Summarized edition of The Roaring Reformers

                             JOHN WYCLIFFE During Wycliffe’s time Bible weren’t written in English it was only in Latin, so the Bible was read only by the pope. Wycliffe was a figure of stability-a man who strongly associated with the rich and powerful-yet he unflinchingly fought for the common people and identified with their right to know God in a personal and intimate way. During Wycliffe's day, the concept of a common person knowing God intimately was unheard of and extremely controversial. It is no wonder that he is called "the Morning Star of the Reformation"-he changed the barometer of spiritual ignorance and, from his efforts, a new horizon for the church dawned. He was also called the "most learned man of his generation in yet little is known about him except that he led a very simple life marked by tireless study, lecturing, and writing. I believe his life embodies God's principle that where one sows, other waters and yet another reaps the harvest. (See John 4:37). As you read about Wycliffe's life, don't ever underestimate the role you might have in sowing a seed, or a good deed, into the lives of others. Your actions today, when done by the faith and inspiration of God, can powerfully affect the future. Many of us will never know the powerful results of the seeds we've planted in the lives of others until we get to heaven. Wycliffe's dependence on the written Word of God built a foundation inside him that proved unshakable, no man could overturn what Wycliffe knew to be true from the Scriptures. It didn't matter how high up on the political or religious ladder one was-to Wycliffe, God had the final say in every matter. Wycliffe soon found himself on the threshold of receiving the highest honors in the Church. In this way, Wycliffe's entire life was soon wrapped up in the school. Of the five-fold gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, evangelist), Wycliffe was gifted as a teacher-so, besides his work in the priesthood, he was extremely fulfilled in his position as an instructor in the university. At this time, the Catholic Church was very pleased to have someone like Wycliffe growing into such a position of prominence. Wycliffe’s greatest strength was his adherence to the Scriptures. From reading and studying his Bible, Wycliffe gained greater knowledge and understanding of what the Word of God was saying, and it became a personal revelation to him. Wycliffe didn't think that the Bible was so holy that it couldn't be touched. No-he opened it, read it, and applied the Scriptures to his life and circumstances. The revelation of those Scriptures separated the true from the false and enabled Wycliffe to see that the entire system of the Catholic Church was in opposition to the overall message of the Bible. He began to realize that many of the sacraments and doctrines of the Church were hypocritical and heretical. The religious system of the day had been formulated entirely for the quest of money, power, and control. Wycliffe was bought to court for the first time but the accusers were arguing and he left untouched He was brought to court the second time The pope arrogantly declared that if Oxford did not get rid of Wycliffe, the university would no longer receive the graces and support of the Catholic Church. But Despite the threats, Oxford took Wycliffe's side. A council of doctors declared that the "propositions attributed to him [Wycliffe], Oxford realized the pope was embarrassed and extremely threatened by Wycliffe's accusations. I believe the Oxford scholars were proud of Wycliffe's insight and secretly wished they had the personal boldness to address the Catholic Church's hypocrisy. Although they supported him and gave him the liberty to continue teaching, Wycliffe decided to place himself under house arrest to spare the university from further action by the pope. For the third time Queen Mother, sent a message to the court at Lambeth, forbidding them to pass sentence upon Wycliffe. The Queen Mother's intervention on Wycliffe's behalf caused great fear and concern among the bishops and their supporters. Miraculously, no one sought to defrock or excommunicate Wycliffe, and again he was allowed to leave without penalty. The Catholic Church had no idea what to do with him. Powerlessly, they ordered Wycliffe to stop preaching. Wycliffe obeyed, but his pen was not silent, nor were the groups of men that he personally mentored. Wycliffe’s religious enemies couldn't touch him. He was able to formed his own group of street evangelists that he called the "poor priests." This group of clergy had all been personally mentored by Wycliffe, and they were instructed to travel throughout the countryside and preach wherever people would listen. These "poor priests" lived simple lives, shunned wealth, and dressed in a humble manner. Some were ordained; some were laymen; but none were tied to a parish, allowing them the freedom to be wherever the need was greatest. Wycliffe's preachers did just the opposite-they preached from the Bible, bringing understanding and comfort to the villagers. The `poor priests" lived simple lives, shunning wealth. They preached from the Bible, bringing understanding and comfort. Wycliffe wrote tracts for these men to distribute, and, although he didn't preach himself, Wycliffe wrote hundreds of sermons for these "apostolic men" to meditate on and preach. Unfortunately, the majority do not exist for us to enjoy today. Wycliffe's most startling revelation was that the Bible was the sole foundation of all doctrine. In March of 1378, Wycliffe released a booklet entitled On the Truth of Holy Scripture that sent the Catholic hierarchy skyrocketing with anger. From this one foundation-that the Scriptures alone contain the truth for the Christian lifestyle and doctrines-Wycliffe began to skillfully dissect the various heresies and hypocrisies that had blossomed in the Catholic Church. This one booklet contained thirty-two chapters upholding the truth of the Scriptures against the lies of the papacy. Wycliffe had crossed into a new frontier The Catholics were outraged by Wycliffe's teaching that the Bible was the only source for doctrine. They believed that the Church (i.e., priests, monks, friars, bishops, and the pope) was the sole source of all doctrine and that the Bible served only as an aid, filled with stories that served as illustrations for living a good life. But their outrage didn't faze Wycliffe. Using the Bible as his foundation, Wycliffe began to separate the man-made ideas of the Church from the God-inspired principles of the Word. During his time, he attacked Catholic heresies because he believed these heresies were all invented and propagated by man. Wycliffe wrote these findings while acting as a Catholic priest. Cause he loved the ministry and the work of God, but he hated the abuses found within the Catholic Church system. Wycliffe also felt these abuses were against God and against the people. Few of the heresies he attacked: 1.    