Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – Brief Overview – “Who Were the Albigenses and the Waldenses?” – Part Two – Waldenses

Thomas E Kresal Admin · 1 hr April 2, 2020

Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – Brief Overview – “Who Were the Albigenses and the Waldenses?” – Part Two – Waldenses

The Waldenses (also called the “Vaudois”, a French word meaning “valley people”) existed in the Piedmont region (of northwest Italy) at the base of the Alps many centuries prior to A.D. 1170 [a date seen in at least one dictionary as the alleged beginning of their existence]. There is good historical evidence of their existence as simple, Bible-believing Christians in the Piedmont region in the 2 nd century (several centuries prior to the official establishment of the hierarchical Roman Catholic Church)! Author Les Garrett tells us: “The Reformers held that the Waldensian Church was formed about 120 A.D., from which date on, they passed down from father to son the teachings they received from the apostles [Ed.: and not from Papal Rome].”

The Roman Catholic Church would later conduct genocidal war against the Waldenses in southeastern France and northwestern Italy, just as they had earlier made war upon, and exterminated, the Bible-believing Albigenses in southern France during the 13th century. Here are some of the major reasons why the Roman Catholic Church commanded and supported these brutal, genocidal wars against the Albigensian and Waldensian Christians:

(1) The Bible-believing Albigensian and Waldensian Christians refused to recognize and submit to Papal authority;

(2) They refused to obey “commands” from the Papacy to turn in their Holy Bibles to Roman Catholic authorities;

(3) Some of their preachers correctly identified Papal Rome as the “Antichrist” and religious harlot described on the pages of Holy Scripture, and preached sermons to that effect; and,

(4) When many of the Roman Catholics who lived with or near these Bible-believing Christians saw the moral, industrious lives that these Bible believers lived – and compared these Bible believers with the corrupt, immoral Roman Catholic priesthood, they began to leave the Roman Catholic Church in droves!

Presented by Thomas E. Kresal from: Darryl Eberhart, Editor of ETI & TTT Newsletters, January 11, 2011