WHAT DO WE MEAN BY 'REFORMED'

If you find yourself wondering what we mean by "Reformed", you are not alone. It is by far the most persistent question that we are asked. In what follows, two answers will be given: the first one will address the historical root and reason for this title, the second will address its practical implications. If you find our answer too detailed, please feel free to skip certain parts. We have opted not to sacrifice detail for brevity

1-Historically Speaking

(a) The Dawn of an Era

Our use of the word "Reformed" is derived from the great sixteenth-century revolutionary and religious revival known as the Reformation. This movement took place against a vast backdrop of unrest and change throughout Europe, whose underlying forces were social, political, economical, religious, and academic. The name Reformation suggests at least two things: (1) It must have been preceded by a larger historical setting, making the reformation the child rather than the parent, that is to say, something in history underwent a reformation of some kind. This historical event did not mark the beginning of the church; but rather its spiritual renewal. (2) It must have been an attempt to salvage and improve that which was defective. Both observations are, indeed, correct. History has testified that the reformers' singular intention was to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to her former biblical/apostolic glory. In saying 'reformation' we mean the Church was reformed, i.e., returned to the proper teachings of Scripture. Martin Luther, one of the key figures of the Reformation, often commented that the church he was fighting against was only 400 years old, by which he meant the then-recently deteriorated Roman Catholic Church. One of the recurring phrase heard throughout that time was ad fontes, which when translated means "[return] to the sources." This was another way of saying that the Church should return to her old era of biblical and confessional correctness.

History records that the Reformation began on the eve of All Souls Day, 31 October 1517. At that time, throughout much of Western Europe, there was a single (giant) Christian Church. It was on that day that Martin Luther (1483-1546), then professor of biblical studies at the newly founded University of Wittenberg, in Germany, announced a disputation on indulgences. He did so by posting on the door of the Castle Church of Wittenberg, propositions for public debate, popularly known as the 95 theses. This method of public discussion was a very common way of addressing important issues of the day. Indulgences ("the holy trade" as if was often referred to) were instituted by the papacy (the pope) whereby financial contributions to the Church would result in forgiveness of sins, or even expulsion from purgatory into heaven; the greater the contribution, the greater the forgiveness. It was believed that the moment the money clinked in the chest, a friend or a loved one would be released from purgatory. And, such generosity may even prevent one from ever being a guest at purgatory upon death. Purgatory, according to the Roman Catholic Church, is the half mark between heaven and hell. This teaching is contrary to the Scriptures.

Luther's objection to this practice was threefold. (1) He, as well as many others, felt that German citizens were victims of papal exploitation; (2) He questioned the pope's jurisdiction over purgatory. Luther asked: "if he could release souls, why not empty the place?"; (3) and most significantly, Luther had come to believe that justification is possible only by God's grace, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Before we proceed further, let us make note of some historical considerations.

Even before the New Testament was completed, we see that the Christian Church was a persecuted Church (see Acts chapters 4, 7, 14, 17, 19 etc.). This was to be the pattern of living for the Churches she faced a world that was very hostile to her message and her beliefs. The more vocal she became, and the more exposed she became to the world, the more severe were her persecutions. At the same time the Church had to fight internal battles against the heretics from within. Christianity suffered a great deal at the hands of Roman emperors. These names are especially pertinent: Nero, Decius, Valerian and Diocletian. But that was about to change. Following his victory against the Franks in 311, emperor Constantinople began to show inclinations toward Christianity. One might say the emperor underwent a conversion experience. While the circumstances surrounding his "conversion" are questionable particularly his vision of the Sun-god, which Constantine believed was Christ his acceptance of Christianity would, at the very least, bring an end to the atrocious persecutions, although not entirely. From 313 to 323, Christianity enjoyed equality with other religions; from 323 to 337 Christianity was the favored religion; and under the reign of Theodosius ca. 380, Christianity became the established religion of the land. Naturally the religion which the government of the world (the Roman Empire) established became known as the Catholic (universal) religion. In time, the catholicity of Christianity would be known simply as "that which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all."

Luther and the other reformers were members of this church, the Church which covered the face of much of the world. Although the year 1517 has always been acknowledged as the birth year of the Reformation, several preceding factors, both negative and positive, deserve recognition as contributing to Luther's revolt.

