Faithful Missionaries From the Apostles to the Waldenses Lesson 26 From the Apostles to the Waldenses Lesson 26

Pure, uncorrupted Christianity came early to Great Britain, but persecution by Roman emperors followed the spread of Christianity to England, and many of these Christians fled to Scotland.

Scotland, North Sea

Scotland

In Scotland, a century later, light “shone out with a brightness that extended to Ireland and far-distant lands.

Ireland

From Ireland came the pious Columba and his co-laborers, who, gathering about them the scattered believers on the lonely island of Iona, made this the center of their missionary labors.... A school was established in Iona, from which missionaries went out, not only to Scotland and England, but to Germany, Switzerland, and even Italy” (The Great Controversy, p. 62).

Ionian Bay

Iona, an island in Scotland, three miles long, one mile wide

When the Saxons invaded Great Britain, the Christians were forced to retreat to the mountains and the wild moors.

Mountains in Scotland

A moor is a tract of open, uncultivated upland.

Rannoch Moor, Scotland

Scottish Moor

While these Christians were hiding away in the mountains and moors, the papacy determined to bring Britain under her control. She sent missionaries to convert the Saxons, and then these converted Saxons, along with the papal leaders, turned their attention to the little group of true Christians.

The Roman Christians found these Christians in to be different from them. The descendants of the early Christians in Britain were simple and humble, and they based their doctrine, manners, and character only on the Scriptures; whereas, the Roman Christians were superstitious, pompous, and arrogant. The representative from Rome demanded that these true Christians acknowledge the supremacy of the pope.

But they refused, and war and deception were used against them until the churches of Britain were either destroyed or submitted to the pope. This was in Britain. In northern Italy the papacy also pushed her way among the early Christians, and the group foremost who stood against the papacy were the Waldenses.

Peter Waldo Some believe Peter Waldo started the Waldenses.

Piedmont Valley in northern Italy, with Alps in the background.

Piedmont Valley, with Alps in the background.

The Waldenses fled from persecution and became humble peasants in obscure retreats, shut away from the world, toiling daily with their flocks and their vineyards.

They were determined to maintain their allegiance to God and to preserve the purity and simplicity of their faith. A separation took place. Those who adhered to the ancient faith now withdrew; some, forsaking their native Alps, raised the banner of truth in foreign lands; others retreated to the secluded glens and rocky fastnesses of the mountains, and there preserved their freedom to worship God. (The Great Controversy, p. 64)

God provided for his people a sanctuary of awful grandeur, befitting the mighty truths committed to their trust.

Italian Swiss Alps

They valued the principles of truth above houses and lands, friends, kindred, even life itself, and they earnestly taught these principles to their children.

They “learned to love the silent symbols of Jehovah’s presence.... they were never lonely amid the mountain solitudes.... They rejoiced in their freedom to worship before Him.... From many a lofty cliff they chanted the praise of God, and the armies of Rome could not silence their songs of thanksgiving” (GC, p. 66).

They pointed their children to the heights towering above them in unchanging majesty, and spoke to them of Him with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning, whose word is as enduring as the everlasting hills. (GC, p. 66)

Copies of the Bible were rare, so its precious words were committed to memory. Many were able to repeat large portions of both the Old and the New Testament.

Parents taught the children to endure hardness, to submit to control, and to think and act for themselves. Very early they were taught to bear responsibilities, to be guarded in speech, and to understand the wisdom of silence. One indiscreet word let fall in the hearing of their enemies might endanger the lives of hundreds.

Far from the monuments of human pomp and pride the people assembled, not in magnificent churches or grand cathedrals, but beneath the shadow of the mountains, in the Alpine valleys...

or, in the time of danger, in some rocky stronghold, to listen to the words of truth from the servants of Christ.

The youth were instructed. The Gospels of Matthew and John were committed to memory, with many of the Epistles. They also copied the Scriptures, by patient, untiring labor, sometimes in the deep, dark caverns of the earth, by the light of torches. Angels from heaven surrounded these faithful workers.

When the young were ready, they left their homes as missionaries to share their faith and spread portions of the Scriptures. “With naked feet and in garments coarse and travel-stained as were those of their Master, they passed through great cities and penetrated to distant lands. Everywhere they scattered the precious seed” (GC, pp. 71, 72). “There was a strange and solemn power in the words of Scripture that spoke directly to the hearts of those who were longing for the truth. It was the voice of God, and it carried conviction to those who heard” (GC, p. 75).

Credits Slide 3: Bernt Rostad at flickr Slide 4: Miguel Angel Arroyo Ortega at flickr Slide 5: Keith Yahl at flickr Slide 7: dusi_bbg at flickr Slide 8: C. K. Hartman at flickr Slide 9: Dainis Matisons at flickr Slide 16: Chad K at flickr Slide 18: Martin Sojka at flickr Slide 19: kfcatles at flickr Slide 29: Megan Mallen at flickr Slide 30: Joel Sowers at flickr Slide 31: Alkuin at flickr Slide 32: whatleydude at flickr