Warrior for God - Ulrich Zwingli

Recently, researching a project led to reading through the history of the Protestant Reformation. Not only was I reacquainted with the lives and ministries of Martin Luther and John Calvin, I was reminded that God raised up scores of men who, though lesser known, were instrumental to the success of the Reformation. One of the more significant men in this group is the Swiss reformer, Ulrich Zwingli. To my shame, I had never read a full biography of his life. Fortunately, Dr. Mark Sidwell and his capable editorial team at BJU Press have provided a wonderful and very readable edited version of Henry White’s translation of Jean Henri Merle D’Aubingne’s biography on Zwingli entitled For God and His People.

Ulrich Zwingli was born on January 1, 1488 just seven weeks after Martin Luther’s birth. Although separated by great distance, and though their lives would scarcely intersect, both of these men would play similar and significant roles in establishing the true Gospel of Christ on the European continent. Zwingli’s father was well established in their small community and used his influence to procure the best education possible for his young son. At the tender age of 10, Ulrich went to live with his uncle who eventually sent him to study at new university at Basel where he received a Master of Arts in 1502. He remained at the university as a young instructor and continued to pursue his studies. In 1505, an instructor arrived on the campus whose views related to religious study profoundly affected Zwingli. He proclaimed, “The hour is not far distant in which the scholastic theology will be set aside, and the old doctrines of the church revived . . . Christ’s death is the only ransom for our souls.” Many credit his teaching as planting the seed of the gospel in Zwingli that eventually ripened to full faith. Shortly after, Zwingli was appointed as parish priest for the town of Glaris. Here, under the pressure of pastoral responsibility, in desperation Zwingli turned to the Scriptures for help. He determined to learn Greek that he might better understand and interpret the Bible. In 1516 he moved to Einsideln where he continued studying the Scriptures in order to meet the needs of the flock in his care. During these years, Zwingli memorized all of the epistles by Paul. Clearly God was forming the heart and soul of His future reformer.

In 1518, Zwingli was called to serve at the great cathedral in Zurich. It was here that Zwingli’s preaching began to reflect the evangelical doctrine he had come to espouse. So powerful were his sermons that in a short time more than two thousand people had come to know Christ. Although at this time Zwingli continued to preach as a Catholic priest, his message was very similar to that of Luther.

Soon, this message was resounding throughout all Switzerland. The Pope attempted to win Zwingli by means of flattery and feigned friendship but his delegates were bold in their designs against the Reformer and actually mounted several fruitless attempts on his life. By early 1523, leaders of the opposition posted 19 articles forbidding the preaching of “Lutheranite doctrines.” In response, Zwingli appeared before the Great Council convened at Zurich and presented sixty-seven counter theses establishing that salvation is found in Christ alone. The die had been irrevocably cast and though it would eventually lead to the establishment and preservation of truth, it would come at great personal cost to the Reformer and his family. The more Zwingli studied and preached the Scriptures, the greater the reforms he introduced to his people. Slowly, change came. One of the major reforms related to allowing priests to marry. Zwingli married a young widow in his congregation, Anna Reinhardt. She would prove to be a worthy companion equal to the task God had given her warrior husband.

In 1525 Zwingli successfully argued for the abolishment of the mass and established a more biblical view for the observance of the Lord’s Supper. Interestingly, it was on this point that Zwingli and his fellow Reformer, Luther, differed. In 1526, after an extended and difficult meeting, Luther declared that while they agreed on all other points, their disagreement over the Lord’s supper disallowed him from viewing Zwingli as a fellow Christian. However, he could extend to him kindness and appreciation as a friend, albeit, one who was yet outside of Christ. Most modern Protestants adopt Luther in so far as his views on justification by faith alone but follow Zwingli’s views regarding the nature of the Lord’s supper. However, it was clear that the Swiss Reformation was advancing against Rome along the same lines as the Reformation in Germany.

In Germany, Luther rejected the aid of temporal earthly powers as the primary means of bringing about his religious reforms. However, Zwingli and his followers took a different path, and “in stretching out their hands to the mighty ones of the earth and grasping the sword, were fated to witness a horrible, cruel, and bloody catastrophe fall upon the Word of God – a catastrophe which threatened to engulf the evangelical cause in the most furious whirlpool.” As Zwingli’s reforms began to divide the Swiss Church, the Swiss states found themselves at cross purposes from each other depending on which side was adopted by the churches in their borders. Soon, the political leaders determined to unify the religious leaders by means of force. An army was mounted and marched against Zurich to settle the rebel province and deal with the schismatic priest, Zwingli. Zurich mounted an army and compelled Zwingli to accompany them as their chaplain. On October 11, 1531 Zwingli was killed at the Battle of Kappel. Soon, the advances made for the gospel were all but reversed and the heavy hand of Catholicism forcibly returned Switzerland to her fold. However, all was not lost. Out of these ashes, the embers of the gospel yet burned. And, one day in the not so distant future would be fanned to full flame in the city of Geneva by another reformer, John Calvin.