A Short History of Lutheranism

To understand how the Reformation could have happened in the first place, we first need to understand the condition of society on the eve of the Reformation. The Reformation couldn't have happened if the atmosphere wasn't just right. Conditions in the world at the time were what led up to this tremendous explosion, not only in the church, but in society as well.

The world before the Reformation seemed much smaller. Prior to that time, the world was immensely undiscovered and unknown. However, that began to change in the fifteenth century. Within the span of fifty or so years, such explorers as Henry the Navigator, Diaz, De Gama, Columbus and Magellan had sailed forth from their respective countries and were discovering vast new lands. It was a time of expansion and excitement.

With the birth of this new era came not only the discovery of the world but also the vast reaches of the universe. Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, put forth an amazing theory stating that the earth was just one of many marvelous bodies in the solar system. He believed these bodies seemed to be revolving around the sun which rested near the center of the universe and that the earth revolved on its axis once a day and revolved once a year around the sun. It later became known as the heliocentric or sun-centered system. Theologically speaking then, his theory rejected the long held belief concerning a three-tier universe: that heaven was above, hell was below and the earth lay in between the two.

Then came the breakdown of the economic system of feudalism, giving rise to nationalism. This was generally the idea that individual territories were to be protected, as were the interests of groups of people within them.

At the same time, there was also a rebirth of art and literature in the era of Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci, and many other artistic masters. With the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, many scholars bolted to Italy with the manuscripts of the Greek masters, who challenged people to discover truth and beauty above all else. So, it was a time of intellectual awakening and a time of discovery.

It was during this time the printing press was invented. Moveable-type become quicker than wood-block printing. This was possibly the chief single accomplishment the world knew at that time. With this accomplishment came the opportunity for accepted wisdom and material to be disseminated and distributed across the known world. The opportunity for education, which until then was only for the privileged few, now became possible for all. The common folk no longer had to depend on the clergy to inform them about what the Bible said; they could for the first time begin to read and understand it as Luther begin translating the scriptures in German, the language of the people. The old certainties were breaking down. Society was taking the next step forward as well, an awakening that would grow to become a tool of the reformers.

Everything was stirring everywhere. Everywhere, that is, except in the church. There, the old ways perpetuated, for the church's authority and power were absolute. People were taught and believed that salvation was a risky thing at best and one's only avenue to salvation was through the church. It would be very difficult today to imagine the tremendous grip the Pope had on the people. With one word he could assign anyone to eternal damnation. This power was handed down to the local priest without whose services you could not be saved.

If you weren't baptized, you couldn't be saved and only the church could baptize. If you didn't go to confession, you couldn't be saved, and only the church could hear confession. In a very real way, the church held the keys to the gates of heaven. The church has always had its dark times and dark leaders but the main problem leading up to the Reformation was the church's insistence on being more political than religious.

Among the protestant churches in the world, the Lutheran Church is both the oldest and one of the largest. It was founded upon Jesus Christ and carried on by his faithful followers today. It is a true expression of the one true Holy catholic and apostolic church. The disciples, known later as apostles, were the first to lead the early church after Christ's resurrection and they shared Christ's teaching with all whom they encountered. It was in house churches that early Christians worshiped and shared the gospel. These Christians gathered together in the home of the followers, often secretly, due to the religious political climate of the day.

It was in this environment that the Reformation movement of the 1500s and the Lutheran tradition had its beginnings. It was led by a Roman Catholic monk named Martin Luther who was born in Eisleben, Germany in 1483. Luther was the son of a copper miner. Martin's home was generally a happy one, but his parents, Hans and Margaret Luther, were very strict disciplinarians. Hans and Margaret were devout Catholics. Unfortunately, Martin was raised with an image of Jesus as a severe judge who would willingly punish Christians, were it not for the intersession of his mother, Mary, and John the Baptist.

Luther, a brilliant student of theology and scripture, became a monk against the desires of his father who wished his son to become a lawyer. He was ordained as a priest at the age of 23 in 1507. Five years later, Luther earned his doctorate in theology and was appointed a Professor of Theology at the University of Wittenberg. After years of exhaustive Bible study, Luther became torn between devotion to the Roman Catholic Church and his own conscience criticizing some of the churches most basic teachings. Luther came to believe intensely that salvation was a precious gift from God alone to those who had faith in Jesus Christ – not achieved by so-called good works or through councils, priests or clerical mediators. This became known as the doctrine of "justification by grace, received through faith."

Troubled by his own innermost turmoil and convictions, Luther, from what he read and discovered and knew in the scriptures, began stressing three important teachings: justification by grace through faith; the universal priesthood of all believers; and the supremacy of scripture. All this he formulated from his intensive reading of the Bible.

Luther also begin to question the Roman Catholic Church's practice of selling indulgences, a main complaint of his, a practice that had developed over a period of many years. About 1000 years before, if someone was guilty of some serious...