Still reforming?

Most people will have their eyes on Halloween as the big celebration today. However, 31st October is also the anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation in 1517.

Now some of you may be asking whether or not that’s something to celebrate. Wasn’t the Reformation a negative and divisive thing.  So it is helpful to know a bit of the history behind it.

First, whilst this was the big earthquake moment, there had been precursors.  At the time, everyone was reliant on the Latin version of the Bible. This meant that ordinary people did not have the Bible in their own hands and language. They were dependent on the priests to interpret it for them.  Not only that but the Latin translation itself was questionable in key places.  So, key precursors included the recovery of the Greek and Hebrew texts and the translation of Scripture into everyday languages such as German and English. Wycliffe ‘s work was a few centuries earlier. Tyndale was a contemporary if the reformers and translated the Bible into English beyween 1522-35. I suspect that this is reflected in terms of where Protestantism and later Evangelicalism were strongest.

Secondly, there was a growing awareness of corruption in the church that exploited people. Luther’s protest was against the Church selling indulgences, telling people that they could buy their loved ones out of purgatory.  There is a strong link between superstition/false teaching, corruption and exploitation.

Thirdly, Luther and others became increasingly aware of Scripture’s teaching on the atonement, grace and justification by faith. Their teaching on these things countered the exploitative legalism of their day

Now as well as those who see the Reformation as a bad thing not to be celebrated, there are those who see it as a historic event in the past. The Reformation for them is over. In response fi this, it’s worth remembering that the Roman Catholic Church remains unreformed.  The issues of over 500 years ago are still very much present.

Secondly, we should recover a slogan from the Reformers, “Semper Reformanda”, “always reforming”. It’s the idea that The Church always needs reform.

Here are three ways in which I believe we need to follow that spirit of reformation today. 

1. Getting the faith into the hands of ordinary people.  This includes through planting churches into unreached areas including into urban and working class contexts. It means supporting the work of Bible translators.  It involves thinking about how we help people who have low literacy levels to hear God’s word (audio book options along with literacy teaching). It also means that we need to make theological education accessible.
2. Robustly challenging institutions.  The obvious example in our context is the Church of England.  Challenge must surely go beyond reaching accomodation. Luther didn’t want a church that provided space for people like him who believed in justification by faith.  He wanted a Church that believed in justification by faith.
3. Rooting out false teaching. I think that there is a specific need to focus on false teaching that leads to legalism.  This takes two particular forms in our context.  First, there is the Prosperity Gospel and secondly there is the current surge of Christian Nationalism. This is not just about those holding such views but about a Church which seems ill equipped to stand up to, challenge and correct such false teachings.

I’m sure you can think of other areas where we need reform. Feek free to add them in the comments but these three things certainly give us some big stuff to focus on and pray for on Reformation Day.