Martin Luther and the Reformation

Outline

I. The Power of the Papacy A. Innocent III B. indulgences and money

II. Sudden Rise of Monarchy Over Church A. lay investiture B. Babylonian Captivity C. Great Schism

III. Martin Luther A. years before Reformation B. fight against the Church�s Dogma 1. Leipzig debate 2. Diet of Worms C. Luther and the political realm

IV. How Nationalism Affected the Reformation

Martin Luther and the Reformation

The Reformation was a great time in the history of the world, and a man named Martin Luther played a big role in bringing it about. What was the Reformation? Did it only deal with the church or did it have something to do with the political realm as well? Many people don�t know the truth about this time in history. Martin Luther wasn�t the only reason for the Reformation. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Martin Luther wasn�t the only responsible party for the Reformation. In Germany, Luther�s friends like Melanchthon supported the Reformation. Another supporter was the University of Wittenburg, which also made the reform an educational movement (Schwiebert 1950, 2). But what was Luther trying to change? There were many problems within the church due to doctrinal changes and influences of the kings from the past several hundred years.

The papacy had reached a very authoritative position in everyone�s life. This power went back to the time of Pope Gregory VII and Pope Innocent III in the early 1200�s. Through them the Papal Throne gained more power than that of the king. Pope Innocent III had so much power that he successfully excommunicated King John of England and then used his papal power to give back the crown to John. England now owed feudal rent to the church. This payment went on until Henry VIII in 1534. But in the days of Innocent, the church�s main goal was to get more money. This is what led to the papal downfall (Schwiebert 1950, 15).

There were more than just religious reasons for the Reformation. There were political, economical, intellectual, and technological reasons as well. An economic influence was the decline of feudalism. Because of the rebirth of learning, people were able to read the 95 theses produced by Luther. People themselves were also able to challenge the church as having final authority. Finally, technology brought about the Gutenburg press that brought Luther�s beliefs right into the homes of the commoners (Scott & Foresman 1990, 386ff).

The big influences came from the political side. Pope Innocent III had gained much power. But in the times leading up to Luther, papal power was declining and the power of the monarchs was rising. The kings were influencing the church by using techniques such as lay investiture, when secular rulers appoint church officials. But the real problem came in 1309. The French King Philip used his power to move the papal throne from Rome to Avignon, France so that he could keep an eye on the pope. The pope remained there until 1377. This is called the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (Schwiebert 1950, 22).

During this time the church developed new forms of taxation so that it could bring in the wanted revenue. They no longer had control of the Papal States, so they concentrated on these new efforts. Around this time was when indulgences were brought about. But they weren�t stressed as much as they were later in Luther�s day. Almost after thirty years Pope Gregory XI moved back to Rome. Finally the papal throne was back in its rightful spot. But soon after, Gregory died and there was a dispute over the successor. Many didn�t believe that the pope should be located in Rome. There ended up being three popes in power. There was Urban VI in Rome and Clement VII at Avignon. There was also a third man who claimed to be pope. This Great Schism in the church wasn�t fixed until 1417 with the election of Martin V to the throne. Many see the Schism as what corrupted the Holy See (Schwiebert 1950, 30).

From 1447 and into Martin Luther�s time, the Renaissance Popes secularized the papacy. This was a problem. Luther had a lot to deal with, including Pope Leo X at his time who exclaimed, �Let us enjoy the papacy, since God has given it to us.� He may have not said this phrase as tradition holds, but he sure did live up to it (Schwiebert 1950, 25). Luther saw how corrupt the papacy was and he attacked it. He also found from reading the Bible that the dogma of the Catholic Church wasn�t consistent. Luther even questioned the authority of the pope himself. Through his study of the Word, he brought up issues, which would have effects on the church even until today.

