What Bible Debates Inspired Martin Luther's 95 Theses?
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A few historical events mark revolutionary change across culture, politics, religion, and more. These moments may seem minor at the time, but we understand their importance with hindsight.
As Christians, we celebrate the most famous and important of such moments. The life of Christ happened in relative obscurity in a remote area of the vast Roman Empire, yet our whole historical calendar hinges upon the life of the Son of God, a division between AD and BC.
Luther’s 95 Theses is another such event. A small-town monk marched up to the castle church in Wittenberg and nailed his 95 theses to the door on October 31, 1517, now called Reformation Day. A little-known monk in a little town began a firestorm of debate, revolution, and change we still feel today.
Read the 95 theses in full here.
What Was the State of the Catholic Church and Culture before Luther’s 95 Theses?
Martin Luther and his 95 Theses didn’t occur in a vacuum. The culture and context of Luther’s time led the way to this event. Several church and cultural events contributed to him nailing the paper to a church door.
First, the Catholic Church had immense authority over religious and secular matters. The papacy held significant power, and the Church played a central role in almost every aspect of daily life. This mix of politics and power led to abuse when the Church allowed the sale of indulgences and simony (buying and selling church positions). Clergy corruption also became common, leading the faithful to protest many times.
Despite the abuse and corruption, the common culture was extremely pious and devoted to God. Like Luther, their frustration with the Church largely stemmed from their desire to live righteous and true lives.
The Catholic Church still used Latin as the only version of Scripture, which kept the Word of God from those who desired to learn more about God and be faithful to him. Latin was a fairly dead language even then, so this kept the Bible from the common people and kept power within the educated and clergy.
At the same time, the Renaissance had ushered in a renewed interest in humanism, classical learning, and intellectual pursuits. Within this intellectual climate characterized by a thirst for knowledge and critical thinking, a more democratic idea of education and human rights provided fertile ground for questioning authorities and traditions. People began to feel the freedom to challenge the wayward interpretations and corruption of the Catholic Church.
What Bible Debates about Salvation Inspired the 95 Theses?
At the heart of Luther’s grievances were theological debates about salvation, which had been subjects of contention within the Catholic Church. Luther’s study of the Scripture centered around these important ideas.
A key component was the Bible’s primacy and ultimate authority. By separating common people from reading Scripture (since they couldn’t read Latin or have access to copies of Scripture), church leaders could establish theology and practice without showing scriptural foundations for their ideas. By championing sola scriptura (“Scripture alone”), Luther argued the Word of God, as revealed in the Bible, should guide Christian doctrine and practice.
Therefore, salvation was by faith alone. The Catholic Church upheld that faith and good works were necessary for salvation. However, Luther’s study of Scripture, particularly Romans 1:17 and Galatians 2:16, led him to assert justification by faith alone. He believed salvation was a gift of God’s grace received through faith in Jesus Christ rather than human effort or merit.
A salvation based on works and human effort could never be assured or secure, and Luther was troubled by the prevailing uncertainty and anxiety regarding salvation. The Catholic Church taught that individuals could never be sure of their salvation and that additional acts of penance might be necessary (and controlled by church leaders). Luther, however, found assurance in the biblical teachings on God’s grace and promises, and faith in Christ was our only confidence to experience peace with God, leading to another important element from Luther, sola Christus, Christ alone.
What Bible Debates about Purgatory Inspired the 95 Theses?
Since salvation could be questioned due to a lack of good works within the Catholic Church and was never fully assured, the Church developed a doctrine about a place between Heaven and Hell.
Some people weren’t bad enough to go to Hell but not good enough to get to Heaven. So they went to this other place called Purgatory, where they could do further penance and achieve more purification or forgiveness before Heaven. People on Earth could pay for loved ones to leave Purgatory and get to Heaven. These were called indulgences.
Martin Luther’s 95 theses took issue with this on several points.
Back to his declaration of sola scriptura, Luther found insufficient evidence for the existence of Purgatory and the specific details the Church had manufactured. The traditional idea of Purgatory was based on 2 Maccabees 12:45, included in the Catholic canon but not in the Protestant Bible. Even so, Luther argued there wasn’t clear scriptural support and lacked a biblical foundation.
Sola Christus (“Christ alone”) comes from the clear biblical teachings that salvation was by Christ alone, and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was sufficient for forgiving sins. He argued the concept of Purgatory undermined the sufficiency of Christ’s redemptive work. If Christ’s sacrifice fully atoned for sins, there was no need for additional purification in Purgatory.
Finally, the Catholic Church determined who was in Purgatory and how much it cost to get people out. Leaders abused the concept of Purgatory for financial gain. The sale of indulgences, which claimed to reduce the time a soul spent in Purgatory, generated exploitation and corruption. Based on Scripture alone, faith alone, and Christ alone, Luther saw this practice as contrary to the message of the Gospel and a distortion of the biblical understanding of salvation.
