History of the English Bible

AD 800- Europe at the Beginning of the Middle Ages

THE POLITICAL AND THE RELIGIOUS SITUATION

AD 800 | Rome | The Coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne

Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne

Characteristics of the Holy Roman Empire

founded on December 25, 800

it was one empire

it had one emperor

it had one church, the Roman church

the church had one head, the bishop of Rome

one Bible, the Vulgate

one Faith

What does this mean? UNITY! ONENESS!

What did this mean to a person?

you were a citizen of the empire

you were a member of the church

the goal was oneness and unity

Constantine- AD 313- emperor of the Roman Empire; issues a decree of toleration (Edict of Milan); to Christians persecuted; Theodosius made the church a state church

THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH

they had the Latin Vulgate; a translation of Greek and Hebrew into the Latin language;

the Vulgate

Jerome, the great linguist of the early church

one of the four doctors of early church- Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory and Jerome

Vulgate not the 1st transition into Latin; people translated the Word of God into Latin— old Latin- Italia. B/c of errors, the text itself became corrupt

AD 83,86- emperor ordered Rome to revise Latin

Jerome had to learn Hebrew- went to Bethlehem

from here, wrote NT into Latin- the Latin Vulgate- AD 404 completed it

Vulgate- not vulgar; it meant, “Popular; common.” Latin Vulgate becomes common

How was the Bible studied?

a glossed epistolary- commentary in the margins and the gutter (also between the lines- read between the lines); combined into the “Glossa Ordinaria” the interpretation of scripture given by the church fathers- the ordained gloss-

Anselm

Ralph, brother of Anselm

Gilbert the Universal- knew everything about everything

Peter Comester - nickname- Peter the Eater- wrote the Historical Scholastica-

theologians of the early church

Scotus

Thomas Aquinas

HOW WAS THE BIBLE STUDIED IN THE MIDDLE AGES?

studied in translation- IF THE TRANSLATION IS ACCURATE, there is nothing wrong with studying the Bible from translations

studied by writings of the church fathers- a good thing to study the writings of men IF they are faithful to the text; should be studied against the scriptures

DOCTRINAL CHANGES IN THE MIDDLE AGES

AD 1215- in 1198, Lothar DeConte- Innocent III- he was the most-powerful bishop of Rome up to that time- was single head of church at that time

question of heresy- in France, the Albigenses- Innocent thought they were heretics and sent armies against them in order to exterminate them

condition of things in church- the Crusades

8 of them

an attempt to recapture the holy places in Palestine what had fallen to the Muslims

convened a council- AD 1215- the 4th Lateran Council

palace found in Rome

adopted 71 canons (decrees)

sacrament of the eucharist- TRANSUBSTANTIATION

question of Lord’s supper had been discussed

bread and juice become the flesh and blood of Jesus

the forgiveness of sins - penance

how can a person be forgiven by God?

individual realizes they have sinned- CONVICTION- which produces contrition

a person must go to a priest and must then confess that sin to God

the priest would require something of you— might be required to go on a pilgrimage- to fast- to give an offering

heresy punishable by secular authorities

now punishable by the state

CHURCH BECOMES A SACRAMENTAL CHURCH- can confer grace- this is a violation of the Word of God- Roman Church becomes mediator between God and men

cannot go thru the person of Christ

you must go thru the church- if you do not adhere, you can be punished by the State

when you have deviations of doctrine, you have moral problems as well

A CHURCH IN NEED OF REFORM

educational reform

approx. 20% of priests knew 10 C

30% knew the Lord’s prayer

when ignorant people lead ignorant people, both fall into the ditch

moral reform

a close connection between correct doctrine and correct living

pastoral reform

people in ministry for what they could get out of it not in how they could serve