I do need to add a correction, last week I said I'd start with the Early church, that isn't true. In studying out some things it became a little clearer that maybe we can work backward and trace some integral parts of church history and see why they happened based on what preceded them. Think like a pendulum swinging, the Reformation was in response to what? Which in turn was a reaction to another incident. It is on that basis we will look briefly into Martin Luther. 

  What makes a revival? We would correctly all say the work of the Holy Spirit, but is that the only thing? In reading the parable of the Prodigal Son we also see where his own misery made him aware of his sad situation. Arguably I think the same can be said of what led to the Reformation, we see God's Spirit at work, but we also see men wanting to see the power and purity of the Church of old, which was missing in their lives and had long been collectively lost because of apostasy and false teaching.  Praise be to God that at various time he brought faithful men into the picture to stir up revival and keep a pure remnant!  

  It was October 31, 1517 When Martin Luther nailed his Disputatio pro declaratione virtutis indulgentiarum, or "95 These" to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg and unofficially started what has been known as the Great Reformation; But was it? Was Luther bent on breaking from the established Catholic church, or reforming the church of his day?  The question can be answered by looking back into the history of the church leading up to that pivotal moment of his hammer striking nail and leaving its impact on the church. 

  To understand Luther we have to go back to a man named Johann Tetzal who, from 1503-1510, became a Preacher of Indulgences. Indulgences, in short, were payments made to the church to obsolve ones sins(living or dead) so as to not have punishment in eternity. Obviously unscriptural (Roman's 6:23, Proverbs 28:13, 1 Timothy 2:5 just to name a few), but was common practice in the Roman Catholic church roughly starting around 1095, but picking up more into the 1500s.  Tetzal was commission by Archbishop Albrecht Von Brandenburg in January 1517 to sell  Indulgences in the dioces of Madgeburg and Halberstadt. Most Indulgences during this time were really used for renovations of St Peter's Basilicata and to offsets debts incurred by church officials, in all seriousness it really was a shake down scheme to line the pockets of the officials and very little to do with helping any real need.  Like Tetzal is recorded as saying "“When a penny in the coffer rings,  A soul from Purgatory springs.” it was a way to prey upon the unlearned fear of the masses to enrich the leaders of the Catholic church of the day. 

  Finally into all this arises Martin Luther, a young priest not even thirty-four years old yet. Who intricately laid out the problem of Indulgences over salvation through Christ. As well as attempting to stear the church back in line with Scripture on issues such as Justification by faith and not of works (Gal 2:16 for example), as well as Scripture being the sole authority on matters of faith, not the pope only (Sola Scriptura is this believe. Found in 2 Timothy 3:16, Acts 17:11, 1 Cor. 4:6, and Mark 7:6-9). It should be understood that even in Luther's own writings and belief it was his desire to see the church reformed, and come back to Scriptural truths that had long been butchered and twisted; NOT to form some new church, although it did eventually come to that. In this light we can look and see that his efforts arguably were led of the Lord to bring revival and restoration to people blinded by false teaching and sin. Sadly, he didn't finish that way, through misguided loyalties to city-states and political supporters he later went to war over the issue of baptism and government authority on the church in the Peasants War. 

  In looking at what started the Reformation period of the 1500s you can see where the desire in Martin Luther to reform, and purify the church was his goal. Though small at first, the working of God's Spirit to bring about revival soon became evident.  When Luther grew cold, in came another, and when Ulrich Zwingli grew cold or fell away, in came others. Moving past denominations you see where God was, and is at work to bring about a pure and unspotted bride of believers who will wholeheartedly seek Him. 

  While we can take a post-situational view of Martin Luther and the Reformation from our 21st century vantage point, we need to go back even further.  Going to a bustling city used as the capitol of the Western Roman Empire, a city called Mediolanum. Which we can, Lord willing, look at that next week.  Something to ponder until then is this: What things in your life, or my life do I need to reform when confronted with the truth of God's Word? Will we let the Holy Spirit guide us and convict us in all areas? Or will we be like the seed that fell on the rock and the thorns and die from lack of depth?