by, Al Scott
In 1517 on a cold mid-fall day in Germany, an unknown Augustinian monk by the name of Martin Luther nailed 95 theses, concerns of supreme importance, to the castle church door at Wittenberg. His intention was to spark debate among the church leaders about things such as indulgences, paying money to the church to receive salvation and deliverance, or other issues such as the doctrine of transubstantiation, the doctrine of the Roman Catholic church which says that Christ’s real body becomes physically present during communion: the bread is his body, the wine is actually blood.
You can probably see why the monk hade issues with these things, but was it necessary to start a world-wide reformation over them? More on that later, however, the issues went far deeper than simply communion and indulgences.
Though the Roman Catholic church today holds to (mostly) the same doctrines that it did back then, the catholic church is not at all the same. They have left their brutal and torturous ways centuries in the past—no catholic today should be compared to those who lived five centuries ago—in this way. Back in the 16th century, however, the catholic church was synonymous with the government. They had the power to levy taxes, imprison and torture people, and even torture people to the point of death. They would often exercise this authority over religious differences.
More than this, arguably the worst act of the Catholic church was their suppression of the Gospel itself. They taught that man was sinful and in deserving of eternal punishment, hell. There was no disagreement here between Luther and the church, the disagreement came regarding how man was delivered from that sin.
The catholic church taught that you could only be saved through a series of works: taking communion, confessing your sins to the priest, and paying money to the church to fund the building of cathedrals and furnish the pope’s lavish lifestyle. Only than would you be sure you could escape judgment. To this day, many church denominations still teach a doctrine of works righteousness.
But they went even further than that, your payment for your sin could run out, renewing your soul’s danger to hell. You would then have to pay more money, offer up more confession, and take part in communion again. For the 16th century catholic church taught that if you were to sin and die directly afterward, not having time to take part in communion, you would go to hell. Traveling messengers from the pope would come through the towns reminding people of this, enticing peasants to donate their last pennies towards to church.
The Catholic church kept the people of the known world in the fear; in terror; in darkness.
This was the core concern of Luther’s 95 theses, and his resolve would only grow with his age. Originally his intent was to spark debate among local church leaders. Well, spark debate he did, but a debate that would go on turn the world upside down.
Martin Luther argued that the church had turned away from the teaching of Christ and the apostles, that they were teaching a false gospel, an unbiblical gospel; not to mention, deceiving the average Christian. He also argued that the pope was leading people astray for his own wealth and power. As you can imagine, this did not go well with the established church, but by the grace of God the light prevailed.
"Out of darkness, light."
“Post Tenabras Lux,” meaning, “Out of darkness, light.” this became the summery and driving force behind what was and is now known as the Reformation. A reformation that re-formed the church to what it had previously been, a beacon of light and Biblical truth meeting to glorify God. The message of the Reformation was simple: That man was saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, by scripture alone, for the glory of God alone.
Firstly, man is saved by grace alone. Our faith is not a great work done by us, but rather a great work done in us by the Holy Spirit. Salvation is an underserved gift.
Secondly, a gift is given, it is not earned. This gift is given to those who have faith, not to those who perform any work or pay a certain amount of money, but simply by those who have faith. That faith is placed in us, but it is still ours.
Thirdly, our faith is in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness, not in popes, or kings, or political rulers, only in Christ.
Fourthly, the only means by which we know about this salvation is by scripture alone: God’s revealed word. No other document or church official has authority which can ever surpass or contradict God’s word.
Finally, all of this is ultimately for God’s glory, and in the end, that’s what the Reformation was all about: Glorifying God. Luther and many other great men of the Reformation saw this as the true reason behind all of their struggles.
This Sunday, maybe you will be celebrating Halloween, and that’s ok. But then again, maybe you should take a moment or two to appreciate the efforts taken by the men of the Reformation, giving thanks and glory to God for his work in their lives 504 years ago. Never forging that moment, on October 31st, when a hammer and some nails in the hand of one brave man, changed the world. He used them to nail his 95 theses onto that church door, sparking a great reformation that would deliver the church of Christ out of the darkness which had bewitched it and into the light of the Gospel.
Soli Deo Gloria
Al K. Scott
Chief Editor
The first thesis statement: ”When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said “Repent” he willed the entire life of believers would be one of repentance.” While the material cause of the Reformation was Sola Fide, the formal cause was Sola Scriptura. The Latin Vulgate‘s errant translation of the Matthew 4:17 as “do penance“ instead of “repent” led the church down a terrible path of work’s righteousness. It was Luther’s study of the original Greek that revealed to him the true Gospel…a gospel of repentance and belief. Thus, while many issues were hotly contested during the Reformation, the formal cause lying just beneath the surface always was, and still is to this day, the sufficiency and authority of scripture alone.