The Enduring Legacy of Luther's 95 Theses

The Enduring Legacy of Luther’s 95 Theses

508 years ago today, Martin Luther famously nailed his 95 theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. While his actions were unquestionably disruptive, they weren’t nearly as iconoclastic as some today may believe. In reality, Luther was merely using a common tactic (posting on the church’s door) to call for debate and discussion – not a wholesale revolution. Luther’s action would be the rough equivalent of a lengthy Facebook or X post in today’s world. His nailing of the document was certainly meant to engender to discussion, but it was not an earth-shattering modicum of communication. What transpired though in the succeeding years was nothing short of a mighty work of God across Western Europe and then the entire globe. Many of us are assuredly familiar with Luther’s famous stand for the gospel at the Diet of Worms in 1521, his marriage to Katharina Von Bora, his hesitation about the canonicity of the book of James or his consubstantiation view on communion. However, what is often missed in the discussion about Martin Luther and his 95 theses is actual discussion of the theses themselves! To that end, I want to highlight just a few enduring truths from some of Luther’s statements.

                  First, Martin Luther began his 95 theses with a robust discussion about the real nature of repentance. In his second thesis, Luther repudiated the notion that the sacrament of penance refers to real repentance and that the Bible’s view of repentance has nothing to do with “confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.”^[1]

For Luther, he recognized that – as stated in his first thesis – “[that] the entire life of believers [is] to be one of repentance.” Given that Jesus declared that apart from genuine repentance one cannot enter God’s kingdom, it is understandable why Luther began his series of disputations by setting forth the biblical reality of this precious doctrine (Luke 13:3). Man must repent and do so biblically!

                  Towards the middle of his theses, Martin Luther turned his ire toward the common medieval practice of indulgences. During this period in the early 1500s, Johann Tetzel and his ilk were manipulating people to pay money to supposedly rescue the souls of departed loved ones out of purgatory. Apart from the fact that the idea of a purgatory is a thoroughly unbiblical notion, what seemed to be even more odious of a notion to Luther was the idea that effectively God could be bought. In his 27^th thesis, Luther wrote “They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory.” Luther’s words here are insightful in that he denounced human doctrines. In fact, much of the Protestant Reformation was devoted to getting rid of the pernicious threat of man-made doctrines taking root in the church. And while we could wish that Luther was stronger in his 95 theses in speaking out against the entire practice of indulgences (For example, his 47^th thesis asserts that the purchase of indulgences should not be commanded but is instead a “free choice.”), we must remember that Luther over time crystallized, sharpened, and refined his theology as the Protestant Reformation got under way.

As Luther concludes his writings, the last two theses strike at the core of what would shortly become the Protestant Reformation. In the 94^th thesis, Luther exhorts Christians to follow Christ “their Head, through penalties, death and hell.” And in the 95^th thesis, Luther stated it was better to enter “into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace.” At their core, what both of these statements drive at is the unquestioned headship of Christ over his church and the desire for truth above personal comfort. These statements became all too true in the church as many faithful Christians lost their lives in the coming years for following Christ instead of man.

So as we reflect on the Protestant Reformation this Reformation Day, let us remember and thank God for the mighty work of men like Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli. But let’s also remember the importance of true repentance in the gospel message, let’s refute and repudiate any sort of man-made theology, and finally, let us remember the importance of the headship of Christ over his church. In so doing, we can faithfully honor Luther’s legacy of his 95 theses.

^[1] https://www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html  (All subsequent quotations from this source as well)