Primary Issue of the Reformation

The Reformation changed the course of history, not just religiously but also politically. Prior to the Reformation, the Catholic Church held authority over Christianity as a religion; it was authoritative over the people, and also over kings and rulers. However, this authority was shaken to its core during the Reformation. The Reformers challenged this authority not because they were seeking power. Rather, they understood that true authority is found in God’s Word alone. Sola Scriptura became the “formal principle” (what everything is based on) and one of the five “Solas” of the Reformation. 

The Reformers did not try to invent something new; instead, they wanted to regain what was lost. They understood that God has spoken authoritatively in His Word. What was new was their interest in the Scriptures, which lead to a new movement. They recovered the true interpretation of the Bible which was lost due to the addition of traditions by the Roman Catholic Church. 

The Need for Reformation

In the centuries preceding the Reformation, there was change in almost every aspect of Christianity. The monasteries, where people went to escape the pleasures of this world by becoming monks, had become extremely relaxed and turned into centers of leisurely living. The papacy was weakened by the Great Schism, because of which, Western Europe’s allegiance was divided between two, and even three, popes. The meeting of Councils, which was effective in the early church and the medieval period to resolve issues, had become opportunities for regaining and asserting political power. In this context, the lay people were highly suspicious of the clergy and did not want to trust their teachings. The people saw that the clergy did not practice what they preached; in fact, their lives were completely opposite to it. 

Changes were not only needed at the moral level but also in the teachings of the Catholic Church, since many saw that it had gone astray. There were individuals who were voicing their concerns including Wycliffe, Huss, and Erasmus. Martin Luther eventually became the face of the Reformation, while Zwingli, who was independently coming to the same understanding as Luther, lead his own reformation in Zurich. 

The Question of Authority

The Reformation revolved around the question of authority and this question became its driving force. There were three aspects to the question of authority.  

The first aspect was the authority of the Scriptures versus the authority of church tradition. The Reformers argued that Scripture alone was the sole authority for matters of faith and practice in the church. However, the Catholic church held its traditions on the same level as Scripture. These traditions were considered to be oral teachings and practices, not written down in the Bible, but passed on by the Apostles to their students, which were then passed on by these students to those under them and so forth. But there was no consensus on these traditions; it was the magisterium (teaching authority of the Catholic Church) that decided which traditions were Apostolic and which were merely human. If something was pointed out from Scripture that contradicted the church’s practices or beliefs, the church refused to accept it since it was against the tradition of the church. The Catholic church also turned to the writings of its theological doctors, like Thomas Aquinas and others, to arbiter matters of faith.

However, the Reformers rejected this since they intended to be true to Scripture rather than to human traditions. John Wycliffe and Jan Huss were two prominent pre-reformation figures that were condemned by the Catholic Church. But when Luther was asked to recant his teachings, he retorted by appealing to the authority of the Scriptures: “Unless I am convinced by Sacred Scriptures or by evident reason, I will not recant. My conscience is held captive by the Word of God and to act against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand; I can do no other.”

The second aspect focused on the authority to possess, read, and interpret the Scriptures: are the clergies the only ones who hold this authority or do lay people also have this authority? The Catholic Church believed that only the priests had authority to possess and interpret the Scriptures. The magisterium decided what Scripture meant and no one could question its authority. But the Reformers argued otherwise. John Wycliffe pioneered to get the Scriptures into the hands of the common people. He started translating the Scriptures from Latin into English. Luther also believed that the Scriptures should be open and available to the people and that the Church did not possess the sole authority to own and interpret the Scriptures. He translated the New Testament into German while he was in hiding. 

The final aspect was the argument between the authority of the Church and the authority of the State. The church considered itself superior to the kings and the rulers of the different nation-states. The rulers were subject to the decisions made by the clergy and when they refused, the church would take extreme measures against them. Some of these measures included not administering the sacraments and even excommunicating the kings. The Reformation gave the rulers and kings the opportunity to join in the protest against the church in a nationalistic way. The Reformers argued for the separation of church and state since the church was meant to be a theological body and not a political entity. The rulers took advantage of this to deny the authority of the church over the states. 

The Effects of the Reformation

The Reformation was an important marker in the history of the church and of civilization. It brought about significant changes in Europe and also all over the world. The nature of Christianity was changed forever from being mainly Catholicism concentrated in Western Europe to various denominations spread all across Europe and eventually all over the world. There was religious freedom, and people were free to choose their method of worship from the many denominations that erupted in Europe. This also led many philosophers to boldly challenge the truths of Christianity and even religion as a whole. 

Nation-states began to appear, and many alliances were made between like-minded nations. People had to choose between Catholicism and Protestantism. Rulers switched between these two groups also, thus impacting the people's lives and safety. People were moving away from rulers with whom they did not agree. These moves lead to the discovery of new land and independence for those who moved. As people started spreading to other parts of the world, there was plurality of denominations and religious viewpoints. 

The Reformation challenged the authority of the Catholic Church because the Reformers believed that Scripture alone is authoritative. The Catholic Church responded to the Reformation by convening the Council of Trent to denounce the tenets of the Protestant Reformation. The Catholic church defined its teachings on justification, sacraments, authority of the church and clergy, and other theological doctrines. These doctrines were directly in contradiction to the truths argued by the Protestant Reformers. The most significant of these was regarding the nature of salvation. While the Protestant Reformers argued that humans are saved by faith alone, the council of Trent declared that humans are saved by faith and works; the Protestant teaching was also anathematized. 

True Authority

Authority was a significant motivating factor for the Reformation, and it continues to be a significant factor in the church and in society. Christians may confess today that God holds all authority, and it is true that He does. However, the immediate question that follows is, “how does He exercise this authority over us?” The answer to this question has to be through His Word. 

God has always operated in His creation through His Word. He created through His Word (Gen 1:3). He revealed His Law through His Word (Ex 20:1) and He revealed Himself fully through His Word (John 1:14, 18). Jesus, all through His earthly life, emphasized the authority of God’s Word. He fought temptations through God’s Word and submitted to it (Matt 4:4,7,10). He constantly appealed to God’s Word as authoritative (Matt 19:4-5,17-19,22:31, Jn 10:34). Jesus said He came to fulfill God’s Word and not a jot or tittle will be unfulfilled (Matt 5:17-18).

God has given us Scripture so we can know Him and have a relationship with Him through His Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing on this earth holds the same authority as His Word; everything else has to be placed under it. God has put other authorities on this earth to bring about His purposes including the church, the government, parents, etc. (Rom 13:1). However, all earthly authorities have to submit to God through His Word. 

It’s Our Turn

As Christians, we need to have the same commitment to God’s Word as the Reformers. Many were persecuted and even put to death because they refused to compromise on the authority of God’s Word. Satan has been attacking this authority ever since the Garden of Eden when he asked Eve, “Has God said…?” (Gen 3:1). He tried it with Jesus but failed. Will he succeed with us? If we are in Jesus, let us follow His example and hold fast to God’s Word as He did. 

Further Reading

Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol. 2: The Reformation to the Present Day