The Unfinished Work Of The Reformation

Our good works do not generate righteousness; rather our righteousness in Christ generates good works. - Martin Luther. It has been over 500 years since Martin Luther led the Protestant Reformation of the Church. Martin Luther, was a German teacher and a monk, who brought about the Protestant Reformation when he challenged the Roman Catholic Church's teachings starting in 1517. The Protestant Reformation was a religious reform movement that swept through Europe in the 1500s. The Protestant Reformation began in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther, published a document he called Disputation on the Power of Indulgences, or 95 Theses. The document was a series of 95 ideas about Christianity that Luther invited people to debate with him. Luther's ground breaking ideas were controversial because they directly contradicted the Roman Catholic Church's teachings. One can argue that Martin Luther must have been truly inspired by God to have pushed against the all powerful Roman Catholic Church at such a critical time in history. The Roman Catholic Church then and now is headed by the Pope. Those of us who have studied European History are very much aware that one could not separate the church, in this instance the Roman Catholic Church from the State. Most, if not all Europe during the 16th century was Roman Catholic. To prove how powerful the Papacy was, let us hold hands as we travel back in time to the 15th century. In 1493, Pope Alexander V1 issued the The Papal Bull "Inter Caetera," that played a central role in the Spanish conquest of the New World. The Document of Discovery supported Spain’s strategy to ensure its exclusive right to the lands discovered by Columbus the previous year. It established a demarcation line one hundred leagues west of the Azores and Cape Verde Islands and assigned Spain the exclusive right to acquire territorial possessions and to trade in all lands west of that line. The Papal Bull stated that any land not inhabited by Christians was available to be "discovered," claimed, and exploited by Christian rulers and declared that "the Catholic faith and the Christian religion be exalted and be everywhere increased and spread, that the health of souls be cared for and that barbarous nations be overthrown and brought to the faith itself." This decree by Pope Alexander VI did not recognize the human rights of indigenous peoples who had occupied much of the lands across The Americas undisturbed for centuries prior. This again was another example of how Popes in Medieval times acted as gods. Most of Luther’s challenges to the Roman Catholic Church revolved around the notion that individual believers should be less dependent on the Catholic Church, and its pope and priests, for spiritual guidance and salvation. Instead, Protestants believed people should be independent in their relationship with God, taking personal responsibility for their faith and referring directly to the Bible, the Christian holy book, for spiritual wisdom. The Indulgence System. The Indulgence System of Medieval Europe was a grand and elaborate scheme to enrich the Papacy and the Roman Catholic Church. Broadly speaking, the Indulgence System was a calculated way to transfer wealth from the working class to the Popes and priests of the Catholic Church. Catholic indulgences were a way for individuals to receive full or partial remission of punishment for sins. This means that by getting an indulgence, a person could have some or all of their time in Purgatory eliminated after their death. In Catholic theology, Purgatory is a place where souls go after death to atone for the sins that they committed during their lifetimes before being able to go to Heaven. Purgatory is only open to those who were already Catholic upon their deaths; Catholic theology teaches that those who did not accept Jesus Christ prior to death always go to Hell. Types of Indulgences. Indulgences have changed over time and also take different forms. Essentially, there are partial indulgences and plenary indulgences. Partial indulgences reduce a person's time in Purgatory but do not eliminate it entirely. The contemporary Catholic Church does not specify how much time a partial indulgence is equivalent to, though some sources suggest that they used to attach specific numbers of days and years (signifying the amount of time a sentence in Purgatory would be reduced by) to different indulgences. Partial indulgences can be obtained without the intervention of a priest. On the other hand, Plenary indulgences are indulgences that remove all of a person's time in Purgatory. Since they are obviously valuable, it is more challenging to obtain a plenary indulgence than a partial one. In addition to the requirements for partial indulgences, plenary indulgences require the seeker to take Communion and attend Confession to get the approval of a priest for their plenary indulgence, meaning that unlike partial indulgences, plenary indulgences directly involve members of the clergy. Shamefully, the Indulgence System was set on a basic premise where people could buy their forgiveness and indeed their way to Heaven. Undoubtedly, this system of Indulgence ran counter to Biblical doctrine. Luther's statements challenged the Catholic Church's role as intermediary between people and God, specifically when it came to the indulgence system, which in part allowed people to purchase a certificate of pardon for the punishment of their sins. Luther argued against the practice of buying or earning forgiveness, believing instead that salvation is a gift God gives to those who have faith. The Bible however, does not speak to or make reference to any Purgatory. In interjecting Purgatory in the discourse regarding where one would spend eternity, the Roman Catholic Church played a masterful innings in appealing to the emotions of the average Catholic. After all who wants to spend eternity in Hell? Luther's objections to the indulgence system paved the way for other challenges to the Catholic doctrine throughout Europe. For example, John Calvin in France and Huldrych Zwingli in Switzerland proposed new ideas about the practice of Holy Communion. Interestingly, the Protestant reform in England began with King Henry VIII in 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a marriage annulment. Subsequently, King Henry rejected the Pope's authority, instead creating and assuming authority over the Church of England, a sort of hybrid church that combined some Catholic doctrine and some Protestant ideals.

