đź‘‘ Heroes of Faith: John Knox, The Man Who Feared God More Than Any King
The Uncompromising Voice Against Idolatry
John Knox (c. 1514–1572) stands as the towering figure of the Scottish Reformation—a man whose life was a continuous battle waged against religious compromise, political tyranny, and the seductive power of idolatry. His faith was not a passive intellectual assent; it was a fiery, biblical conviction that demanded the utter supremacy of Christ’s authority over all earthly powers, especially the crown and the Church of Rome. For Knox, there was no middle ground between God’s revealed truth and man’s corrupt tradition.
His career began with persecution, which forged a backbone of steel. He was captured, condemned, and spent 19 months as a galley slave, enduring brutal conditions for the sake of the Gospel. When finally released, he carried this experience, seeing all forms of spiritual bondage—from the Pope’s authority to a king’s unjust decree—as a return to the chains of the galley.
The Defence Against Ungodly Rule
Knox’s most legendary confrontations were with Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary sought to restore Catholicism to Scotland, thereby setting the Queen’s personal will against the public doctrine of the Protestant nation. In their famous interviews, Knox repeatedly and fearlessly asserted that God’s Law was the final authority for nations and for kings.
When Mary questioned his authority to preach against his sovereign, Knox stood firm, demonstrating the necessity of civil disobedience when human law contradicts Divine Law. He was neither moved by her tears nor intimidated by her power. His stern response defined his whole mission:
“The prince must obey God, and if the prince will not, she must be compelled to obey, for it is not lawful for kings and rulers to make laws which are contrary to the laws of God.”
This conviction echoes the principle of the apostles when faced with a wicked decree:
“We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29, KJV)
Knox was willing to forfeit his life, knowing that to compromise with idolatry for the sake of peace or safety was to betray the Lord Himself.
Establishing the Scriptural Standard
Knox’s heroic faith was not simply destructive—it was constructive. He established the Scottish Presbyterian Church on the foundation of Scripture alone, replacing ritual and tradition with rigorous biblical teaching.
He understood that true obedience in the civil sphere begins with the uncompromised authority of God’s Word in the spiritual sphere. He fought for schools, for the poor, and for a civil government that reflected the moral righteousness of the Law of God.
John Knox stands as a historical proof that the man who fears God truly fears nothing else. His willingness to defy the most powerful woman in Scotland, facing threats of assassination and banishment, serves as a relentless challenge to believers today: When the world demands your compromise, will you stand for the whole counsel of God’s Word? His life demonstrates that the defense of truth requires an unwavering obedience that is prepared to suffer all things.