Wednesday Class
Teachers
Lesson Summary
During the Wednesday class, the teacher presented an overview of the Inquisitions, describing how the medieval Catholic Church responded to perceived heresy with force, torture, and execution. The discussion highlighted the Spanish Inquisition’s targeting of Jews, Muslims, Protestants, and alleged witches, and noted that both Catholic and later Protestant settlers in America continued similar practices. The teacher explained that the Inquisitions were managed by Franciscan and Dominican monks, and how the Church’s claim of universal authority allowed it to hand over condemned individuals to secular powers that were themselves Catholic, ensuring compliance. The class then transitioned to the onset of the Reformation, emphasizing the doctrinal abuses that motivated reformers to challenge the Roman Catholic system. Central to this critique was the New Testament teaching in 1 Timothy 4:1‑3, which condemns the prohibition of marriage and the imposition of unnecessary ascetic rules, such as enforced celibacy. By linking these biblical principles to historical abuses, the teacher underscored the need for the church to align with New Testament patterns rather than human traditions, encouraging believers to recognize God’s enduring kingdom despite past corruption. Through historical analysis and scriptural grounding, the lesson called the congregation to appreciate the Reformation’s legacy, to study history wisely, and to pursue a faith community modeled after the early church’s purity.
Key Scriptures
The Spirit explicitly says that in latter times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons by means of the hypocrisy of liars, seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron. Then verse 3 says, men who forbid marriage... and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.