(b) Preceding Causes

Several factors made the Church then ripe for change, and made the timing of the Reformation perfect. Negatively speaking, the Roman Catholic Church was in a state of moral and spiritual chaos. From 1309 to 1377 Philip of France moved the papacy from Rome to Avignon, following the arrest of the pope. This siege lasted through seven popes, and is often referred to as the Babylonian captivity because it lasted about seventy years (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:20-21). In 1377, when the papacy returned to Rome, internal friction caused three popes to rule simultaneously, one in Rome, one in France, and one in Pisa (Italy). This chaos indelibly damaged the long-held prestige attached to the papacy; and would later be used by Luther to highlight the disintegration of the church. In 1417, all three pontiffs (popes) were deposed and a new pope was elected. Several other incidents occurred which further weakened the Church. Financial exploitations were rampant. Bishops virtually plundered society to furnish the coffers of the papacy. Indulgences were a means to that end. The merger of Church and state was abused to the point where it was difficult to tell whether the pope was the successor to St. Peter or Caesar. Other immoral acts included secret marriages of priests, in some cases multiple marriages. These abuses became more evident in the four hundred years preceding the Reformation.

Positively speaking there were several other factors, both social and spiritual, which prepared the way for the ensuing Reformation. During the period immediately preceding the Reformation, Europe underwent a recrudescence of interest in learning. That period, often referred to as the Renaissance (rebirth), gave new life to old ideas, and old writings. Although the Renaissance would later prove hostile to the teachings of Christianity, it paved the way for the discussions which would later undermine the papal theocracy. At the same time, fierce nationalism continued to enfeeble the hegemony of the (Church-State) Holy Roman Empire. While the Reformation was primarily a religious revival, it did avail itself of the avenue of public debate, which was common practice. The practice of public debate was already in place, and Luther would make good use of it. One of the greatest achievements of this period was the invention of the printing press in 1445 by Germany's Johann Gutenberg. By the time Luther was born (1483) printed materials became a common way of communicating and expressing ideas. Shortly following the posting of his theses, Luther became one of Europe's best selling authors.

The Bible was beginning to be more accessible to the people by way of new translations and mass production, both before and during the Reformation. John Wycliff (1329-1384) translated the Latin Bible into English; later William Tyndale (1494-1536) provided a standard English Bible. As early as 1522, Luther had begun his own translation of the Bible for the German people. The first complete Bible hit Wittenberg in 1534. By 1530 Jacques Lefèvre gave the French people their own French Bible. Essential to the success of these efforts was the earlier work of Erasmus's (1466-1536) Greek New Testament.

Other 'reformers' had also called the Church to repentance prior to Luther's arrival, though with less success. Among them were John Wycliff (1329-1384) and Jan Hus (1373-1415). Both of these men had opposed the abuses and the heresies which were so common in the Church.

The Lord had prepared the way for the Reformation; even as He had prepared the young Luther, one of His chief instruments. Luther called the Church to repent, and return to the teachings of Scripture. He challenged the church's belief in seven sacraments (marriage, ordination, extreme unction, confirmation, penance, mass, and baptism); and dared them to defend that view from the Bible. He also challenged the doctrine of 'forgiveness of sin' which was practiced in the Roman Catholic Church: contrition, confession, absolution, and satisfaction. By 1529, the camp Luther represented was known as the "the Protestants."

(c) Other Notables

When Luther posted his theses in 1517, the French reformer named John Calvin (1509-1564) was 9 years old. But he would later become the greatest theologian of the movement. And it is through his teachings that the Reformed Christians trace their origins. Before we say more about Calvin, however, another eminent Reformer needs to be introduced. His name is Huldreich Zwingli (1484-1531), and he lived in Switzerland. Zwingli's reform began in Switzerland at the same time as Luther's, but these two men worked independently of each other. Like Luther, Zwingli preached justification by faith and denied the possibility of salvation based on good works, the merits of the saints, and indulgences. He rejected papal authority, and reformed the liturgy (form and content of worship) of the church. Zwingli insisted that the teaching of the reformers was not a departure from orthodox Christianity, but rather a return to it. As a result of Zwingli's preaching, the mass was abolished, relics of the saints were deemed worthless, and images were removed from the church. He even went as far as smashing the church organ, and permitting priests to marry. He also challenged the church's view on the seven sacraments and pointed out that the Bible only recognizes only two: namely baptism and the Lord's Supper.

John Calvin was born in Noyon, Picardy (France) in 1509. By the time Calvin became a young man, the Reformation had already swept Europe. He discovered Luther's teachings in Paris. Unlike Luther and Zwingli, Calvin was a rather quiet and sensitive man. But it was he who would give the Reformation its theological life. He also differed from the other two in that he did not minister primarily to his countrymen, but to foreigners in the French speaking part of Switzerland, Geneva. Later Calvin, became the central figure of the Reformation. Countless prospective reformers came to Geneva to be taught by Calvin. The Scottish reformer, John Knox (1514-1572), said of Calvin's school (The Geneva Academy): "it's the best school of Christ since the days of the apostles." Knox himself was used mightily by the Lord in reforming the Church of Scotland. He once said, "Lord, give me Scotland, or I die." In England, the puritans, aided by some monarchs (some of them godly, and others of mixed intentions), continued the reformation of the church. These men labored under very intense persecutions.

