Today most sincere religious people can check whether their beliefs are based on what the Bible teaches or not. This was not the case at the dawn of the 16th century. Why? Because most people did not have access to a Bible in their own language. As a result, few church members could compare what the Church taught with what the Bible actually said. And members of the clergy were of little or no help. “The Church in Switzerland was corrupt,” says the book History of the Christian Church. “The clergy were ignorant, superstitious, and immoral.”

 In this climate, Huldrych Zwingli began to search for Bible truth. What did he find? How did he share with others what he learned? And what can we learn from his life and convictions?

 In his early 20’s, Zwingli set his mind on becoming a Catholic priest. Like other candidates for the priesthood at the time, Zwingli was required to study philosophy, church traditions, and the writings of the “Church Fathers”—but not the Bible itself.

 How did Zwingli begin to discover Bible truth? While at university in Basel, Switzerland, he attended the lectures of Thomas Wyttenbach, who condemned the Church’s system of indulgences. a According to one biographer, Zwingli “learned from [Wyttenbach] that the death of Christ was once offered for our sins.” (1 Peter 3:18) When he understood that Jesus’ ransom provides the only basis for forgiveness, Zwingli rejected the teaching that church leaders could forgive sins in exchange for money. (Acts 8:20) Nevertheless, Zwingli continued his studies and became a Catholic pastor at the age of 22.

 During his 20’s, Zwingli taught himself Greek in order to understand the original language of what is commonly called the New Testament. He also examined the works of Erasmus and learned that, just as the Bible teaches, Jesus is the only Mediator between God and men. (1 Timothy 2:5) As a result, Zwingli began to doubt the Catholic teaching about the role of saints in gaining approach to God.

 Zwingli intensified his search for truth during his 30’s. Meanwhile, however, he also served as an army chaplain in a series of wars fought across Europe for the control of Italy. At the battle of Marignano in 1515, he witnessed Catholics killing Catholics by the thousands. A few years later, Zwingli copied by hand and even memorized much of the Greek Scriptures. By 1519, he was living in Zurich, the center of political influence in Switzerland. There, he eventually came to believe that the Church should abolish any teaching that could not be proved by the Scriptures. But how could he help others reach the same conclusion?

 Zwingli believed that people would reject religious lies once they heard Bible truth. So having been elected as priest in Zurich’s prominent Grossmünster church, he began his preaching by stating a bold plan: He would no longer read the Latin lectionary b 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. Rather than 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 was never 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.

 Zwingli was no longer a priest, but he was still active as a preacher, and he continued trying to convince others of his views. He had become popular among the people because of his preaching, and this led to his becoming influential among Zurich’s politicians. Through this political influence, he pushed for religious reforms in Zurich. For example, in 1523, he convinced Zurich’s judicial authorities to prohibit any religious teaching that could not be proved by the Scriptures. In 1524, he persuaded them to outlaw idolatry. The civil magistrates, with the cooperation of local preachers and the consent of the people, oversaw widespread destruction of altars, idols, images, and relics. “Apart from the pillaging of religious houses by Vikings, the Western Church had never witnessed such intentional destruction,” states the book Zwingli—God’s Armed Prophet. By 1525, he had also influenced the authorities to convert church properties into hospitals and to allow monks and nuns to marry. He also proposed that the Mass be replaced with a simple celebration based on the Biblical pattern. (1 Corinthians 11:23-25) Historians say that Zwingli’s efforts brought together Zurich’s religious and political figures and laid groundwork for the Reformation and the new Protestant religion.

 Zwingli’s most meaningful work was the translation of the Bible. During the 1520’s, he led a group of scholars working from the original Hebrew and Greek, along with the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate. Their method was simple. They would read each verse from the original-language text, as well as from respected translations. Then they would discuss the verse’s meaning and write down their findings. Their work to explain and translate God’s Word ultimately resulted in a one-volume edition of the Zurich Bible in 1531.

 Zwingli may have been sincere, but he was also intolerant and aggressive. For example, in 1525, he took part in the trial of the Anabaptists, who disagreed with his belief that infants should be baptized. When the courts later passed the death sentence on anyone who continued to reject infant baptism, he did not oppose the harsh verdict. He also urged political leaders to use military force to spread reform. However, several strongly Catholic regions of Switzerland resisted his reforms. This led to civil war. Zwingli accompanied soldiers from Zurich onto the battlefield, where he was killed at the age of 47.

 Huldrych Zwingli certainly has a place in history, although he is eclipsed in fame by influential Protestant Reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin. Zwingli broke away more radically from Roman Catholicism than Luther did and paved the way for Calvin. For this, he has been called the Third Man of the Reformation.

 Zwingli left behind a mixed legacy. In order to spread his views, he became deeply involved in politics and war. In doing so, he failed to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who refused to get involved in politics and taught his disciples to love their enemies, not kill them.—Matthew 5:43, 44; John 6:14, 15.

 Yet, Zwingli is remembered as a diligent Bible student determined to share what he learned. He discovered many Bible truths and helped others do the same.