The last Sunday in October is traditionally known as “Reformation Sunday,” drawing from the date of October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his “95 Thesis” to the door of the Wittenburg Church in Germany. The Church door acted like a bulletin board, and it was not unusual for topics to be listed there for future discussion or debate. This seems to be exactly what Luther had in mind; a discussion of what the Scriptures taught regarding the 95 issues he was raising.

This idea that Luther simply wanted further discussion has been challenged by some, who think that all along, Luther simply desired to cause the biggest split in Church history. However, the evidence seems to suggest that Luther simply wanted further debate on the issues. Luther was still a loyal son of Rome, at least at this point, and he penned his 95 Theses, not in the language of the common people (German) to stir up the masses into a revolt, but he wrote instead in Latin, the language of the scholars.

Whatever Luther’s intentions or motives, what is clear that some students quickly translated Luther’s words into the common vernacular. Because of the recent invention of Guttenburg’s printing press, the words were then copied at an amazingly fast pace, until Luther’s words spread like wildfire throughout every hamlet, city and county within the nation, and in fact, right across Europe. The immediate effect of this was that it thrust Luther into the leadership role in the emerging Reformation.

Luther’s great hope was that the Roman Church would embrace the changes he saw that Holy Scripture demanded, but as he was to find out, such was not to be the case. Based on the Scriptures, he boldly proclaimed that salvation is by God’s grace alone received by faith alone, in Christ alone. Works therefore play no part in a person’s salvation (Rom. 3:28; 4:4,5; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8, 9; Phil. 3:9) but are merely the by-product of a relationship with God established by God’s grace alone. This, of course, was not the doctrine of Rome and Luther was therefore summoned to appear at the Imperial Diet of Worms in 1521 (a “Diet” being “a formal assembly of princes,” and “Worms” being the town in Germany where they gathered). What was clear was that anyone who opposed Rome’s official teaching was to be regarded as a heretic, and the fate of a heretic was usually death. Luther, therefore, knew full well, what the result of opposing Rome might be. Continue reading →