1453 - What a Year!

By WCS Headmaster, Dr. Roger Erdvig

In 1453, Constantinople—the hub of eastern Christianity—fell to the Ottoman Empire. After decades of spiritual and cultural decay, Constantinople did not have the internal resources to resist the enemy, and invaders overran the city. 
 
Thankfully, hundreds of scholars with keen foresight escaped to Europe with copies of ancient Greek manuscripts in tow. These brave academics knew that with the fall of the Christian culture around them, someone had to preserve the New Testament. Out of wreckage from the collapse of their earthly city, a remnant saw the importance of Scripture, and they committed their lives to preserving God’s Word, even at high personal cost. Their battle cry in the new war to be faithful to Scripture was “Back to the sources!”
 
At the same time the Bible was being preserved and protected by scholars from Constantinople, it was also on the verge of explosive worldwide influence. In the very same year, something else happened which would spark widespread commitment to Scripture. While the gates of Constantinople burned, a little-known craftsman in Germany perfected a new invention—the printing press. And his first work? The Gutenberg Bible—the first fully printed book in the West. Before this time, Bibles were copied by hand, and only the wealthiest cathedrals of Christendom had copies. With the printing press, the Bible began a rapid journey around the globe, making God’s Word accessible to millions.

I find inspiration for our mission today as I reflect on these amazing stories of God’s providential work to preserve His Word and expand its influence. We, too, are faced with cultural decline, with seen and unseen battles to fight. And yet, just as in 1453, the answer to our challenging times is God’s Word. His Word is eternal, unchanging, and the foundational source of all truth. While people follow all kinds of alternate truth claims (however illogical and incoherent they are), God always has His remnant of faithful souls, fully committed to Scripture.
 
WCS is committed to the importance of God’s Word in all we do. We seek to create an environment for our students that is fully immersed in Scripture. Whether we’re studying chemistry, American history, or Spanish grammar, we aim to bring everything under submission to Christ’s Word. Our battles to do so may not be as dramatic as the defenders of Constantinople. Our insights may not yield inventions as revolutionary as the printing press. Even so, we aim to cultivate a new generation of Christian influencers whose battle cry is “Back to the source!” and who will live the truth of Scripture no matter what their adversaries say or do. ​