Unorthodox Religious Leaders

The establishment of the Christian Church followed a few hundred years of persecution of believers. (They had met in ecclesias as rivals to the Roman colonies and empire.) For over a thousand years, the Church maintained civilization in Europe and created a new orthodoxy. These new leaders became oppressors instead of servers of God’s truth and favor. Then new men and women of God rose up to return believers to the unorthodoxy of historical believers.

Reformers Crossed Orthodox Christianity

Martin Luther taught salvation by individual faith instead of relying on Church customs and leaders. His followers left the universal (catholic) church for their own ways of believing and behaving. This led to the Thirty Years War and the destruction of Germany as a unified nation until the late 1800s.

In the wake of Luther, William Tyndale bucked the religious establishment by creating an English translation of the Bible for the common people of England. King Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church in order to make himself the leader of the church in England.

James I, a Scottish king, succeeded Henry and his daughter, Elizabeth, to the English throne. James commissioned an Authorized translation of the Hebrew and Greek texts in order to solidify his control over the English church. He also sought control over the church in Scotland, where he was still James VI.

Puritans Crossed Orthodoxy of English Church

God raised up new groups of believers to separate themselves from the English Church and to purify their trust and obedience. Among these was John Bunyan, who wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress. 

These Separatists and Puritans left their homes in England to establish colonies of Heaven in the New World of North America. Later, John and Charles Wesley challenged the orthodox English church with their own methods of worship and behavior.

Believing Politicians Crossed Established Government 

The English government held sway over the North American colonies and began to heavily tax and oppress the colonists. Godly pastors roused the citizens to trust in and obedience to King Jesus. The Black Robe Regiment convinced the colonists to send political leaders to Philadelphia. These delegates declared the colonies independent of England and waged the Revolutionary War.

Conclusion

The Kingdom of God is in an on-going war against the religious and political establishments that become oppressive in their quest for power over other people. Leaders rise up to fight the orthodoxy of each establishment. From Jesus Himself to the preachers of the Black Robe Regiment, it’s easy to see the unorthodoxy of historical believers. In these days of liberal control of the U.S. government, “whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy,” (Philippians 4:8) these are the values of the unorthodox – the fighters against the status quo.

Questions 

Can you follow the examples of Jesus, His apostles, the historical believers who challenged the religious and political establishment?