On Oct 31, 1517 (508 years ago), ML nailed his famous 95 Theses to the chapel door in Wittenberg, Germany, thus launching the Protestant Reformation.

The Reformation was an attempt to return the church to a more biblical path. The Reformers sought to develop a theology and practice that conformed more closely to the NT. Some branches of the Reformation were more thorough than others, but they all wanted to bring the church back to the Bible.

The Reformation was a revolt against the authority of the RCC and its head, the pope. The Reformers, like Wycliffe, Hus, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and Knox, believed the RCC was corrupt and that the pope did not have the authority to impose unbiblical teachings and practices on the church. Those who survived persecution broke away from the RCC and started new expressions of Christianity.

The consequences of the Reformation still persist today. Protestant, evangelical and fundamental Christianity trace their lineage back to the ideas rediscovered during the Reformation.

Quote:  The Protestant Reformation stands as the most far-reaching, world-changing display of God’s grace since the birth and early expansion of the church. This restoration had an unparalleled influence on churches, nations, and the flow of Western civilization.[1]

Evangelical Christians ought to understand and value the contributions of the Reformation to our way of life today. Many aspects of life that we take for granted flow from the Reformation. Many people today enjoy the benefits of Reformation ideas without even recognizing where those benefits came from. We need to understand the value of these ideas and retain our commitment to them.

Today I want to briefly review the five famous solas of the Reformation, and then I want to consider the consequences of the Reformation in various areas of life.

[1] Steve Lawson, “The Reformation and the Men Behind It” http://www.ligonier.org/blog/reformation-and-men-behind-it. Accessed 27 October 2014.