"Such Preaching Has Never Been Heard Before

 Swingli believed that people would reject religious lies once they heard the Bible truth. So having been elected as priest in Zurich's prominent Grossmunster church, he began his preaching by stating a bold plan: He would no longer read the Lain lectionary that the clergy had been reciting for centuries. Instead, he would preach the Gospel directly from the Bible itself, chapter by chapter, from beginning to end. Rathan then refer to the Church Fathers to explain Scripture, he would let the Scriptures explain themselves. He did this by letting clearer passages shed light on more difficult ones. - 2 TIMOTHY 3:16. 

As he preached, Zwingli highlighted the Bible's practical value. He taught moral standards from the Bible, and he preached against worshipping Jesus' mother, Mary, praying to saints, the sale of indulgences, and the immorality of the clergy. How did people react?  After his first sermon, some said: "Such preaching has never been heard before." And one historian wrote of Zwingli's Catholic audience:" Those who had abandoned church services out of disgust at the stupidity and scandalous lives of the priests now returned."

In 1522, the clergy tried to involve Zurich's politicians in clamping down on practices that went against church doctrine. As a result, Zwingli was charged with heresy. Unwilling to compromise his personal beliefs, he resigned from being a Catholic priest. 

Next time: What Did Zwingli Do?

From the jw.org publications