He Attacked Confessionals: The Catholics instructed the people to come and confess their sins to a priest before they could be forgiven and taught that the priest, bishop, etc., was the only one who had the power to cleanse them from their sins. After confession was made, the priest would impose several acts of penance that the sinner had to perform in order to receive complete forgiveness. Wycliffe wrote, just as he believed in the word of God cos that’s his standard. He wrote “It is not confession to man but to God, who is the true Priest of souls, that is the great need of sinful man” 2. Absolution: The Catholics taught that only a priest, bishop, etc., could release a person from the guilt of sin by merely speaking it over the person. Many times, absolution was paid for with money or some other sort of possession. Wycliffe wrote, there is no greater heresy for a man than to believe that he is absolved from sin if he gives money, or because a priest lays his hand on his head and says, "I absolve you;" for you must be sorrowful in your heart, else God does not absolve. Wycliffe's most famous controversy was over the Eucharist or the Holy Communion. Catholics believed in transubstantiation, which simply meant that when a priest performed a Mass, the bread and wine of communion were transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ, while keeping the appearance of mere bread and wine. They also refer to this as "The Blessed Sacrament." Wycliffe found transubstantiation totally unscriptural. He believed in the spiritual presence of Christ and His blood and claimed that Jesus Christ was to be remembered in communion by personal faith in the price, He paid. He urged people to return to the faith and practice of the early Christians. Etc. Little by little, Wycliffe continued to expose the errors and deception of the Catholic Church. In 1379, Wycliffe took a position against the Church that made even his friend’s tremble. John of Gaunt had trouble with it and begged him to recant on this monumental position. But Wycliffe could not betray what he felt from the Scriptures to be true, even if it meant the loss of support. As a result, the English government held Wycliffe loosely, not knowing how to react to his latest revelation. Purvey was one of Wycliffe's closest companions. He was Wycliffe's personal secretary and constant attendant until the end of Wycliffe's life. Now fifty-one years old, Wycliffe dictated much his prolific writing to Purvey, because it was clear to Wycliffe that his anointing and vision for writing would be passed on to Purvey. They both worked together with Hereford to translate the Bible from Latin to English. Hereford was one of Wycliffe's most educated colleagues from Oxford. A doctor of divinity, Hereford worked tirelessly along with Purvey in translating the Latin Bible into English. Unlike Purvey and Wycliffe, Hereford was known for his rowdy personality, noted as "the most violent" of the Wycliffe For the next few years, the group worked night and day. Wycliffe felt that the greatest anointing he had ever experienced was upon him, giving him the strength and energy to supervise the project. It is generally accepted that Wycliffe did the translation of the New Testament himself, while Hereford and Purvey translated the Old Testament under his constant supervision. He dedicated his time and effort in doing this because he knew that the common people would never know the true basics of faith unless they knew what the Bible said. Wycliffe also realized the people would never know the Bible unless it was in their own language. He stated: “Christ and His apostles taught the people in the language best known to them. It is certain that the truth of the Christian faith becomes more evident the more faith itself is known. Therefore, the doctrine should not only be in Latin but in the vulgar [common] tongue... believers should have the Scriptures in a language which they fully understand” He was so concerned about the common people and reading and understanding the Bible that he gave an outline to help do that effectively. I will state it below because they are really valid and truly helpful: 1. Obtain a reliable text. 2. Understand the logic of Scripture. 3. Compare the parts of Scripture with one another. 4. Maintain an attitude of humble seeking. 5. Receive the instruction of the Spirit.  He actually got attacked by the medieval Catholic Church. They considered total heresy translating the Bible into the language of the common people. In many theological references written or edited by Catholics, Wycliffe's name still appears in the list under the heading "Heretics." Some seem to feel that Wycliffe undermined the unity of the Catholic faith. Yes, he did this, but it was an action ordained by God. God cannot be found in religious politics; He is not found in controlling tactics or deception. God does not live in statues; He lives in the heart. He is not the Head of a clique; He is the Head of the true church. His last days weren’t that eventful cos he had stroke twice. Amid the torrent that flowed from Wycliffe's pen, he suffered the first of two strokes in 1382. This first stroke left him partially paralyzed. The pope attempted to summon Wycliffe to Rome to answer certain charges, but because of his weakened condition, Wycliffe was unable to comply. Wycliffe's second stroke came at the end of December in 1384 while he was listening to Mass. This stroke caused acute paralysis. Wycliffe could no longer speak. Three days later on December 31, 1384, Wycliffe died, leaving the earth to be with the Lord. After his death Purvey, his faithful associate, continued to work on the English Bible. Although the first version was finished before Wycliffe died, but a revision was put into motion by Purvey, who named it, appropriately The Wycliffe Bible.