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Contents Foreword 5 Was the 16th Century Reformation a Mistake? 7 Te Reformation and Te Bible 13 Te Reformation and Teology 17 Te Reformation and the Gospel 23 Te Reformation and Church Government 27 Te Reformation and the Sacraments 33 Te Reformation and the Liberty of Conscience 39 Te Reformation and Music: 43 Music is Next to Teology Te Reformation and Missions: 49 Its Impact on Modern Missions Te 21st Century Reformation: 55 Te Reformation and Modern Movements Foreword Two verses in the Bible remind and convict defend it. Tis means they defend the all believers throughout the ages that whole Bible, especially its perfection. they have to be sober and ever watchful because the battle for God’s TRUTH rages 2 Timothy 2:1-2 emphasizes the continuity on. Tis battle will not end until the Lord’s of this fght for the TRUTH. Tis must be victorious return in the clouds of glory. passed on from one generation of faithful Te verses are: men to the next until the Lord’s return. If God’s truth is not passed on to the next Jude 3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence generation, future generations will die to write unto you of the common salvation, in sin because they no longer have the it was needful for me to write unto you, and truth. Five hundred years have come and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend gone since Martin Luther, an ex-Roman for the faith which was once delivered unto Catholic monk, nailed the 95 Teses on the the saints.” church door at Wittenberg on 31st October 2 Timothy 2:1-2, “Tou therefore, my son, 1517. Has the Christian faith been passed be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. on faithfully to faithful men? Te articles 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me in this book were written as a rebuke as among many witnesses, the same commit well as a challenge to all of God’s people thou to faithful men, who shall be able to because the battle is far from over – it has teach others also.” increased in heat and momentum. Every child of God must stand in the gap and Jude 3 charges all God’s faithful servants hold the fort, for his Master the Lord Jesus to earnestly struggle for the faith once Christ stands with him to the very end. Be delivered unto the saints. It is a charge strong in the Lord to the very end. Stand to fght for something precious. It is the fast and fght the good fght of faith, for you Christian faith that has been handed down know that your labour is not in vain in the from one generation to the next since the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:58). fall of man. Without this TRUTH that Christ alone is able to save all sinners from We thank God for the writers who have sin, all sinners are doomed to hell! Tere penned these articles for the blessing of is no escape. In order for a sinner to be God’s people. Te contributors of the saved, the gospel of Jesus Christ has to articles include: Rev (Dr) Jefrey Khoo, Rev be preached according to Holy Scriptures. (Dr) Prabhudas Koshy, Rev Tan Kian Sing, Te Holy Spirit will use the gospel to bring Rev Dennis Kwok, Rev Joseph Poon, Rev about salvation, and upon confession and Paul Cheng, Rev Hien Nguyen, Rev Errol believing from the heart (cf. Romans 10:9- Stone, Preacher Joshua Yong, and Rev (Dr) 10), the Lord Jesus Christ will baptize him Quek Suan Yew. We thank God for their with the Holy Spirit. He will be saved for fellowship in the ministry and for the same eternity! Tis gospel must be defended burden that they have for the 21st Century at all costs! Not only must God’s faithful Reformation. Truly it is God’s truth alone servants share the gospel, they must also that can unite us in Christ. 5 Was the Reformation a Mistake? “Te Reformation of the sixteenth century remits sins for Christ’s sake; or, that this is, next to the introduction of Christianity, confdence alone is that whereby we are the greatest event in history”, so said justifed; let him be anathema.” Church historian Philip Schaf.1 Yet 500 years later, Protestants are disavowing Te Council of Trent still stands and the Reformation—instead of seeing it as continues to defne what the RCC believes. the greatest event in the history of the Pope John Paul II in 1995 said, “Te Church next to Pentecost, they see it as dogmatic afrmations of the Council of the greatest mistake. Trent naturally preserve all their value.” He praised Trent as “a great event in Te Evangelicals and Catholics Together the history of the church” and that the (ECT) of 1994 led the way. It undermined Council’s declarations continue to defne the 16th Century Reformation, calling the doctrinal convictions of the RCC.6 the separation then a “sin” so as to forge Lest there be any doubt, the incumbent a new Catholic-Protestant unity and Pope Francis afrms the Council of Trent. cooperation for the 21st century.2 Another In the 450th anniversary of the Council, betrayal came from the Lutheran World Pope Francis said that the Catholic Faith Federation (LWF). On 31 October 1999 is “distinctly” and “better perceived” by the LWF signed a “Joint Declaration on the the Council of Trent. He went on to say Doctrine of Justifcation” with the Roman that the RCC today actively “revives and Catholic Church (RCC) without having the refects upon the most glorious Tridentine Catholics recant the dogmas of the Council doctrine.”7 It is clear that the RCC of today of Trent.3 By so doing, the Lutherans of the is still the same RCC of yesterday. Tere is LWF efectively undermined the doctrine no change in essence or in dogma. If there of justifcation by faith alone. Luther is is a change, it is only in tactic. Since they rolling in his grave. can no longer burn, they seduce.8 Te RCC has not changed a single iota Te ECT and LWF say it is sin to divide. of its dogma since the Reformation.4 Tere is no sin in Biblical division. Jesus Te RCC has yet to renounce its anti- Himself said, “Suppose ye that I am come Reformation Council of Trent (1545- to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but 1563).5 Trent pronounced 125 anathemas rather division” (Luke 12:51) for “what against Protestants. For instance, Canon concord hath Christ with Belial?” (2 Cor XII on Justifcation states, “If any one 6:15). Biblical separation is no sin for it is saith, that justifying faith is nothing else commanded, “Be ye not unequally yoked but confdence in the divine mercy which together with unbelievers… Wherefore come 7 out from among them, and be ye separate, Revelation is entrusted, “does not saith the Lord” (2 Cor 6:14, 17). derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the Holy Scriptures alone. Now it must be said that unity is to be Both Scripture and Tradition must be commended, but unity cannot be had accepted and honoured with equal at the expense of truth (John 17:17). Te sentiments of devotion and reverence.”9 call for unity is ofen made in the name of love, but we ask, what kind of love? It goes For the RCC, it is not Scripture alone without saying that it must be the love that but Scripture plus tradition, and usually is defned by truth, for love “rejoiceth not tradition trumps Scripture. For example, in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” (1 Cor the tradition of indulgences which came 13:6). What is truth? Te Apostle John says, into existence only in 1095 allowed a “thy word is truth” (John 17:17b). Terefore, person to buy forgiveness and even time the ECT and LWF unity with the RCC is of purgatory by purchasing a letter of totally out of line because the RCC remains indulgence (a discount coupon for sins unclean and void of the truth. It is clear committed or yet to be committed). In what we must do; the Lord says, “Touch not 1516, Tetzel the indulgence salesman went the unclean thing” (2 Cor 6:17b). about with this jingle, “As soon as the coin in the cofer rings, the soul in purgatory Te Reformation was a special movement springs.” (Today, you can get time of raised of God to reform a most deformed purgatory if you follow the Pope’s tweets.)10 Church in a very dark age. It was a Tis drew the ire of Martin Luther who movement entirely based upon the Biblical nailed his 95 theses on the castle door of foundations of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Wittenberg on 31 October 1517 in protest. Alone), Sola Gratia (Grace Alone), Sola He vehemently opposed the peddling of Fide (Faith Alone), and Solus Christus forgiveness, for salvation is free, paid for in (Christ Alone). Now, let us look at the Solas full by the blood of Christ (Rom 3:24, 8:32 of the Reformation vis-à-vis the beliefs and 1 Pet 1:18-19)! traditions of the RCC. By what authority did Martin Luther preach SOLA SCRIPTURA and teach that salvation is free and cannot Te RCC does not believe that the Christian be bought or sold? It is by the authority Faith should be based on Scripture alone.