Introduction
Christian leadership in Spain goes back to the times of
Paul, who mentions in the Bible his intention to visit the Iberian
Peninsula, roman territory. His leadership was leaving his mark of his
patriarchal character of conquering the world for Christ in Spain. From its
paternal loving character, the church would move to a medieval stoicism of
military implacable bishops. Cisneros was the spiritual counsellor of the
queen Elizabeth, who showed character and wisdom different to the
inquisitorial spirit that Casiodoro de Reina suffered, the monk patriarch of
Spanish Protestantism after publishing “Confession of Christian Faith” and
together with his group, be persecuted by leaders of the inquisition,
implacable and without mercy, far from Christ, who only sought power and the
authority of the position, even killing the loyal to Christ. The colporteur
leader Julianillo, the more humble but who left a mark of a committed
missionary and affable brother who gave his life for the church of Christ.
Or George Borrow “the English” who thanks to his character and relationships
with the high class, dedicated time to the gipsies translating the Gospel
into slang for their love. Matamoros, from Málaga in the XIX and his
association of mutual aid and to the sick. Then in the XX the Baptist
establish churches and leave names like Samuel Vila who has educated the
evangelical Spain together with Ernest Trenchard. José María Martínez
legated to his son Pablo Martínez, both provide a foundation, an example of
leadership in Spain, even José Pablo Sánchez, the TV leader follower of
Billy Graham. But, what is today’s evangelical leadership in Spain missing
for the church to grow, not divided in excluding denominations? Is there a
lack of faith, prayer, doctrine, preparation, character, humbleness, vision,
anointing of the Holy Spirit, or is there hope?
Possible Apostolic Leadership in Spain
Spain appears twice in the plans of Paul in the
Scriptures, specifically mentioned about his desire to visit it, exposed in
his letter to the Romans 15:24 and 28. The influence of the spiritual
leadership of the chosen apostle by Jesus to visit the known world must have
impregnated the mission to Spain, forever. The, also called and known by the
Romans as the limit of the West or finis
terrae, would be the fulfilled destiny of Paul in his expansion of the
Gospel, as we find in a letter from Clement of Rome to the Corinthians,
according to the historian A. Rovira i Virgili, which also appears in the
Fragment of Moratoria, from the II century. But Athanasius, John Chrysostom,
Epiphanus and Geronimo’s, in the successive centuries accepted that Paul
visited Spain. Whether he did or not, his influence as a charismatic leader
left his mark, and the Spirit would take care of the fast expansion. It is
accepted that the first churches were established in the Betica and
Tarragona. From there, we find that in the IV century the Council of Granada
denounced the moral problems of Christianity mixed with paganism. Soon the
leadership of the church in Spain would suffer deviation but some brothers
appeared, whom I will call proto reformers, like Prisciliano, bishop of
Ávila who then in the year 380, due to his capacity of leadership, his
erudition, his sharpness, dialectic ability and his ascetics commanded a
group of seculars who formed congregations who were seeking the correct
doctrine, for this they received persecution from Higinio, bishop of
Córdoba. His cause got to such a point that he was executed for heresy by
order of the emperor. But organized warship outside the church continued in
Galicia and in western Spain, until the Council of Braga (561) eradicated
it. Also in this period another leader stands out, also fervent for purity
of doctrine and for his character was taken to be president of the Council
of Nicaea against Aryanism, was Osio of Córdoba and showed brotherhood
defending Athanasius, accused by Arian bishops. The period of Visigoth
invasion already showed the deviation from the simple and holy character of
the apostles to leave way to a deviated imposition of rites under a strong
authority of the bishop, who imparted the Holy Spirit through baptism an
without whom the believers could not have a relationship with God. The
leadership of the church, to this point, had become an imposed needed
dictatorship; sacraments and man commandments and the leaders were seen as
executers of a human law who threatened with hell. After the pope of Rome
and his supposed papal infallibility , the bishop were seen as such, proud
and arrogant, not loving the church but their own popularity and authority,
which soon would blend with politics, unifying all in the catholic kingdom.
