The Waldensians

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By Eugene Prewitt

Study Notes on the Great Controversy chapter The Waldensians

Submission 3 (not to be turned in)

  1. Why do we find so few records of the Waldensians and Paulicians in written history?
  2. Why      would the Catholic church have a more difficult time today destroying the      record of its persecution?
  3. Notice      in 62:1 a list of capital crimes. This will help highlight the value of      Peter Abelard’s contribution to European thought.
  4. Why      were the Catholics more successful in converting the Saxon’s than the      earlier British Christians had been?
  5. How      did the British missionary school come to honor the Sabbath?
  6. Who,      other than Waldensians, were conducting mission tours across Europe in the middle ages?
  7. Know      the brief history of how the Catholic church fulfilled its threat of 62:4      (from lecture)
  8. How      were Christian churches outside of the jurisdiction of Rome corrupted through the ages?
  9. After      centuries of resisting papal power, the ___________ of the churches of Piedmont finally surrendered “reluctantly.” What was      the result of this yielding?
  10. Briefly,      how does EGW’s description of the Waldensians in 64:2 appear similar to      her description earlier in the chapter of the primitive British      Christians?
  11. The      “true” church separated from Rome.      What was one of the leading causes of this separation? (65:1)
  12. Know      the progression in 65:1…Rome      began by enjoining what God had not enjoined and ended by forbidding what      he had specifically enjoined.
  13. Think      it through…how can it be true that the Waldensians were among the first      people of Europe to obtain a translation      of the Holy Scriptures (65:2)? Didn’t the apostles take the Bible to all      of Europe in the first century? (If you      can’t think of a way to harmonize these two thoughts, let me know).
  14. Persecution      in our earlier studies seemed to help the church. What impact did it seem      to have in 65:2?
  15. Where,      in all ages, have the persecuted and oppressed found refuge?
  16. Explain      briefly the secret that allowed the Waldensians to be “never lonely amid      the mountain solitudes.”
  17. Thought      question (likely to be on the test): What does it mean to have a “simple”      piety, as in 67:1?
  18. Why      were the scriptures committed to memory in 67:1. Thought question, Since      this has changed, are we in less need of doing memory work?
  19. Write      a brief Waldensian parental educational axiology from 67:3. Do not be so      brief as to leave out important information regarding ideas that the      parents regarded as important for the children to understand.
  20. Don’t      be confused by the introduction of the word “Vaudois” in 68:1.
  21. What      did Waldensian missionaries have in common with Paul in regard to methods      of support?
  22. Some      Bible manuscripts created by Waldensians had notes added to explain the      text.
  23. Know      the idea of 69:2 that men have been “unwearied” in their efforts to make      the Bible appear to contradict itself. Keep an eye open for men still      trying to do that.
  24. Why      did Waldensians attend secular universities in centers of Catholic power?
  25. Why      were the public university missionaries uncorrupted by the dangers they      faced? Thought question: Students who have not had such an advantage…can      they safely enter public places of education? This is not a simple      question.
  26. What      can we glean regarding these university missionaries’ methods by the      inability of school administrators to trace the “heresies” to their      source?
  27. What      requirement of the Waldensians of their ministerial students would tend to      have prevented hypocrites from gaining the position of pastor?
  28. Was      the 3-year missionary trip considered a post-study program, or part of      their study? What was the teacher/student ratio for this three-year part      of their education? If the teacher made these trips repeatedly then the      chance of a teacher being martyred eventually was high. Consider the      impact of this on Waldensian education.
  29. How      were the garments of the Waldensian missionaries similar to those of      Jesus?
  30. What      evidence can be seen from 72:1 that God’s true people did not comprehend      the time prophecies of Daniel in the Middle Ages?
  31. Think      it through. What effect would Catholic doctrine have the moral strength of      a sincere person as described in 72:2? Could God take such a sincere      person to heaven in the judgment? Think it through.
  32. Why      would the Waldensian missionary      be the one crying in the picture painted on 73:3-74:0?
  33. Notice      the effect of the true gospel presentation on the converts relation to      persecution and death. This type of coveting is not a breaking of the 10th      commandment, for it is not coveting something that “is thy neighbors.”
  34. Which      seems to more accurately reflect general Waldensian method from 74:3:      Waldensians preached the truth OR Waldensians read (rhymes with red) the      truth.
  35. People      talked about the Waldensians behind their backs. Know what kind of things      they remarked about when he left. 75.3.
  36. Notice      the allusion to Genesis 3:15 in 76:2. This is not a question.
  37. Know      that the crusades mentioned in 76:2 were aimed at both sides of the Alps and more particularly the north side, the      Albigensians. EGW seems to include these in her statements about the      Waldensians here.
  38. When      the pope in 77:1 said the faithful should be “crushed as venomous snakes”      he likely felt justified by God’s statement that the serpent would be      crushed under the heal of the true seed. EGW applies a different passage      to his statement…Matthew 25:40. Know what Matthew 25:40 says.
  39. The      reformation that grew up in the time of Wycliffe grew from seeds planted      by the Waldensians. Remember that EGW seems to use this word to include      the Albigensians, and even the Celtic Christians (mentioned in the first      pages of this chapter.) Know this connection.

For the Word Doc: Study_Guide_The_Waldensians

4 comments

  • David R Calvert

    Did a Waldensian priest visit and influence Wycliff’s early theology as claimed by “EGW??

    • eprewitt

      Waldensian missionaries travelled widely, incognito, and were not priests. But Wylie would be the best well known historian for investigating a link between the Vaudois and Wycliffe as he wrote substantially about both. Let me know what you find there.

  • Jason

    Is there an answer key for these questions my friend?

    Thank you.

    Maranatha.

    • Eugene Prewitt

      No, Jason. But the answers are generally evident to any of my students who are reading the Great Controversy and Wylie’s History of the Waldensensians,