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The Heart of the Reformation
The Historical Beginning of the Reformation
by Rev. Raymond Coffey
October 2009
The coming of October signals the arrival of Fall with all of its attendant
blessings: the cool, crisp mornings and evenings, the changing colors of the
leaves, apple picking and fresh cider (Russett apple cider is my favorite), and the
observance and remembrance of Reformation Day, October 31. It is this last
item that is most significant for us.
On this day the church remembers her heritage and marks this day as a
st
milestone in her theological history. On October 31 , 1517, Martin Luther posted
95 theses, in Latin, on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany and
this event was a turning point in not only church history but also in world history.
In these succinct propositions Luther challenged the effectiveness of
indulgences. This was a practice of the Roman Catholic church that involved the
giving of monies for the purpose of releasing one from the temporal punishments
of earthly sin in Purgatory, a place of purgation following death and prior to
entrance into the glory of eternal life. When Luther nailed these theses for
disputation to the door his purpose was to open discussion and debate about
indulgences. The actual title of these statements was the “Disputation on the
Power and Efficacy of Indulgences.” In a matter of weeks these Theses were
distributed throughout Germany and the Reformation of the church began.
The act of posting these theses on the door of the Castle Church is significant for
several reasons. First, the door of the church served as a public bulletin board,
where various issues would be posted for public discussion. Also, the Castle
Church contained one of Europe’s largest collections of religious relics, collected
by Frederick III of Saxony. There were over 19,000 relics in his collection,
purportedly including vials of milk from the Virgin Mary, straw from the manger of
the infant Jesus, and the body of one of the innocents put to death by Herod. The
relics were displayed once a year for the faithful to venerate, or give reverence to
them. The viewing of the relics, for a price of course, would bring early release
from purgatory and hasten entry into glory. Hence an indulgence was given for a
gift.
Finally, monies were being raised in this region for the repair of St. Peter’s
Basilica in Rome. Albert of Brandenburg, the Archbishop of Mainz, allowed the
sale of indulgences in his parish district for this project as long as he would
receive a portion of the sale in order to pay off debts that he had incurred in
borrowing to pay for this high position in the church. Frederick of Saxony had his
own purposes. He opposed the sale of the indulgences because it would affect
his own fund raising efforts in his area of jurisdiction. On November 1, 1517, All
Saint’s Day, Frederick would be selling his own indulgences in Wittenberg. On
the eve of that day, Luther posted his theses and the fire of the Reformation was
ignited.
The Recovery of the Gospel
This brief reflection on history, with all of the political intrigue that shaped it,
enables us to frame the events that led to the Reformation of the church. Luther
himself grew in understanding the issues that were at stake and came to grasp
more clearly the meaning of the gospel and justification by faith alone over time.
John Calvin, who was greatly influenced by Luther, came to grasp the essential
truths of the gospel by the very grace which he would so masterly expound in his
writings.
Because of these and others, the church recovered the pure message of the
gospel which had been corrupted by various additions and superstitions over
time. These leaders did not intend to start a new church. Their desire was to
reform the church, particularly in doctrinal and ecclesiastical matters. They
sought to return the church to the center of the gospel as it is revealed in Jesus
Christ. In restoring the gospel as the focal point of Scripture, they encountered
opposition, persecution and ultimately excommunication from the church of
Rome.
What emerged from these conflicts and battles was a renewed understanding of
that which was critical to understanding the gospel. These truths were expressed
in what came to be known as the “sola’s” of the Reformation. These terms
conveyed in a succinct and defined manner what the heart of the Reformation
was about. They are as follows:
Sola Scriptura – Scripture Alone is Authoritative
Sola Christus – Christ Alone is Lord
Sola Gratia – Grace Alone
Sola Fide – Faith Alone
Soli Deo Glori – To God Alone Be Glory
These terms enabled to the churches of the Reformation to focus on the
essential themes of the gospel. The key is found in the word “alone,” or the Latin
phrase “sola.” What this did was highlight the uniqueness of each theme. For
instance, the Roman Catholic church accepts the authority of Scripture, but not
Scripture alone. Alongside Scripture is the Magisterium of the church, which
authoritatively interprets Scripture and states doctrines that may not be found in
Scripture, e.g. the Assumption of Mary. The Reformers taught that only Scripture
is our authority, not church councils or even the church herself. Councils, creeds,
and the church’s authority is subject to the teaching of Scripture itself. When
Luther stood before the Diet of Worms, he declared that his conscience was
bound by the Word of God alone. In his famous words he declared, “Here I
stand, I can do no other.”
In future issues of Fairlines we will explore these themes and apply them to the
life of the church. As a church of the Reformation, we are grateful for our heritage
and the renewed focus on the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ. May we
grow in our knowledge of these truths and apply them to our ministry for the glory
of God.