Martin Luther was born in November of 1483. His first ambition in life was to be a lawyer, which greatly pleased his father. But a year after studying in that field, he became interested in the church, and he joined the Augustinian Monastery. Luther spent much time in the monastery, most of which was in study. Eventually he earned his degree in theology. At the young age of 26, he already held an important position in the church. Now Martin heavily contemplated the salvation of his soul. He was positive that he couldn�t do enough in order to earn his way into heaven. In order to receive salvation, he thought it best to close out the world and run from it. As a result he lived a very ascetic life (Kuiper 1988, 162). The problem was that Luther was trying to earn his salvation. But one day his heart was greatly relieved when he came across one of Paul�s letters from the Bible. Romans 1:17 told Luther that the �Righteous will live by faith.� This told him that salvation was a gift. He didn�t have to earn his way into heaven. All he had to do was believe, not do good works. This is what some call Luther�s conversion (Kuiper 1988, 162). He finally realized the truth.

Martin Luther learned much during his studies of the Bible. He then used what he had learned to try and help his church. He lectured and taught his beliefs. One main problem in the church at his time was the belief in �works of supererogation� (Kuiper 1988, 159). These works were supposedly extra deeds that the saints had done which were stored up in heaven. A person could earn forgiveness or relief from purgatory by purchasing these extra deeds in the form of indulgences. Luther had a problem with indulgences. First Luther didn�t like the fact that the pope exclaimed that people could buy them for dead relatives and free them from some time in purgatory. His main problem involved the fact that people were now buying penance. With the sales of indulgences people became confused with their real purpose (Brautes, Pelikan 1955, 18). A friend of Luther, Prince Frederick, was given the right to sell the pieces of paper. But he didn�t sell them as enthusiastically as others because he didn�t want the money to leave Germany and go to Rome. The church was making a horde of money off these sales. Much of the money was leaving Germany and being sent to Rome for the building of a magnificent cathedral. The rest helped boost the pay checks of church officials. Knowing this Luther ended up writing a message to the church and all in Germany. His statement contained 95 sentences. This document, which he finished on October 31, 1517, became known as Luther�s 95 theses. The German priest had a few copies made and that evening he nailed them to the door of the Castle Church of Wittenburg (Scott & Foresman 1990, 386). The fact that he nailed them to the church door wasn�t surprising. This was a common practice in his day to express opinions and important messages. Also, the fact that he nailed them on the door when he did wasn�t just a chance happening. The next day, November first, was All Saints� Day. Many visitors would have been to the church in order to view the many relics of Prince Frederick, which were to be displayed. This is one reason for the spread of Martin�s ideas. Many people were there to read the 95 theses themselves.

Luther�s 95 theses focused mainly on the sale of indulgences. With one statement Luther denied the whole basis of the indulgence system. �Every Christian who is truly contrite has plenary (complete) remission both of penance and of guilt as his due, even without a letter of pardon. Any true Christian, living or dead, partakes of all the benefits of Christ and the church, which is the gift of God, even without letters of pardon� (Brautes, Pelikan 1955, 19). The pope didn�t like this because the church generated much money through their sale. Believe it or not, Luther intended his statements to be taken as debate material. Without his intention they started the Reformation within the church (Stolee 1943,51). His action eventually caused the split in the church.

Another issue that Luther attacked was the pope�s power. Matthew 16:18 is where the Catholic Church receives the right of papal authority. When Pope Leo X heard of Luther�s doing, he just wanted the monk to forget and quit teaching. But Luther did no such thing. Now he wasn�t the first person to realize the truth and expose it. The split Luther was to cause came very easily because others before him had come to the same conclusions. Unfortunately, those early �reformers� had been killed for their beliefs because at their time the church was still strong. But it was the time in history that if Luther had been burned at the stake for his beliefs, someone else would have risen to do the same and cause the split. It was the age of the Renaissance, not medieval knights.

