2021-10-31 23:15:51
| THE REAL GENIUS OF THE REFORMATION |
Italian theologian Pietro Bolognesi captures the heart of what was at stake: the Reformation “was not a mere conflict between people and ideas, but between God and the Devil himself.” Indeed, the Protestant Reformation depended entirely on God. The Reformation belongs to him alone. He is the true “Reformer.”
Their recognition of this is what set apart the Reformers. Their greatness is not to be found in their intellectual brilliance nor their theological acumen. Their greatness is revealed in their humility in recognizing the greatness of God and his hand at work to change history. The Reformers were mere instruments in the hands of a sovereign and almighty God, and they knew this and freely confessed it. They were not the innovators or architects of the Reformation. They were mere servants.
“The Reformation,” says Bolognesi, “must be understood as an action that came down from above; whereas its counterpart, the Counter-Reformation, was an attempt at restoration that came from below. The former is rooted in man serving under God, and the latter is rooted in God serving under man.” God, however, submits to no man. The Protestant Reformation is his work, and his alone. Through it, he acted to reestablish the power and authority of his word. This is the genius of the Reformation.
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