The Reformation – what benefits remain? Pauls’ letter to the Romans

the (Protestant) Reformation? What do you know about the (Protestant) Reformation? When? Where? Who? Why? What happened?

…or get the T-shirt!

The Younger Luther Plagued by the thought he could never be good enough for God to love him. During a lightning a storm in an open field, he promised God to be a monk if he survived. Entered Augustinian monastery in Erfurt but was a ‘troubled soul’, worried about his salvation. Confessed sins for hours, fasted, went without sleep & blankets in winter, made pilgrimages. "If ever a man got to heaven through monasticism, I should have been that man." (He also mentioned that it nearly killed him).

Factors leading to the Reformation In 1400s – Renaissance emphasised secular (non-religious) ideas and challenges to traditional authorities. Printing press (Gutenberg) made it easy to spread these ideas. Medieval Catholic Church (only one church) was compromised in its life and faith: too wealthy & powerful, abused authority, scandal, corruption, bad theology, obsessive veneration of holy relics. Christians poorly taught, weak faith, superstition, little connection with Bible & worship (in Latin not local language). Catholic monk and theology professor Martin Luther (age 33) begins to challenge the church leadership and practices with his 95 Theses or Objections. (Maybe nailed or pasted, sent in letter to Archbishop and on to Pope Leo X.)

Shrine of Mary (1238) in Aachen Cathedral, Germany, is said to hold the cloak of Mary, the swaddling cloths of baby Jesus, the loin cloth of Jesus on the cross, and the cloth that held the severed head of John the Baptist!

Luther’s 95 Theses/Objections opposed Papal Indulgences on three grounds: Selling indulgences to finance the building of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was wrong. 2. The pope has no power over Purgatory. 3. Buying indulgences gives people a false sense of security and endangers their salvation. His 95 Theses were printed over night and distributed all over Europe within days. He produced other pamphlets over coming years which were widely read, starting a ‘pamphlet war’.

at the Diet of Worms (“Deet of Vorm”), Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X in January 1521 as a heretic and called before the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (of Spain) in April 1521, at the Diet of Worms (“Deet of Vorm”), a formal Assembly for the whole Empire in the German city of Worms. On April 18, Luther was asked again to recant before the final judgment. He refused saying….

“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.”

The Edict of Worms was a decree issued on 26 May 1521 by Emperor Charles V, declaring Luther an obstinate heretic and banning the reading or possession of his writings: “For this reason we forbid anyone from this time forward to dare, either by words or by deeds, to receive, defend, sustain, or favour the said Martin Luther. On the contrary, we want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic, as he deserves… Those who will help in his capture will be rewarded generously for their good work.” Luther was protected by his local Prince Frederick the Wise and hidden in the Wartburg Castle for about seven months when he translated the New Testament into German for the first time (1522) and the Luther Bible 1534. The first Modern English translation of New Testament (Tyndale,1526) and the full Bible (Coverdale, 1535).

The Reformation addressed two major questions: 1. HOW can a person be saved? WHO or WHAT is the authority in the church? Pivotal to all this was Luther’s own experience of the grace of God through studying the Bible.

There were five key principles of the Reformation Sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”). The Bible alone is our highest authority. Sola Fide (“faith alone”). We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Sola Gratia (“grace alone”). We are saved by the grace of God alone. Solus Christus (“Christ alone”). Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Saviour, and King. (Solo Christo – through Christ alone) Soli Deo Gloria (“to the glory of God alone”). We live for the glory of God alone.

From these principles many things in the church changed: An accessible Bible in own language All church services in own language Return of congregational singing (learn theology through song) Mass changed to communion & congregations received the cup Priests became pastors who preached the Word Pastors free to marry (Luther married a nun in1525) The Christian calling of all believers was emphasised (“The priesthood of all believers”)

Why did the Reformation happen? Many reasons…. Because intelligent religious people experienced the grace of God through studying the Scriptures. In 1515, Luther was meditating on the phrase “the righteousness of God” in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Romans 1 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[a] just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’ [NIV] 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” [NLT] Romans 3 10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous - not even one. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith.