The Reformation should be understood as the work of God’s Spirit for the maintaining of the church and preparing it for Christ's return. Through these eyes the article explains what the Reformation is, its necessity, and its success.

Source: Clarion, 2017. 4 pages.

Faithful to His Word: 500 Years of Blessed Grace What was the Reformation?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to reform is "to make changes in something (especially an institution or practice) in order to improve it." In its origins, the word "reformation" is about bringing something back to its original condition. With the uppercase R, "The Reformation" is defined as "a 16th-century movement for the reform of abuses in the Roman Church ending in the establishment of the Reformed and Protestant churches."

The Reformation was a movement. It happened, starting 500 years ago, when Luther posted theses for disputation about indulgences on the doors of the churches in Wittenberg.1Little did he know what would unfold! The Reformation had as object the reforming of the Roman Catholic Church, but it had as outcome the formation of Protestant churches and, sadly, the hardening of the Roman Church.2

But if the definition is to bring something back to its original condition, what was the church's original condition? Where is the perfect model of the church? In the time of the Christ? The apostles? Which church would serve as the model? Your local church?

None of the above. The model and form that the Reformed Church needed to follow was not any particular existing church, but the norms and standards for the church found in Holy Scripture. No church on earth will ever fully adhere to the Scriptures in all respects. No church stands out as the perfect model. The true reformation of the church is not merely a return to some glorious past but a return to the source of life and truth for the church a return to the Spirit-given Scriptures. That truth applies today as well.

What needed reforming?🔗

The church had needed reformation long before Martin Luther. The medieval church had hit a very low point around A.D. 1000, with a thoroughly corrupted papacy. Sadly, sexual promiscuity of every kind occurred in the papacy, even bestiality.

Various popes undid the acts of popes before them. Pope Stephen VI even had his predecessor's dead body dug up, put the body on a throne, conducted a trial, found him guilty, and stripped him of his office. He had three of the dead man's fingers those with which he had previously consecrated others cut off, to symbolize the annulment of all these acts. So much for papal infallibility!

In the following centuries, various religious orders and clerics controlled one third of the land in Europe. Archbishops cast three of the seven votes for each new Holy Roman emperor. Some church leaders functioned as feudal lords; ecclesiastical office was attractive for its wealth and politi­cal power. The structure needed reforming.

In 1302 Pope Boniface VII issued unam sanctam, a papal bull which claimed that God gave Peter power in both the spiritual and temporal realms. Boniface reasoned that there is but one God and he can have only one highest representative on earth. Thus popes, being higher, ought to crown emperors.

Between 1309 and 1377 seven successive popes took up residence in Avignon, France, rather than in Rome. In 1378 Gregory XI returned the papacy to Rome, but a year later the cardinals elected a counter-pope in Avignon. This precipitated the "Great Schism" within the Western Church (two popes). Not until 1417, at the Council of Constance, was the situation resolved. The Council asserted authority over the popes, forced three claimants either to abdicate or be deposed, and chose a fourth man to become the new pope. Afterward, popes were extremely uneasy about calling councils.

Finally, as we near the Reformation, the popes once again become greatly corrupted. In 1506 popes began to maintain their own personal army. Two of them fathered numerous illegitimate children. The next, whose teaching on indulgences was disputed by Martin Luther, used the proceeds of these indulgences to build St. Peter's luxury Basilica in Rome.

What about the church's spiritual practices? Plenary indulgences, which Martin Luther opposed, first appeared in 1095 when Pope Urban II authorized the first crusade. Not only did he involve the church directly in warfare, he also declared that those who undertook a crusade could merit a plenary indulgence. This indulgence was said to greatly reduce one's time in purgatory, by remitting punishment for all sins up to that point. For many more unbiblical doctrines and practices that needed reforming, see the sidebar.

All of these things led to a great distrust of the papacy among the people. National sentiments often ran counter to Rome and its (usually Italian) pope. Bohemians would rather identify with their man who had been burned at the stake in the 1400s, John Hus; soon Germans would back Martin Luther.

Was reform really needed?🔗

Now let's step back for a moment. You might say, well, this litany of errors is a typical Protestant account. It makes the Reformation seem like a foregone conclusion. Who wouldn't want to improve such a corrupted church? In fact, why did it take so long? But we must not jump to such a conclusion. Others had tried and met death (e.g., Peter Waldo; John Hus; Girolamo Savonarola). And, not everyone wanted change.