Where did that Christian leadership that loved the sheep remain, humble and
servant of the church which efforts to follow the Master? In the book “The
City of God” from Saint Augustine, his author, the last of the times of “the
giants” left a complete guide that would impact Christianity about how to
leader the Church of Christ, far from corruption in which it had fallen, and
during the Middle Ages no other theologian would be cited more than him, the
favourite author of the reformers. Maybe it was already so far that the
Islamic invasion, seen by many as the divine punishment for such a deviation
from the true faith, a before and after so that before the Reconquest, Spain
would receive some leaders, even though catholic wanted to maintain the
truth of Christ until the imposition appeared again under the despicable
scour of the Inquisition.
The Catholic Medieval Leadership and the Inquisition
In Navas de Tolosa, in the year 1212, the Reconquest
started officially after the great battle won by the troops of the Christian
kings with the support of the pope. From there comes the great power reached
by the medieval Catholic church. But the Spanish would go in masse, in
peregrination to the monasteries founded by Fructuous of Braga, an isolated
monk student of manuscripts and lover of the contemplative live which he
changed at the end to go and reach the multitudes until Seville and Cadiz
that was his charisma. Another leader who left his mark was King Alfonso X
the Wise who impulse culture to Christian, Arab and Jewish people, giving an
example to all the populations and setting the foundation of a united
nation. To these cultures, the first great mystic of the Iberian Peninsula
Ramón Llul dedicated, and evangelized in an abnegated and humble manner
until his death by lapidating of his opposites. The Spanish Catholic Church
would submit to the dictations of the Vatican, like many kings would do. The
modern era opened then with the reign of the Catholic Kings. Elizabeth and
Ferdinand believed in the unity of Spain only as catholic, expelling Muslims
and finally Jews. After that they would concentrate in what became the
discovery of America on the 12th of
October 1492, the same year of the expelling of the Jews. But before that it
had to counterpoints, a good and wise Christian, confessor of the queen
herself, cardinal Cisneros; and the scour of the Inquisition which was
established in Spain in 1478 with the approval of pope Sixto IV. Cisneros
reformed the life of the church against the moral relaxation of the clergy,
one of the points of the Protestant Reform, but also he focused on providing
the Bible in the original tongs and Latin, his famous Poliglota Complutense,
a place shared with the university, and the university of Alcala de Henares,
which continues until today, obtaining from pope Alexander VI a Bulled
Letter to build the until today known school of “Saint Ildefonso” where
students would read the teaching of the Faculties of Theology, Canonical Law
and Arts, as well as Medicine. Due to his high loyalty to the crown he had
to rule Spain after the death of Elizabeth until Charles V would undertake
the throne. His defect was to tolerate the Inquisition. But Erasmus would
introduce his humanist influence through the court of Elizabeth and Cisneros
himself, thanks to the reforming spirit of the cardinal, with reformed
doctrines that would impact Alfonso and Juan de Valdes. As martyr leaders we
cannot forget to mention those who suffered in the autos of faith of such
vil and cruel institution, and be inspired by their courage and love for
Christ, gifts that we are not used to in the western world today: Juan Ponce
de Leon, Juan Gonzalez “the preacher”, four Sevillian women, Fernando
Fernandez, Juan de Leon (monk in the Monastery of Saint Isidoro del Campo in
Seville), Francisca Chaves, the medial doctor Cristobal Losada, Cristobal
Arrellano, Garcia Arias “the white teacher”, doctor Juan Egidio (canon
preacher at the cathedral of Seville) and doctor Constantine de la Fuente
(canon preacher of the cathedral of Seville). Cisneros was the third general
inquisitor of the kingdom, reformed the ways of the inquisition and changed
the worthless officials, protecting the falsely accused and their families,
like Antonio de Nebrija, humanist and translator who even worked in the
Poliglota Complutense Bible.
It continues and finishes in the next delivery
HISTORY OF
THE CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IN SPAIN II which includes:
The Protestant Leadership and The Bible in Spanish
The Evangelical Leadership Until Today
Conclusion