Christians before Luther?

[PopeAlsatiusXVI]

Hi everyone. I am curious to know, where were Christians with Protestant theology before Martin Luther, who did not venerate saints or believe in their intercession, who did not believe Mary sinless, and did not think the Eucharist was literally Jesus Christ present?

I have combed through Christian history. Apart from the obvious heresies ( Gnostics, Cathars, Arians, Manichees) It seems the Christian world was divided into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. Any thoughts?

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

There was a group called the Montanists.
They were an early charismatic group prior to the church of Rome.
I have read of small pockets of christians avoiding roman persecution for hundreds of years, many falling in the inquisition.
I cannot remember their names.

 

[Deborah13]

I have read of small pockets of christians avoiding roman persecution for hundreds of years, many falling in the inquisition.

Me to. Here's a website that gives some dates. Before this time I think the people who were in other countries away from Rome had more freedom of worship.
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/Inquisit

 

[Tony Hyman]

I would stick my neck out here and look to India and have a peek at what " Thomas" Matthew 11:16 was up to.According to Stephen Neill "A History of Christian Missions"1986 .A look at the history of the Nestorians also known as the Thomas Christians reveals untainted or pure beliefs of the Apostle Thomas who etablished a Church in the 1st century A.D.The Church still exists in Madras and was isolated from the mainstream Papal control and their rejection of Hindu Beliefs(Persian Zarathushtraissm),regardless various attempts to establish a Catholic Bishop .It is suggestet that Thomas is buried at St Thomas Mount not far from Madras.Ancient crosses dating from the 7th cent A.D have been found there as well as Pahlavi and Middle Persian as well as Roman coins.See also The Indian Christians of St Thomas(1956) L.W.Brown.I think the works of Peter and Paul tend to overshadow the works of the other Apostels from a Western Perspective.Not that it's Peter or Pauls fault of course when the New Testiment was drafted called Codex Sinaiticus the oldest complete version of the N.T. found at the monestary of St Catherine at mount Sinai(1844) and now in the British Museum.

 

[Deborah13]

Hi everyone. I am curious to know, where were Christians with Protestant theology before Martin Luther, who did not venerate saints or believe in their intercession, who did not believe Mary sinless, and did not think the Eucharist was literally Jesus Christ present?

I have combed through Christian history. Apart from the obvious heresies ( Gnostics, Cathars, Arians, Manichees) It seems the Christian world was divided into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. Any thoughts?

Actually, on this forum there is a thread named "Foxe's Book of Martyrs" there is lots on there. There was a group started by a Catholic priest. I can't remember what they were called. Anyway the nuns quit praying with their rosaries, they all quit going to confessions, etc. They said, they were just going to straight to God. The priest who started it all wrote books and was in and out of favor with the powers of the church and was in the end imprisoned.

 

[VirginShallConceive]

I would stick my neck out here and look to India and have a peek at what " Thomas" Matthew 11:16 was up to.According to Stephen Neill "A History of Christian Missions"1986 .A look at the history of the Nestorians also known as the Thomas Christians reveals untainted or pure beliefs of the Apostle Thomas who etablished a Church in the 1st century A.D.The Church still exists in Madras and was isolated from the mainstream Papal control and their rejection of Hindu Beliefs(Persian Zarathushtraissm),regardless various attempts to establish a Catholic Bishop .It is suggestet that Thomas is buried at St Thomas Mount not far from Madras.Ancient crosses dating from the 7th cent A.D have been found there as well as Pahlavi and Middle Persian as well as Roman coins.See also The Indian Christians of St Thomas(1956) L.W.Brown.I think the works of Peter and Paul tend to overshadow the works of the other Apostels from a Western Perspective.Not that it's Peter or Pauls fault of course when the New Testiment was drafted called Codex Sinaiticus the oldest complete version of the N.T. found at the monestary of St Catherine at mount Sinai(1844) and now in the British Museum.

Don't even get me started on "Thomas". This dude was supposedly hanging out with a guy who performed countless miracles, such as raising a man from the dead, and he still doubted the Resurrection. Either this dude was an idiot, or this dude is a fictional character.


Period.

 

[Znex]

There was a group called the Montanists.
They were an early charismatic group prior to the church of Rome.

I can't imagine what's so charismatic about Hannah Montana fans *is shot*

In all seriousness though, there were probably a good lot of those sorts of Christians recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs, which goes to record large amounts of Christian martyrs pre-1600s.

 

[Tony Hyman]

.[/QUOTE]Don't even get me started on "Thomas". This dude was supposedly hanging out with a guy who performed countless miracles, such as raising a man from the dead, and he still doubted the Resurrection. Either this dude was an idiot, or this dude is a fictional character.


With all respect that might be so as you state Zen; but have you any substantial evidence that refutes the claims of the learned author I have quotet above.Biblically it is a fact that Thomas was an Aposltel who walked with Christ as I have shown .The only Apostel that I am aware of who had any contact with a magician was Peter in Acts 8:9-10 where Peter dealt with the said Simon the Magician from Samaria in the following fashion; and it is hoped poor Simon would look forward to the trip "May you and your money go to hell, for thinking that you can buy God's gift with money! 23 You have no part or share in our work, unquote(I assumme this to include Thomas ,Matthew 28:19 "all peoples everywhere "),"because your heart is not right in God's sight."T.E.V.Google about a bit and check it out.There is nothing to lose.