Here is a short list of key individuals who proclaimed principles of reform prior to the Reformation. Each of these faithful figures contributed to the testimony of gospel and the authority of sacred Scripture.

Peter Waldo (c. 1140 - c. 1217) a man once rich in the world’s goods was awakened to his spiritual poverty through a tragic providence. Moved by the sovereign grace of God he embraced the true riches of Christ. In the latter part of the twelfth century, stirred by the words of Scripture and stricken by the vanity of earthly treasures, he gave all he had to the poor and began to preach the gospel in simplicity and truth. Waldo held fast to the authority of the sacred Scripture, believing that they alone must guide the soul in matters of faith and life. Having his heart was set aflame by the Word of God, he sought to restore the primacy of Scripture, advocate personal faith, and denounce the corruptions in the Church. He gathered around him a band of followers, becoming known as the Waldensians, who proclaimed the Word of God in the common tongue, declaring repentance and faith in Christ as the only means of salvation. Though the powers of Rome sought to silence them with fire and sword, the light of Waldo’s testimony endured, pointing the way to the reformation of the church that would break forth in future generations.

More

Anne of Bohemia (c. 1366 - 1394), was a queen adorned not only with royal dignity but with the radiance of a soul devoted to God's truth. Raised under the influence of faithful servants and exposed to teachings of reform, she embraced the light of sacred Scripture with a fervent heart. Her life attested to holding the wisdom of Christ dearer than the fleeting treasures of royal power. Anne became a quiet yet powerful defender of John Wycliffe, whose teachings sought to unshackle the Word of God from the chains of ignorance. She stood firm in her support of his efforts to bring the Scriptures into the common tongue, that the light of the gospel might shine in every heart. Her steadfastness in the cause of reform was marked by humility and courage, for she saw in Wycliffe's work the hand of God moving to cleanse His church of its growing corruptions. God was pleased to use her in a mighty way. Her faithfulness in turn led to Wycliffe’s reforming work impacting Bohemia in a providential and powerful way. It would be through these means that another key forerunner of the Reformation, John Huss, would be raised up. Anne’s life was a testament to the gospel. She strategically advocated access to the sacred Scriptures and defended the restoration and teaching of its purity for the glory of God and the good of souls.

More

John Wycliffe (c. 1324 - 1384), often called “The Morning Star of the Reformation,” was raised by divine providence to challenge the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church and restore the authority of God’s sacred Scriptures. His writings, including On Divine Dominion and On the Truth of Sacred Scripture, boldly confronted the false claims of papal power, declaring that Scripture alone should rule over Christ’s church. With unwavering zeal, he set himself to the task of translating the Bible into English, that the common people might behold the light of God’s truth in their own tongue. His labors, though fiercely opposed by the Roman Church, stirred the hearts of many and gave birth to a movement of reform that spread across England and beyond. Though Wycliffe’s enemies condemned him as a heretic, his work could not be silenced, for the seed of reformation was sown, and it would bear fruit in generations to come.

More

Jan Hus (1372 - 1415), a faithful servant of Christ raised in Bohemia, stood in the power of God’s truth against the corruptions of the Roman Church in the early 15th century. Rooted in the Scriptures and deeply influenced by the teachings of John Wycliffe, Hus became a bold proclaimer of the gospel and an advocate for reform. With a heart aflame for the glory of Christ, he preached against indulgences, the greed of the clergy, and the abuses of the papacy. His devotion to the sacred Scriptures and his unwavering stand for their authority set him in direct conflict with the powers of Rome. Though summoned to the Council of Constance under the guise of safe conduct, Hus was betrayed, condemned, and burned at the stake for his unwavering defense of the truth. His life and martyrdom served as a forerunner to the great Reformation, and the flames that consumed his body could not quench the truth he proclaimed. His final testimony declared, “What I taught with my lips, I now seal with my blood,” leaving a legacy that would inspire future generations to stand fast in the gospel of Christ.

More

Girolamo Savonarola (1452 - 1498) was a brilliant and bold voice proclaiming the fear of God in the very heart of the Renaissance. He was the first Reformation forerunner to recover an expositional method of preaching sacred Scripture, and that in the common tongue. He remains one of the most obscure and least appreciated forerunners to the Reformation. If he is mentioned at all, he is typically associated with electrifying denunciations of moral corruptions. Some mistakenly count him a mere moralist. Yet, he was the first forerunner to explicitly preach for “regeneration” of the church and call her to be the conscience of the state. His practice matched his preaching, such that his elevated spirit, intense devotion, and blameless moral character were known by friend and foe alike. His life and ministry were shaped by and shined forth a healthy and heartfelt fear of God—a fear that knew and made known the grace and love of God through Christ crucified. But his uncompromising stance against sin, his refusal to be played or swayed by men, and his attack on corruption in both the church and city were not well received. He was eventually indicted and excommunicated by the pope. After many tortures, the Roman Catholic Church ordered his execution by burning in the Palazzo de Vecchio of Florence.

More