First, many people were quite satisfied with the church's false system of salvation. It gave them comfort. They just had to follow their priest's instructions to make things right with God. With seven sacraments, they were covered from birth to death. Some experienced their reli­gion as very satisfying to their emotions.

Second, Christians did hear occasional sermons in their own language, probably from a travelling Dominican monk on a preaching tour around Christmas or Easter — likely not from their local priest.

Third, some of them probably thought that the priest's liturgy, conducted in Latin, was extremely holy and pleasing to God. The relics, rituals, images, pilgrimages, saints, and masses had an aura of mystery and gave them security.

Fourth, in the period around 1200 a renewal of learning and piety occurred. European universities began to be established, for example, in Paris, Oxford, and Bologna. But the teachings of the church did not become more biblical (see earlier sidebar). In an attempt to counter wealth and corruption in the church, several new religious orders were created in the earlier 1200s, such as the Dominican preachers, Franciscan friars, and Carmelite contemplatives. John Calvin liked to quote a few favourably, such as Bernard of Clairvaux.

Given the security many people experienced in their faith, coupled with the failures of earlier attempts at doctrinal and structural reform, why did the Reformation of the sixteenth century succeed? Why then? Why not earlier? Why did it happen at all?

Why reform in the Sixteenth Century succeeded🔗

We can advance all kinds of explanations for the Ref­ormation. In fact, God used many means to convince sinners of his beautiful gospel message and move them to seek reformation of the structures and teachings of the church. But first it's important that we acknowledge that the moving cause of the Reformation was the grace of God. God intended it; that's why it succeeded then and there. He had humbled his church long enough, and only then granted real structural change. Real change is the gift of our faithful God and Father. We must be truly thankful and give God the glory for the deep love of his heart in bringing his people back to the truth of his Word. He granted a renewed structure where true believers could worship him with a clear conscience.

Let us say it this way: When sinners stand by the Scriptures as the inspired work and word of God, grace is there. When sinners pray, grace is active. When sinners repent, seek forgiveness, and confess Christ, God himself has poured out his grace upon them. When the church seeks to model all its structures and practices after Scripture, God is working mightily. Any spiritual movement in conformity to Scripture is the gift of God. Scripture says so. Scripture teaches us that no sinner, left to him or herself, will seek out God. No unrepentant sinner loves the Scriptures, the Christ, God, or the church (Rom 8:7; Eph 2:3). Satan blinds them (Rom 1:18-23; 2 Cor 4:4).

But the Reformed pastors and church members loved to hear the Word; they trusted in the Christ, worshipped God, and gave him the glory. Their hearts trembled at the Word of God. Read their writings if you doubt that. Read our Reformed Confessions. The tone of those confessions is only possible by grace, by grace alone. In particular, the humble faith that accepted the Word of God alone for the message of salvation is evidence of grace.

A more complete definition🔗

For us the definition of the Great Reformation should therefore also be considered from the perspective of faith. We should seek a definition in keeping with what we con­fess from God's Word. How about the following? "The Reformation was a 16th-century movement for the reform of abuses in the Roman Catholic Church that, under God's blessed grace, resulted in the continuation of his church in a more faithful form — the Reformed and Protestant churches and under his judgment led to the hardening of the Roman Catholic Church." We could change "Reformed and Prot­estant" to "Reformed Catholic," and that too would be in keeping with our Reformed Confessions.

Whatever the exact definition, let us fervently pray for a fresh outpouring of the grace of God. Let us ask that we would increase in humility, tremble more at the Word of God, be ready to re-examine our lives and churches, stand up against deformation, and promote the precious gos­pel of grace far and wide. We should be praying for faithful preaching, heartfelt obedience, and a delight in all the things of God. Many Christians today are in deformed and apostate churches. They need to seek reformation, no matter what hardship that may bring. May they pursue a new obedience and ultimately find themselves joined only with those of like faith!

Somewhere in the definition of reformation it seems to me that we should be speaking of a white-hot zeal for God's glory, an intense effort for the salvation of all, and a consistent, joy-filled obedience to the Word of God. There's so much that true reformation is, but at root it is the powerful work of God's Spirit maintaining the Bride of Christ and preparing her for the Bridegroom's return. May he never cease to reform our hearts and lives and churches!

Endnotes🔗

  1. ^ Scholars debate whether Luther actually posted the theses on the church doors. The oldest claim we know about this famous event is from the year 1544, twenty-seven years later. 
  2. ^  The Council of Trent and the formation of the Jesuit order are evidence for this hardening.

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