73: Why So Many Churches?: Corruption in the Medieval Church – Part 6

By the late Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church held unmatched power across Europe—but that power came at a cost. In this episode, we examine the growing corruption that crept into church offices, morals, and leadership. From simony and nepotism to indulgences and political intrigue, we trace how spiritual authority gave way to worldly ambition—and how these cracks in the foundation set the stage for the coming Reformation.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to the Ready for Eternity
podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to
inquisitive Bible students exploring
biblical truths that might not be fully
explored in typical
sermons or Bible studies.

(00:20):
My name is Eddie Lawrence.
The Roman Catholic Church stood mighty in
the Middle Ages, but corruption hollowed
its core, preparing the way for the
Protestant Reformation.
By the late Middle Ages, the Roman

(00:41):
Catholic Church was the most powerful
institution in Europe.
It shaped laws, crowned kings, and
claimed authority over the people.
But behind its authority and rituals,
corruption had taken root.
Many ordinary Christians had grown
uneasy, knowing that

(01:01):
something had gone terribly wrong.
Over time, the Church had gained wealth,
land, and influence.
With that great power came temptation.
Leaders began to treat spiritual
positions as tools for personal gain.

(01:22):
Instead of serving the people and
pointing them to Christ, many used the
Church to enrich themselves, reward their
families, or control politics.
Jesus warned that you
cannot serve God in money.
But by this point, money
had clearly taken the lead.

(01:43):
So what had happened to
the Church in the West?
Several patterns of corruption had become
disturbingly common.
One of the most common problems was
simony, the practice of buying and
selling Church rolls.
The name comes from Simon the Sorcerer,

(02:04):
who offered the apostles money so he
could receive the
power of the Holy Spirit.
That's in Acts chapter 8.
Peter rebuked Simon.
He said, "May your silver perish with you
because you thought you could obtain the
gift of God with money."
In the same spirit, wealthy families in

(02:25):
the Middle Ages paid to have their sons
placed as priests or even bishops who
were leaders over regions of churches.
God meant these rolls for godly men
called to shepherd the Church, but people
treated them like
goods in the marketplace.
It was about money

(02:46):
and power, not ministry.
Nepotism was another major issue.
Church leaders gave important positions
to their relatives regardless of their
character or calling.
Popes handed out powerful rolls to their
nephews, cousins, or
even their secret sons.

(03:09):
They made these appointments to keep
power in the family,
not to serve God's people.
As a result, the Church became tangled in
family politics and
lost focus on the gospel.
Another problem was clergy who just
didn't show up for work.
Many Church leaders collected money from

(03:31):
more than one church or monastery, even
though they could only
live in one place at a time.
This practice was known as pluralism.
Some oversaw several regions but never
visited the churches under their care.
Others left local priests in charge while
they lived in distant cities.

(03:53):
These absentee leaders enjoyed the
benefits of their
offices without doing the work.
Jesus modeled exactly the opposite.
He said, "I am the Good Shepherd."
The Good Shepherd lays
down his life for the sheep.
Another big issue was paying for the

(04:15):
forgiveness of sins.
Originally an indulgence
aimed to reduce time in purgatory.
Purgatory is a Catholic teaching about a
place where people go after death that
it's not hell but it's not heaven and you
spend time there suffering
being purged of your sins.

(04:38):
So those who had repented of their sins
and performed acts of penance, if they
obtained an indulgence, it would reduce
the amount of time they
had to spend in purgatory.
But over time
indulgences were sold for money.
Scientists claim that if you paid enough,

(04:59):
you could free a loved one from purgatory
or even secure your own salvation.
This turned God's forgiveness into a
financial transaction and confused people
about the true nature of grace.
Forgiveness is a gift of
grace, not a product for sale.

(05:22):
There were also serious
moral failings in church leaders.
The church required priests and monks to
remain celibate, but
many ignored the rule.
Some kept mistresses in
secret or fathered children.
Monasteries once devoted to prayer and
service gained
reputations for laziness and luxury.

(05:46):
But the New Testament never required
celibacy for church leaders.
In fact, Paul wrote that an overseer must
be "the husband of one wife."
Rather than encouraging marriage and
moral accountability, the church elevated
a rule that many could
not or would not keep.

(06:08):
The result was hypocrisy,
scandal, and broken trust.
Secular kings and rulers
often influenced who became pope.
In return, popes acted like political
leaders, making deals, declaring wars,
and defending their power with armies.

(06:29):
This made it hard for people to see the
difference between spiritual leadership
and political control.
James offers a sobering
test for such ambition.
He said, "Where jealousy and selfish
ambition exist, there will be disorder
and every vile practice."

(06:50):
James 3, 16.
That describes this era in
church history very well.
In the late 1300s, the Roman Catholic
Church fell into open division.
For nearly 40 years, there were two, and
at one point three men, all
claiming to be the true pope.

(07:13):
Each one had his own supporters.
This crisis, which was called the Western
Schism, wasn't about theology.
It was about power.
The confusion left many wondering who, if
anyone, truly spoke for God.
It badly damaged the
church's unity and reputation.

(07:35):
So what we ended up with was a church
that looked like a political kingdom.
The church owned massive
amounts of land and wealth.
Bishops and cardinals wore fine clothing,
lived in palaces, and
held banquets like nobility.
Spiritual offices became high-paying
careers rather than humble callings.

(07:59):
And many ordinary believers began to ask,
"Is this what Jesus intended?"
These problems didn't develop overnight.
They grew over centuries.
And though some people raised concerns,
few had the power or the
courage to push for real change.

(08:20):
But the pressure kept building.
By the early 1500s, the church was like a
dry forest in the summer.
All it needed to catch fire was a spark.
And that spark was coming soon.
Thanks for listening to the podcast.

(08:42):
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(09:03):
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Keep studying your Bible, growing closer
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