Luther�s nailing of the 95 theses to the church door wasn�t the Reformation in itself, but it helped to bring it about. There were the others outside the church, from economical to cultural, which helped to bring it about. I mentioned some of them earlier in my report. There are a lot of details that helped to build the Reformation. In the early 1200�s with Innocent III, the Roman Church had absolute control over all of society. During the Babylonian Captivity, the church evolved new moneymaking schemes. This time frame in history is known to some as the greediest period in the church�s history (Brautes, Pelikan 1955, 6). Next there was the Great Schism, which really hurt the church. Certain councils that were formed soled the problem with the papacy. It was declared that these councils were higher than the pope. That�s how they solved the problem of the papacy. The councils also succeeded at burning John Huss. But they did little about reform. People didn�t deny papal authority. They just tried to stop Papal despotism (Brautes, Pelikan 1955, 6).

Another factor that tormented the papacy was nationalism. Spain, France, and England rose as national states. The Holy Roman Empire was one factor that delayed the rise of nationalism. But even that factor disturbed the church�s power. The Empire became a rival that couldn�t be controlled. The conflicts marked the medieval period. But when the Empire passed away, nationalism rose. Other factors that helped the rise of his spirit were the crusades. Great feudal princes went off to war and were killed. Towns grew and economy expanded. Another factor was the rise of humanism. This belief helped the people to stand up against the church�s law. The papacy was hurt because there were more independent states over which it had to exert its control. That�s why when the Reformation actually arrived, there wasn�t much political support. There wasn�t one universal body. When dealing with the nationalistic states, the church drew up Concordats that tried to display their ultimate authority. But these documents weren�t biblically sound and had no place in history (Brautes, Pelikan 1955, 7).

The Renaissance brought something new to the church. Art was influential and became a big reason for raising money. Also in this time period corruption grew. In order to get the most support and money, the papacy dealt with bribery and the selling of the church offices. Reform was needed. Many were questioning the connection between the visible and invisible Church. The doubts in the church were growing ever since the beginning of the strong nationalistic feelings. The Renaissance raised the question regarding the prerogatives of the papacy. The only thing needed to start the Reformation was one man, martin Luther, who struck the heart of corruptive acts and who provided the insight needed to influence those around him (Brautes, Pelikan 1955, 9).

It is hard to label Martin Luther�s views in any political way. Luther�s biblical points don�t apply to the public life. But the Reformation had a great effect on the political realm, as well as, the spiritual realm. Luther did oppose those who ruled with absolute power. Luther also agreed with the humanists in their opposition to the fact that the pope ruled as a despot. He didn�t believe that the pope was the absolute ruler of the whole Christian Church. He did not mind a monarchial form of government. This was partially because it was a custom at the time. Also he didn�t completely oppose the influence and strength of one lone individual. He came to this view just from observing history as it passed him by. He did not necessarily believe in the divine right of kings. Contrary to the monarchial form of government, he also held in esteem the idea of a representative government. He treasured the talent of those who could rule with great wisdom and knowledge in what they were doing. But when you look closely at what Luther dreamed for politically was unity. He thought it would be best if Germany was united as one. According to Luther, this would be accomplished by the will of God. Of course he believed that God had brought the government into existence. Of course, if there were no sin, a government would not be necessary. Obviously it does exist, because of sin. At any rate, Luther�s spiritual views did have an effect on political issues as well. Many German rulers accepted his views and spread them throughout Europe. The Reformation was not only a change in the church, but it affected certain political issues as well (Bornkamm 1958, 237ff).

One thing that Luther emphasized in his sermons was that all believers are priests. He also made clear the fact that there are only two sacraments according to the Bible. Also he told everyone that they aren�t essential for one�s salvation. Finally, Luther did away with the ascetic life and other things he had done to try and earn his salvation. Luther continually preached about his reformed ideas. He also translated the Bible into German, the language of the people. Before he had done this many commoners had never seen a Bible. Because of the printing press, Bibles were distributed to all area of the country. Also, education helped the Bible, as well as Luther�s writings, to be read because people could now read. Because of the printing press, 90 percent of Germany had read Luther�s Works. The remaining ten- percent personally heard Luther speak (Schwiebert 1950, 6).