Reformation Now . Many Christians today are disillusioned by theology and a sense of religiosity. Indeed many of us now identify with the Reformation Movement started by Martin Luther. The Pope and Papacy holds no great significance for most of us. Unfortunately, the more things change the more they appear to be the same. The new shepherds in the post colonial era have continued to mirror and are indeed mirroring the get rich theology of the Medieval European Roman Catholic Church. While today’s pastors do not refer to Indulgences, they have however found creative and non-Scriptural ways to get money from the most vulnerable of their congregations. For example, in some churches, there are special offerings for the Pastor’s birthday, the First Lady’s birthday, Founders Day and list is never ending. One wonders when some pastors find the time to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ given the numerous ways congregants are called upon to give money outside of their titles and offering. Sadly, many, so called New Age pastors solely focus on the Prosperity Gospel. The Prosperity Gospel. The Prosperity Gospel (PG) is a fast-growing theologically conservative movement frequently associated with Pentecostalism, Evangelicalism, and charismatic Christianity that emphasizes believers’ abilities to transcend poverty and/or illness through devotion and positive confession. The Prosperity Gospel is especially popular among impoverished communities, where at best it is considered to offer the poor a means of imagining and reaching for better lives. In recent times Prosperity Gospel has been scrutinized and labeled as predatory and manipulative, particularly when churches or pastors require heavy tithing. Members of the top echelon of society may also be drawn to PG messages, which affirm the religious and spiritual legitimacy of wealth accumulation and reinforce a worldview in which financial success is an indicator of moral soundness. This type of movement is very much evident especially among tele-evangelists. Regrettably, many Ministers of Religion purposefully have removed the basic tenets of Christianity so as not to offend anyone; especially those they know or suspect to have wealth. Perhaps, this comes with the age of modernity in which we live. Sadly, the church today is still faced with many of the same issues that plagued the church during the pre Reformation era. In observing Reformation Sunday, we must revisit the past and examine carefully the issues that divided the church then in order not to repeat history. There is still too much division in Christendom and this division has led many to leave the church. Those who remain in Christendom continue to question the direction of their leadership. Too many pastors continue to get caught up in wrong doings and this too has cast a shadow of doubt over the church. Those who lead the flock must take their task and commitment more seriously. We should be reminded of 1 Peter 4: 17, “for it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Too many of us are wearing secular blinkers today similarly to what occurred in 16th century. The Scripture is right, too many believers have a form of godliness; however, they continue to deny the power thereof. Reformation Now. As we observe Reformation Sunday, let us rekindle our collective faith that led Martin Luther to tackle the establishment of the day and in so doing birth a positive movement that have been both God-centered and transformative. The unfinished work of the Reformation now rest with our generation to complete. Let us pray fervently for vision lest we perish in order to continue the journey that Martin Luther so boldly began. As the body of Christ we should also pray for a spirit of discernment concerning the church we decide to have membership with, especially since this decision has implications where we will spend eternity. Let us therefore lend our collective voices towards the eradication of modern day indulgences within the church as we work together to usher in the Kingdom of God. In the words of Martin Luther, We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #ReformationSunday