Calvin's main contribution to the Reformation was his book entitled The Institution of the Christian Religion, commonly referred to as Calvin's Institutes. To this day it remains the standard textbook of Reformed theology from which all others depart. There were many other reformers who would later continue the fight to restore true Christianity in the Church. Among them was Martin Bucer (1491-1551) who was the reformer in Strasbourg.

Upon the death of each reformer, he was followed by a successor, who was very< often a close associate or disciple. Luther was followed by Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560); Zwingli was followed by Johann Heinrich Bullinger (1504-1575); and Calvin was succeeded by Theodore Beza (1519-1605). These successors were eminent scholars in their own right, and pious Christians who deeply believed in the cause of the Reformation and labored tirelessly and fruitfully to further its success.

2- Practically Speaking

This part of our answer will outline, albeit briefly, the practical implications of being Reformed. It is important to keep in mind that nothing we say here is meant either to elevate ourselves above, or to pit ourselves against other denominations (groups of churches) within Christianity. To put is simply, the Church of Jesus Christ is much bigger than we are. We are merely pointing out the facts and meaning of our history.

(a) A Set of Doctrines or A Life?

One of the basic truths of life is that ideas have consequences. It is also true that actions proceed from convictions; and behavior, to the extent that it is voluntary, is an expression of held beliefs. People do what they do because of what they believe, whether it's blowing up an airplane, or stopping abortions, or voting for a particular candidate. The Bible is not only the rulebook for faith, but also for all of life. Its jurisdiction covers both spiritual and material realms, both emotional and moral matters. Therefore, it naturally follows that being a (Reformed) Christian will affect all of life whether in thinking, planning, acting, spending, investing, learning, living, or even dying(!). This, in a nutshell, is the practical implication of being Reformed.

(b) The Theology of the Reformation

There was virtually no aspect of theology, indeed of life as a whole, which was left unaffected or untouched by the impact of the Reformation. Such pervasive results make it difficult to identify precisely where the greatest achievements occurred. Nevertheless, there were some aspects of theology and Church life which received more attention than others. Central to the Reformation's mission was the restoration of the sovereignty of God, the true meaning of grace in salvation, the accessibility of Scripture to the pew-sitter. The reformers taught the Bible was God's word and as such, it was to be heard and understood by all. Zwingli wrote a book entitled The Clarity and Certainty of the Word of God (1522). Luther wrote one entitled To the Christian Nobility of the German National (1520) in which he insisted that the pope could not claim that only he had the right to interpret Scripture, since that privilege belongs to the whole Christian community. In his Institutes, Calvin speaks of the self-authenticating (self-witnessing) character of the Bible. Calvin maintains that the Bible gives its own testimony about itself, and that the Holy Spirit confirms it in our hearts.

The Bible was restored to the Church as the central voice of authority, unequal to any and all other books and traditions. This view encouraged the common man to study the Scriptures. Salvation was said to be the work of God alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, apart from man's condition or contributions. The belief in purgatory was deemed heretical and abandoned. Although the reformers had differing views on the meaning of the Lord's Supper, they all believed that the Bible only recognizes two sacraments, and that those sacraments were not ends in themselves. That is, those sacraments did not have grace in them, but were only means to God's grace. Though both Calvin and Luther contributed much to the theology of the reformation, Reformed is almost always a reference to "Calvinism." Lutheranism seems to have taken a different direction, or perhaps it did not go far enough in distancing itself from the Roman Catholic Church.

(c) Living as Reformed

While we most certainly acknowledge the sovereignty of our God, we also know that He has charged us to live responsibly before Him. Already in the Garden of Eden He mandated us to maintain His creation and our procreation. As a redeemed sinner, we are called upon to live in complete obedience to God's every command. We are to think His thoughts after Him; and to bring every thought captive in obedience to Christ. The sovereignty of God in no way impairs that responsibility; rather, it establishes it. We are also able to attain our chief purpose in life, which is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We can truly say that our only comfort in life and in death is that we are not our own, but belong body and soul to Christ.

As Reformed Christians, we do not separate our faith from the rest of life. We do not erect a wall between our Bibles and our studies, careers, or enjoyment of life. The principle we live by is the glory of our God, and the edification of His people. Being a Christian in God's world has never been merely a Sunday activity. We see life in all its dimensions in terms of God as Creator, Provider, and Redeemer. We interpret all facts of life through the lenses of the Holy Scriptures. Unless God speaks, we remain forever ignorant.

The Reformation profoundly affected the entire Western world and beyond. Every area of human existence from the political campaigns to the academic circles; from the farm to the physics lab; from the pulpit to the workforce has felt its influence. Its principles continue to live on. We are indeed Reformed; but we are also reforming.

All of this has been to explain why we are called Reformed. A great deal more could be said and perhaps should be said, but this introduction will suffice.

Please be sure to forward your questions to us.

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