While for the most part the Reformation was about who was in charge, there were also here and there people who were looking more closely at the received teachings, hoping for something truer than they had been given by the ancestors. Sometimes this was done at terrible cost.
A dramatic example is how on this day in 1572 a Reformed theologian named Johann Sylvan was executed for noticing and, perhaps more importantly, for publishing the fact there is precious little in the Jewish and Christian scriptures to support the notion the divine has three parts. The title of his offending thesis was True Christian Confession of the Ancient Faith of the One True God and of Messiah Jesus of the True Christ, against the Three-Person Idol and the Two-Natured False Deity of the Antichrist. Kind of telegraphed his conclusions…
So, on this precious day, let us recall all those who swim against the stream, who poke about in places folk would rather they not, and who publish to the world what they find.
And in particular, let us recall Johann who died for us all…
This world is better because of you…
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