All that Luther was trying to accomplish was reform the church. He didn�t want to do it in a quiet manner, but by no way did he intend it to spring to such an uprising throughout the whole nation. He definitely didn�t leave the church. �The Reformation to Luther, meant a cleansing of the outward church of the Papacy, the Canon Law, the sacramental system, Scholasticism, saint worship, indulgences, and many other abuses in the church. It was a restoration of the pure doctrines of the New Testament� (Schwiebert 1950, 8). Martin Luther�s ideas brought about the denomination of Lutheranism. The three main points that he stressed were salvation through faith, the Bible as the ultimate authority, and the �priesthood of all believers� (Scott, Foresman 1990, 389). The first idea tells us that faith comes through grace. Everyone has a direct relationship with God. Secondly, the Bible should hold the ultimate authority in the church, not the pope. Luther really attacked the pope�s power and his purse. Thirdly, the idea of the priesthood of all believers says that all people are equal in God�s eyes. One final reform that Luther brought about was that he declared that all priests could marry. The Bible doesn�t condemn it. His ideas were Biblically correct. Some German princes converted to the new Protestant beliefs. Some changed beliefs in order to rise politically. But most of them were serious in their conversion and they spread their beliefs throughout Europe.

After time many religious officials attacked Luther. The pope finally declared him to be a notorious heretic. The pope got an agent of the papal court to go and talk to Luther. Luther said that if his opponents would stop preaching for indulgences and stop their sale, he would in return stop his preaching against them. This statement pleased the pope. But things didn�t stay quiet for long. John Eck was an influential salesman and he used his ability to sell many indulgences. Luther and Eck ended up writing to each other stating their beliefs and disagreements with one another. Eventually, Luther ended up writing a letter that attacked the authority of the pope. Eck then challenged Luther to a debate to discuss the supremacy of the pope. Luther agreed and faced Eck in the Leipzig Debate in July of 1519. Both men spoke out strongly. But John Eck got Luther into some trouble when Luther admitted to the beliefs in the teachings of John Huss, a martyr of the early church. Would this now mean Luther�s death? Because of the spirit of the times, the Renaissance, Luther didn�t really have to fear. The debate brought about many believers in his views and it strengthened the faith of others. Now what was the pope to do? There was only one thing left to try. On June 15, 1520 Martin Luther was excommunicated. This didn�t bother Luther. He even burned the pope�s bull of excommunication when the pope ordered all of his works to be burned. Even though the church was against him, he stood strong (Kuiper 1988).

Another fearful time came upon Luther. The pope, unable to control Luther, turned to the new emperor Charles V for help. The emperor summoned the former monk to the Diet of Worms. This time Martin actually thought that he was going to his death. The people cheered for him on his way to Worms. At the council, he was asked if certain writings were his. He answered in the affirmative. Next, he was told to recant his writings. Through much contemplation, he said that he could not, unless proven wrong through scripture. This statement completed his �break� with the Roman Church. After the diet Charles V was after Luther to send him to his death. But one of Luther�s friends, Frederick the Elector, kept him in hiding in order to protect him. This confinement troubled Luther�s mind. Many other �reformers� sprung up and many of Luther�s supporters weren�t strong enough to carry on his works. Finally Luther came out of hiding and preached stronger than ever before. His life didn�t matter. The truth of God�s Word had to be taught and he was God�s instrument.

In conclusion, the Reformation was an event in history that greatly changed the church. Events from several hundred years before the time compiled in order to bring it about. Yes, there were influences from the church, which helped to bring about the reform. But there were political moves, which also contributed. Martin Luther�s role in the Reformation was that he was the final spark needed to light the fire. His influence brought all of the ideas into one and he applied them, eventually bringing about what became known as the Reformation.

WORKS CITED

Bornkamm. 1958. Luther�s World of Thought. St Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

Brautes, Jerald & Pelikan, Jeroslav. 1955. The Lutheran Reformation. Chicago: -----.

Kuiper, B.K. 1988. The Church in History. Grand Rapids: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Schwiebert, E.G. Ph.D. 1950. Luther and His Times. Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

Scott Foresman. 1990. History and Life. Glenview: Scott, Foresman and Company.

Stolee, Ingeborg. 1943. Luther�s Life. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House.