A Reformation Day Primer - Drew Goodman
Why Continue to Tell the Story of the Reformation?
Our congregation in Wales will mark Reformation Day (October 31) with Protestants around the world by remembering the spark that lit the Reformation. Increasingly people in Europe are unaware of the Christian history that unfolded in the cities, towns, and villages of these lands. Perhaps this is increasing in North America as well. There is a perennial need to teach God’s people (especially our children) not only the faith once for all delivered to the saints, but also the story of how God preserved and transmitted that faith to us through the centuries.
In recent times, there is no lack of examples to show that the world does not have a story to tell; like the Canaanites of old, it has mere myths. As Christians, we are people rooted in the story of God’s works. Our identity and purpose in the modern world are rooted in our relationship to the God of covenant history, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus Christ, our Immanuel, is the divine Son who “was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1 Tim 3:16). The story of God unfolds in the story of Jesus Christ, and the story of Jesus Christ unfolds in the story of the Church as we are bonded to him by his Spirit. Our communion with Christ means that we share communion not only with his people throughout the world in the present century but with his people throughout all centuries.
Perhaps many of the readers of Seventeen82 are “up to speed” on the Reformation. Even so, perhaps this could serve as a resource to inspire your children or grandchildren to take a greater interest in some of our heroes in the faith. Perhaps there is a Sunday school teacher who could use this outline for discussion. Even if this is not new material to you, it might be for someone in your life.
Highlights of the Reformation
In 1517, Martin Luther published his 95 Theses in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther was not the first to protest theological and moral problems in the Roman Church that were distorting the gospel and hindering Christian witness. Forerunners such as John Wycliffe (1330–1384) promoted Bible translation into languages that ordinary people could understand. John Hus (1369–1415) preceded Luther in several ideas that became hallmarks of the Reformation, including that Jesus Christ alone (not the Pope) is the King and Head of the Church.Others criticized the practice of selling indulgences and the doctrine of purgatory as teachings that undermined the total sufficiency of Christ’s payment for sin. Luther’s breakthrough insight was the clear articulation of justification by faith alone, which he said is “the article by which the Church stands or falls.” Luther’s translation of the Bible in the vernacular German paved the way for other translations, notably the English translation of William Tyndale. Along with justification, Luther’s teaching that the Bible is the only ultimate authority for faith and practice was shared with others such as Calvin, Knox, Zwingli, Bucer, and Bullinger.
Luther’s view of God was transformed. In the Bible, he found God to be who he truly is: a God of infinite, unchanging love, who offers acceptance for sinners through faith in Christ. Luther, and the world, were never the same. He left off his anxieties about judgment and was freed to love the God who assured him of peace through Christ’s blood and righteousness. Having come to embrace Jesus Christ as his only hope, he said “I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates.” Faith in Christ was for Luther not merely an academic topic or political issue. Foremost, it had powerfully transformed his relationship with God. The personal impact of faith in Christ continued to shape Luther’s emphasis on communicating both personally and popularly. Though he often worked in solitude, his labors were immensely pastoral. His concern was not only to get the truth right, nor just to publish the truth, but to implant the truth into the minds and hearts of men. He tirelessly translated the Bible into a common tongue, wrote literature, preached the word, catechized, and visited the. He never tired of preaching the love of God who justifies freely in Christ, not merely out of duty to God, but out of love for men. Being concerned for all to know liberty with God, he advised that teachers in love “should know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.”
Reform in doctrine was accompanied by reform in worship. For Calvin and others, just as doctrine is to be regulated by Scripture, so also is worship to be regulated by what God has taught concerning himself and commanded concerning his worship. Worship that is regulated by Scripture is simple and spiritual. Because God is an invisible, spiritual being, he is to be worshipped without ornate images and ceremonies. Images of God or Jesus were prohibited as idolatrous. The reading and preaching of the Bible in a common language became central, along with prayer, congregational singing, and the administration of the sacraments. Those gathered for worship did not primarily observe others, as in the Roman mass, but were fully engaged participants. The communion table was not an altar, the supper was not a sacrifice offered again and again, ministers were not priests, nor was Christ’s literal body present in the bread and wine as in the Roman mass. Instead, Christ is present in the meal spiritually to commune with his people and seal the benefits of his once for all sacrifice.
In addition to reforms in doctrine and worship, the government of the Church was also regulated by Scripture. Christ alone is the King and Head of the Church, and he governs his Church through his Word. Having founded the Church on the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, the continuing offices are those that provide for the ministry of the Word and the oversight and care of God’s people. The heart of the Reformation concerned the evangelization and care of everlasting souls. Luther wrote, “Unless your heart toward the sheep is like that of a mother toward her children – you will not be fit to be a preacher.” Bucer’s Concerning the True Care of Souls is an example of how central pastoral carewas to the reformers’ concerns. The Reformation was not just about ideas, but also about people. God wants his children toexperience his wise, loving, and gracious care in the Church that is yielded to Him.
The Solas of the Reformation
The insights of the Reformation are often summarized by the “five solas” of the Reformation. These are:
Contemporary Lessons from the Reformation
The Reformation continues to teach the modern church about how we are to communicate the gospel. Let us conclude with these three lessons.
Confident Gospel. The Reformers communicated the gospel confidently because they relied upon the Bible’s authority and power. Many of the problems in the Church today stem in one way or another from a loss of confidence in the Bible’s authority, accuracy, or power. We might tend to think that the Church had a higher view of the Bible near the eve of the Reformation. However, the reformers also worked in a context in which they too had to elevate the Bible and challenge contradictory theories. There always has been a need to lift up the authority of the Bible. If we are to communicate the gospel confidently and with the persuasion of God’s power, we also must be confident in the Scriptures as the sufficient, infallible Word of God. Luther attributed the Reformation to the power of God’s word – he said that while he slept, the Word did it all.
Catholic Gospel. The critics of the Reformation claimed that reformational teachings were a novel departure from historic teachings. The reformers took pains to root their teaching not only in the Scriptures but also in the orthodox tradition of the church, particularly the ecumenical creeds. The reformers were highly conversant with the writings of the church fathers and learned and godly writers from every age, and positively used their works to articulate reformation teaching. The excesses, errors, and at times heretical teachings of the radical reformation were in part due to omitting this careful work. The reformers saw themselves as the true heirs of the apostolic and catholic faith. By being conversant with the historic Christian faith as they were, we will be better positioned to avoid excesses, errors, and heresies in our day. We will also be better positioned to communicate the historical continuity of Protestant teaching in dialogue with other Christian traditions.
Clear Gospel. The Reformers aimed at communicating the gospel to all people in an understandable way. The Bible was made accessible through Bible translations and worship services in a known language. The teaching of Scripture was carefully summarized in confessions and taught in catechisms. Worship services were simplified and the central emphasis shifted to preaching that clearly explained and applied God’s Word. Educational resources were widely distributed, and schools were established to promote literacy at a popular level. Concern for truth was connected to concern for the evangelism and care of souls.
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