5 Questions about the Reformation

By Gerald Bray

Q: Why did the Reformation happen?

A: Firstly, many of the popes in the Western Europe church were corrupt and abused their power. Church discipline was also very lax.

Secondly, the church was teaching that most of the ordinary people were not good enough to go straight to heaven and would be sent instead to a place called “purgatory”, where they would be given a second chance to work off their sins and become good enough to go to heaven. “Indulgences” were sold to speed up the process. This meant that people could purchase the grace of God without showing any sign of repentance for sin. The sale of indulgences lit the fuse which led to the Reformation in 1517.

Q: What did the Reformers believe?

A: They believed that those who trusted in Christ had their sins covered by his atoning sacrifice and they were admitted to heaven because of their faith in him not by what they did. This made any idea of purgatory redundant.  Theologians call this “justification by faith alone”.

Q: Why are there so many Protestant churches?

A: Some thought that Luther did not go far enough in his criticisms and wanted a more radical break with the past than he thought was necessary. Others had different priorities. When England tried to impose a compromise form of worship, many people objected and created independent congregations called “denominations”.

Q: What are the big differences between Protestants and Catholics?

A: The biggest differences between Protestants and Catholics lie in the ways in which they understand how the Holy Spirit works in the Christian community’s life. Catholics tend to emphasize the external work of the Spirit, whereas Protestants emphasize his internal work instead.  Another area of fundamental disagreement concerns the way the Holy Spirit builds up the church. For Catholics this happens through external rites.

Q: Do we need another Reformation today?

God may choose to work in that way. If he does, then we must be grateful to him for his mercy towards us. Each of us has a duty to hear his voice and obey it in the place and in the circumstances where he has called us. Then we shall see the Holy Spirit at work in our lives and in the lives of those around us. One day we may look back and be able to say: “That was a new Reformation after all”.

Taken from 5 Questions about the Reformation By Gerald Bray Copyright © October 31, 2020. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org