Protestant Reformation

Protestant Reformation

I personally believe that The Protestant Reformation was the most important event that took place in our worlds' history. I feel that Sayre should not only leave this section intact, but actually expand upon the material. It is important that individuals learn of how Martin Luther stood up for what he believed in. This has given myself and many others, the ability to be able to choose how we wish to believe. We no longer are forced to put our trust in a Church that I consider to be false.

The fact that Martin Luther was a Monk and had tried his best to follow the Catholic faith, astounds me that later wanted to search for the real truth. He suffered a great depression due to not being able to be perfect. Schaff stated in the History of the Christian Church, Vol. VII, that "Luther agonized over his sins and came to despise God; his view of God was that of a fierce judge!" Luther tried to cope with his depression through his music, which he saw as a gift from God. This helped him steer clear of his evil thoughts and as a weapon against the assaults of the devil. Luther wrote "A Mighty Fortress is our God." (1)

His supervisor - Johann von Staupitz, encouraged Luther to study the scriptures to find Grace. After searching the scripture to find peace Luthern came across Romans 1:17. The passage read: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."(2) After reading and studying the scripture Luther began to challenge the Catholic Church. Due to the invention of the Gutenberg Press, Luther printed his 95 Theses. On the 31st of October, 1517, Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Roman Catholic Church at Wittenberg. The Theses stated his beliefs; that there can be no middle man between an individual and God. Included in his 95 Theses, it stated that indulgences were wrong. One cannot buy their way into heaven not pay to have their sins forgiven. The Bible states that one is only forgiven if they truly repent their sins.

Luther was the first person to translate and publish the Bible in the commonly-spoken dialect of the German people. Luther stated that the Pope did not have the sole right to interpret Scripture. He believed and stated that each person had the right to translate the Bible as they felt was correct for them. Luther disagreed with the Catholic Church also due to the way that Pope Leo X expected to be looked upon as if he were greater than God. Luther wrote, "Compare them together: Christ and the Pope. Christ washed his disciples' feet, and dried them, and the disciples never washed his. The Pope, pretending to be higher than Christ, inverts this, and considers it a great favor to let us kiss his feet: whereas if any one wished to do so, he ought to do his