Dear Grandkids,
Ulrich Zwingli was born in Switzerland in 1484. He studied at the University of Basel and became a priest. Zwingli believed that to understand God’s will better, he needed to learn Greek to read the New Testament in its original language. According to D’Aubigne’s book on The History of the Reformation, Zwingli “compared Scripture with itself, explaining obscure passages by those that are clear. He soon knew the Bible thoroughly, and particularly the New Testament. When Zwingle thus turned towards Holy Scripture, Switzerland took its first step towards the Reformation.” His study of the Bible made him see the need for changes in the Catholic Church. He came to this decision without knowing who Luther was. Zwingli said, “I began preaching the Gospel in 1516, before anyone here knew Luther’s name. I learned about Christ’s teachings from the Bible, not Luther.” D’Aubigne also said, “Zwingle said this was the start of the Swiss Reformation.”
Philip Schaff described the Swiss Reformer Zwingli as “the most clear -headed and rationalizing among the Reformers….He had no mystic vein, but sound, sober, practical common sense. He always preferred the plainest sense of the Bible. He rejected the Catholic views on original sin, infant damnation and the corporeal presence in the eucharist.”
According to an article in Christian History, Zwingli enjoyed playing the lute for children, but he didn’t think music with instruments should be part of church services. He even ordered the big organ in his church in Zurich to be taken apart. But there were more things Zwingli disagreed with. In 1529, Zwingli and Luther met to try uniting their groups. They had different ideas about how to follow the Bible. According to D’Aubigne’s book, “Luther desired to maintain in the church all that was not expressly contrary to the Scriptures, and Zwingli to abolish all that could not be proved by them. The German reformer wished to remain united to the church of the preceding ages, and was content to purify it of all that was opposed to the word of God. The Zurich reformer passed over these ages, returned to the apostolic times, and carrying out an entire transformation of the church, endeavored to restore it to its primitive condition.” Luther favoured the retention of everything in the practice and usages of the Church not contrary to Holy Scripture. Zwingli proceeded upon the theory that, without express Scriptural command, nothing should be retained.” Zwingli’s ideas made many things go away from church buildings.
Which attitude agrees more with the teaching of the Scriptures (Galatians 1:6-9; 2 John 9-11; Hebrews 7:14)? Why?
Sadly, Zwingli died in a battle on October 11, 1531. Other people continued his work, and it led to the creation of the Reformed Churches of Europe. This new denomination was different from the Lutheran Church.
The constitution of a Reformed Church in North America has some similarities to Luther’s catechisms, such as believing in infant baptism, original sin, and using sprinkling or pouring for baptism. There's also a different way of running things. If someone removes a single leader like the pope from the church, they have to replace it with something else if they don’t like the Bible’s teachings. The Reformed Church uses synods and councils. On pages 166 and 167, the Reformed Church says, “For the better government and further edification of the church, there ought to be such assemblies as are commonly called Synods or Councils.” Later on, it calls these meetings a presbytery. The creed says, “The scripture doth hold forth, that many particular congregations may be under one Presbyterial government.”
Describe the Bible’s teaching on the limitation of elders or presbyters (1 Peter 5:1-3).