Introductory speech to Reformation Day Event on October 30, 2025 at Eben-Ezer Church in Chatham, ON.
What was the Reformation? One day in 1517, Professor Martin Luther published 95 discussion points on the door of his church, to start a scholarly debate about the true meaning of repentance. He believed that some of the practices of the Roman church were corrupt and wanted to help improve them. Before the discussions took place, Luther’s 95 thesis had been copied and distributed, and a movement of disgruntled people started spreading throughout Western Europe. Even when 30 years later the leadership in Rome officially denounced some of their corrupt practices, the cat was out of the bag and would not be put back.
What was the Reformation? It was not the first time and would not be the last time that a zealous preacher called the church to return to Biblical principles, sounder doctrine, and less worldly living. Some of these movements were tolerated in the church, some were persecuted; but they did not generally change the overall direction and organization of the church. In the Middle Ages we see the Franciscan order, with a renewed focus on the gospel; there were the heretical Waldensians and the Albigensians; we are more familiar, perhaps, with John Wycliff and Jan Hus, who criticized the church of their time. Martin Luther could have been just another name in this list; but his reform movement could not be stomped out; entire provinces and countries left the established church and joined the movement.
What was the Reformation? It was the nail in the coffin of the Roman Church as the dominant political entity in Europe. The Roman church had effectively been an empire, claiming authority over kings and emperors, owning much of the land and capital, a military force to reckon with. All of that was crumbling; monarchs were pursuing autonomy, people resented the opulence of the clergy, and the threat of a Muslim invasion from the Balkans added to the political tension. Moreover, secular universities and science bucked against church authority, and the Humanist movement encouraged critical thinking about church dogma. The Roman church was in a precarious position; Martin Luther was the spark that blew everything up. German princes claimed freedom from Papal authority, King Henry VIII declared the Church of England to be free from Rome, the Dutch fought an 80-year war, and the result was a blanket of independent nation states without overarching religious leadership.
What was the Reformation? It was a time for the Western church to think through some of its key doctrines and practices. Martin Luther not only criticized the obvious corruption of the sales of indulgences, but explored the real meaning of repentance, and of righteousness in Christ, and the relative importance of faith and good works in our salvation. The Reformers not only criticized the superstitious practices of folk catholicism, but saw idolatry in the veneration of saints, in the decorations in church building, in the rituals of the mass. Many established doctrines and practices of the medieval church were re-examined and found wanting. The Reformers emphasized the Bible as the ultimate norm, rather than the pronouncements of the church; they reached back to the early church fathers to balance their theological views, rather than the more recent councils of the church.
What was the Reformation? It marked an irreversible shift in Western culture, from a focus on the community to the individual, from faith mediated by priests and rituals to faith as a direct relationship with Jesus Christ. This emancipation of the individual was very much in line with the more secular humanism, and has both been a benefit and a distraction to the church; in that sense the Reformation was certainly a child of its time. The more individualistic focus explains the so-called Radical Reformation, where the Anabaptists envisioned a church of only sincere believing adults; and the story of more individual-focused pietism breaking up the established church has repeated itself many times, as we see Baptists in the 1600s, Methodists in the 1700s, Pentecostals in the early 1900s, and so on.
What was the Reformation? It certainly was in the providence of God, who directs his church throughout history. We should celebrate the rediscovery of sound doctrine, the sharper focus on God’s grace, the abolition of superstition. The best aspect of the Reformation, in my mind, is its desire to be “evangelical”, that is, focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ. The motto’s of the Reformation—Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, the Scripture alone—speak to that desire. We are heirs of the Reformation, both in our church organization and our church culture, and we have much to be thankful for. Not that the Reformation was perfect; and it will never measure up to the greatest work of God in the incarnation and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We must always prioritize our Christian identity over being “evangelical” or Reformed. But we certainly thank much to God’s work as he guided his people in the tumultuous events of the 16th century.
What was the Reformation? It was many things, and there are many aspects to discover and learn from. Today we have in our midst Pastor Jeff Temple, who is also a Doctor of history and could lecture for hours on everything I have said so far— or probably correct me in a thing or two. He has graciously agreed to talk with us about one of the many aspects of God’s work in the Protestant Reformation.
Following this speech, Dr. Rev. Jeff Temple presented a delightful lecture titled “From Sight to Sound”, describing how the Reformation radically changed the worship experience and expectations of the regular Christians.