The reformation would spread from its epicentre in Germany and Switzerland across Northern Europe to Scandinavia and the Netherlands as well. In these places the leaders were just as bold and courageous and although their stories are not as well known as others, their mark on history is just as significant.

<p>The reformation would spread from its epicentre in Germany and Switzerland across Northern Europe to Scandinavia and the Netherlands as well. In these places the leaders were just as bold and courageous and although their stories are not as well known as others, their mark on history is just as significant.</p>

Lineage Journey

The Great Controversy

Adam Ramdin

01 The Destruction of Jerusalem

02 Persecution in the First Centuries

03 An Era of Spiritual Darkness

04 The Waldenses

05 John Wycliffe

06 Huss and Jerome

07 Luther’s Separation from Rome

08 Luther Before the Diet

09 The Swiss Reformer

10 Progress of Reform in Germany

11 Protest of the Princes

12 The French Reformation

13 The Netherlands & Scandinavia

14 Later English Reformers

15 The Bible & The French Revolution

16 The Pilgrim Fathers

17 Heralds of The Morning

18 An American Reformer

19 Light Through Darkness

20 A Great Religious Awakening

21 A Warning Rejected

22 Prophecies Fulfilled

23 What is the Sanctuary?

24 In the Holy of Holies

25 God’s Law Immutable

27 Modern Revivals

28 Facing Life’s Record

29 The Origin of Evil

30 Enmity Between Man and Satan

31 Agency of Evil Spirits

32 Snares of Satan

33 The First Great Deception

34 Can Our Dead Speak to Us?

35 Liberty of Conscience Threatened

36 The Impending Conflict


The story of reform in the Netherlands The story of reform here in the Netherlands is a long and rich 1, and 1 that is stained in much blood. For the 700 years prior to Luther, there were various teachers who spread a knowledge of the gospel throughout the Netherlands. They had a Waldensian Bible translated into Dutch in the 12th century. Eventually the teachings of Luther found a fertile ground in the life of Menno Simons, a faithful and earnest man. He was born here in Witmarsum, educated in the priesthood, and was a staunch defender of the church.

He was willingly ignorant of the Bible, refusing to read it for fear of being beguiled by the heresies contained therein. He witnessed the beheading of a man who was put to death having been rebaptised, and This caused him to study what the Bible has to say about infant baptism, where he could find no evidence for it. This led him on a journey and he left the Catholic Church in 1536 and devoted the rest of his life to the preaching of these truths that he had rediscovered. He was the sole radical reformer here in the Netherlands, and for the next 25 years he and his wife and children traveled all across the Netherlands and northern Germany preaching the gospel. His followers were doubly persecuted, for they were often confused with the fanatical monsterites as well.

Truly the words of Tertullian rang true. The blood of Christians was seed to the gospel, and this was evidenced here in Holland. In contrast, the Reformation in Scandinavia, in Sweden and Denmark, was much more peaceful. 🎵 Whilst the fires of martyrs were burning all across England during the reign of bloody Queen Mary, and the Protestants in France were persecuted on numerous occasions. In Sweden and Denmark, the Reformation would unfold much more peacefully, and 1 could argue they had a greater proportional impact in each respective country.

The story of the Scandinavian Reformation is inextricably linked to Martin Luther and the Protestant bastion of Wittenberg. 🎵 In the country of Denmark, 1 of the principal figures in the Reformation was a man named Hans Tausen. Like many others, he had grown up in a Catholic family and spent some of his early years in a cloister. He completed much of his education in Denmark, where he was noted for his understanding of Latin and Hebrew, but he would also go on to study in Cologne. Whilst there he came across some of Luther's writings, and in 1523 he went to Germany where he met Martin Luther and became acquainted with the new ideas that were being espoused.

He would spend 18 months studying there with Luther, after which he would return to Denmark where initially he kept it a secret that he had been in Wittenberg. However, The Good News of the Gospel However, the good news of the gospel could not be hidden forever, and it was only a matter of time before his teachings were noted to be different from that of others. He was soon expelled from the cloister, but this was perhaps the biggest mistake that his opponents could make. Now they had no control over him, and he was able to travel and preach throughout the whole country, causing a great revival. He also translated the Pentateuch into Danish, and this was circulated widely.

[♪ music ♪ Towson lived faithfully here in Denmark for the rest of his life, and his influence was key in this whole country accepting the Reformed faith. This church here in Copenhagen was built and named after him in memory of the great influence he had on the spiritual history of this nation. 🎵 Around the same time as Tausen was causing a revival in Denmark, the Petri brothers were having a similar impact here in Sweden. The work in these 2 countries shows that the disciples were just as powerful and scholarly as the giants under which they studied. [♪ music ♪ Olaf and Laurentius Petri, the sons of a blacksmith in Orobo, both studied at the University of Wittenberg where they were influenced by Luther and Melanchthon.

Olaf completed his master's in 1519 and they both returned back to their homeland of Sweden. They helped to translate the Bible into Swedish, and through their hard work at the Diet of Mastras, Sweden was declared Lutheran, the first country to do so. 🎵 Olaf Petri was buried here in this church, which later became the National cathedral, supplanting the Uppsala Cathedral, a testament to the great work that he and his brother did. [♪ music ♪ While it might have been easier for the Petri brothers or Towson to live, study, and work in a place like Wittenberg or Geneva, God had a better thing in store for them. Their destiny was to return to their homeland and preach the gospel there.

They knew the language, the culture, and the customs, and they were able to do a work there that others from elsewhere would not have been able to do. Whatever work you do, may you start with that which lies nearest, whether it be your home church, which might be small, humble, and not so lively, or maybe it's your home country. Not everyone is called to go to a faraway and distant land, but we can all start working for God right where we are. May you follow God's call as these men did in years gone by. You you

Series

The Great Controversy

13 The Netherlands & Scandinavia

Description

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

01 The Destruction of Jerusalem

6m

02 Persecution in the First Centuries

5m

03 An Era of Spiritual Darkness

5m

04 The Waldenses

7m

05 John Wycliffe

6m

06 Huss and Jerome

8m

07 Luther’s Separation from Rome

7m

08 Luther Before the Diet

7m

09 The Swiss Reformer

6m

10 Progress of Reform in Germany

4m

11 Protest of the Princes

5m

12 The French Reformation

6m

13 The Netherlands & Scandinavia

7m

14 Later English Reformers

7m

15 The Bible & The French Revolution

8m

16 The Pilgrim Fathers

7m

17 Heralds of The Morning

6m

18 An American Reformer

6m

19 Light Through Darkness

4m

20 A Great Religious Awakening

4m

21 A Warning Rejected

4m

22 Prophecies Fulfilled

5m

23 What is the Sanctuary?

5m

24 In the Holy of Holies

5m

25 God’s Law Immutable

6m

27 Modern Revivals

5m

28 Facing Life’s Record

5m

29 The Origin of Evil

5m

30 Enmity Between Man and Satan

5m

31 Agency of Evil Spirits

5m

32 Snares of Satan

5m

33 The First Great Deception

5m

34 Can Our Dead Speak to Us?

5m

35 Liberty of Conscience Threatened

5m

36 The Impending Conflict

5m

Sound Doctrine