What Bible Debates about Church Governance Inspired the 95 Theses?
Martin Luther’s 95 theses primarily focused on salvation and indulgences. He also tackled the underlying debates about leadership and governance in the Church.
The New Testament teaches the “priesthood of all believers” (1 Peter 2:9), challenging the exclusive authority and privileges granted to the clergy. Luther argued all believers, not only ordained clergy, had access to God and to interpret Scripture.
The 95 theses raised concerns about the authority and conduct of the papacy. Luther questioned the excessive power wielded by the pope and criticized the corruption that had infiltrated the highest levels of the Church. Luther argued the pope didn’t possess absolute authority over matters of faith. Even the pope was subject to the teachings of Scripture.
Luther’s study of the Bible also led him to question the authority of church councils’ ability to establish doctrine contrary to biblical teachings. He challenged the Church to return to the teachings of the early apostles and the early church as recorded in the Bible.
What would be the basis of accountability and reform if not the Bible? The Catholic Church had posited their decisions and teachings equal to or above the Bible, which was the perfect ground for bad doctrine, corruption, and lax moral conduct within the clergy. The Bible would be the foundation for the necessary reform and accountability of corrupt priests and leaders.
What Was the Impact of the 95 Theses on Church History?
The impact of Luther’s 95 theses wasn’t immediately seen. Over time, Luther’s challenge to church authority led to a broader questioning of the Church’s power structures and paved the way for reforms.
These 95 theses quickly gained attention and were widely circulated throughout Europe due to the advent of the printing press. Luther’s ideas were rooted in biblical teachings and undermined clear corruption and greed in the Church. The theses resonated with many people dissatisfied with the practices and corruption of the Catholic Church. The dissemination of these ideas sparked a religious movement we now call the Reformation.
The Catholic Church didn’t readily change, and Luther’s bold stand against it inspired others to question traditional doctrines and practices. The 95 theses catalyzed the formation of various Protestant movements, each with its theological emphases and practices. Prominent figures such as John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Knox played significant roles in shaping the Protestant landscape.
As part of the Reformation, Luther translated the Bible into German, which allowed people to read the Bible directly and took power from religious elites. Again, the printing press facilitated this revolution and the spread of Scripture. Other translations followed. The Church literally fought to keep this from happening, killing and doing all they could to keep these translations from happening. The divisions between Catholics and Protestants led to wars, persecution, and the formation of religiously divided territories.
The impact of the 95 theses extends to modern Christianity. Protestant denominations, such as Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Anglicanism, emerged and continue to shape today’s religious landscape. Other later evangelical groups took the lead from Luther and Protestants to search the Bible and break away from religious structures they disagreed with.
The 95 theses were initially intended as a call for academic debate, but they sparked a transformational movement that reshaped the course of the church and Western history. Church corruption and abuse needed to be challenged, and Luther’s call initiated an important return to the truths of Christ alone, Scripture alone, and faith alone.
Not every aspect was good, however. While many Catholic Church leaders had made abusive and wrong choices, the resulting wars, persecution (even of Catholics by Protestants and Evangelicals over time), and the plethora of Christian divisions and denominations (often taking issue with minor or unclear biblical topics) have also done damage to the Gospel.
What Lessons Can We Learn Today Based on Luther’s 95 Theses?
Martin Luther’s 95 theses still impact modern Christianity. Here are a few key lessons from the Reformation for us.
1. Importance of Personal Conviction. Luther’s actions demonstrate the power of an individual standing up for what they believe is right. He challenged abuse from the Catholic Church, even in the face of strong opposition. We are reminded that individuals can effect change when they stand by their convictions.
2. Questioning and Critical Thinking Under the Authority of Scripture. Luther’s 95 theses encouraged examination and debate for us as a community to seek the truth based on the authority of the Bible, even if we question established norms.
3. Access to Scripture and Personal Faith. To properly question and examine faith according to the authority of Scripture, we must have personal access to the Bible. Luther’s emphasis on translating the Bible and the priesthood of all believers places more personal responsibility on the individual to develop a more personal faith.
4. Unity amidst Diversity. The Reformation began a revolution of thought and biblical exploration, leading to great theological truths and violence. The resulting diversity within Christianity reminds us of the value of essentials while allowing for different expressions of faith and theological perspectives. If not, we will be guilty of the same corruption Luther courageously challenged. In the middle of such exploration and diverse thought, a quote came a generation after Luther from a German Lutheran in 1626, Peter Meiderlin (although some scholars attribute the same quote to Marco Antonio de Dominus in 1624): “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity.”
Let us keep the centrality of Christ, faith, grace, and Scripture in our lives. Let us humbly explore those eternal truths and stand in our convictions. Let us keep the unity of the faith in love for our brothers and sisters.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/ Kharoll Mendoza
