospel that robs our Lord of this, HIS glory in the finished, successful, accomplished work of salvation, is another gospel…. which is no gospel at all. Now, there’s the real offense and power of the gospel. Do you believe that?” – Greg Elmquist, Apopka, FL

 

“Narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”[Matthew 7:14]

 
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