PROTESTANT REFORMATION

500 years Luther

"The Protestant movement today is on trial. The Protestant Reformation has spawned a veritable Babylon of hundreds of different denominations. They vary in faith and practice all the way from fundamentalist Quakers to modern Congregationalists, from primitive Methodists to Christian Scientists, from Conservative Lutherans to Mormons, Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses - with hundreds of shadings in between." (Roderick C. Meredith)

It was the year 1517 when the German monk Martin Luther pinned his 95 Theses to the door of his Catholic church, denouncing the Catholic sale of indulgences - pardons for sins - and questioning papal authority. That led to his excommunication and the start of the Protestant Reformation. The Catholic church reacted with the Counter Reformation, and mutual enmity to decades of religious wars that devastated central Europe.

By attacking the system, Luther put into doubt not just the whole medieval basis of clerical livelihoods, but a powerful network of interests - from bankers and bishops all the way up to Rome - that was never likely to take the assault lying down. It wasn't just the authorities' self-interested over reaction, but Luther's own mercurial psychology - tripped by the knowledge that he faced execution at any moment - that explains the series of events, movements and conflicts that we now call Reformation.

But whatever its causes, the result was a tragedy. A very much valid critique of genuine corruption descended into heresy, division and war. Surely, Luther did not intend to split the church, yet most of the northern European church over time rejected Rome. Luther never intended to question the Sacraments, yet they were soon thrown into doubt. He never wanted a social uprising, yet that is exactly what occurred.

But of all unintended consequences of Luther's protest, the secularization of Europe, especially of its educated classes, is probably greatest of all - a five century process which started in 1517 after Luther's main complaint concerning the selling of indulgences by the Roman Catholic Church.

But, let me go back two generations in time in order to give a more comprehensive backstage to these successive events that took place over the course of half millennium. The printing press was invented which caused a wider availability for the demand for Bibles, which in turn, causes many to begin questioning why the Catholic Church's teachings and practices differ so radically from Scripture. In 1478 Jews and Muslims are forced to convert in Spain, as the Spanish Inquisition starts ensuring adherence to Catholic tradition and doctrine. The Inquisition keeps these dissident views from taking root in Spain or its territories.

In 1521, Luther was excommunicated, and eight years later, the Marburg Colloquy caused the beginning of the division of Protestants among themselves as their leaders disagree on doctrines (in this case, transubstantiation).

In 1533 Henry VIII, despite earlier supporting the papacy, creates the Church of England to facilitate his desire to divorce his wife and marries Anne Boleyn. This was followed a year later with the foundation of the Jesuits by Ignatius of Loyola. This order of Catholics is committed to defeating Protestants.

In 1545, the Council of Trent took place, a meeting of Catholics, often described as the "Counter-Reformation" which soundly rejected Protestant ideas as heresy.

In 1611, King James Version of the Bible is published, and seven years later in 1618, the tensions between Catholics and Protestants in Germany cause one of the worst wars in European history, as 30 years of War engulfs Europe and some 8 million people are killed.

In 1685, French King Louis XIV revokes the Edict of Nantes, which leads to persecution of French Protestants, causing many of them to emigrate.

Endless doctrinal controversy followed by a hundred years of destructive and inconclusive political-religious wars led to the privatization of religion and the search for empirical observation and philosophy and ideology as a means of uniting society.

When these eventually collapsed - as they now have - relativism and individualism are (mostly) that remains.

And, of course, shopping. The drive for technology and to consume were the 17th century Dutch responses to sectarian conflict, and are nowadays pretty much the western world's dominant religion.

But going back. Not until 1870, having been believed for centuries by many, the Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility is formally announced, confirming papal authority as dogma. Vatican I was formed.

In 1934, Herbert W. Armstrong begins a worldwide work using the new medium of radio. He started the Radio Church of God. Twenty eight years later, Vatican II, where major reforms enacted, including softening on measures put into place by the Council of Trent.

In 1990, the Reversing of the Reformation started with Popes John Paul II and Francis (and to a lesser degree, Benedict XVI) by successfully courting Protestant Churches. Many Protestant members once again look to the Pope as a religious authority.

On October 31, 2016, the 499th anniversary of Martin Luther's famous 'Ninety-five Theses," the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis I, travelled to Sweden to take part in the many events there commemorating the beginning of the 500th year of the Protestant Reformation. While there, he participated in a jointly prayer service in a Lutheran cathedral, celebrating the life and work of the man who caused one of the most profound religious schisms in history. Pope Francis acknowledged that Luther was understandably upset by the worldly sins of the Catholic Church in his day and stated, "With gratitude we acknowledge that the Reformation helped give greater centrality to sacred Scripture in the (Catholic) Church's life" (Reuters, Pope, in Sweden, says Reformation had positive aspects," October 31, 2016).

Given that Pope Francis, more than any single man on earth, currently personifies the Roman Catholic Church, it may seem a strange sight to see him praising Luther, whose movement claims to repudiate the very authority Francis claims to wield. But such actions have been a hallmark of Francis, whose reign has seen him reaching out not only to Lutherans, but also to Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Orthodox leadership as well as to the Muslim leaders of Islam. Some form of ecumenical unity seems to be very much on the mind of this Pope.

Bible prophecy speaks not only of a corrupt, global version of Christianity, pictured by the Great Harlot who rides a fantastic beast, but also of the Harlot's children (v.5), representing churches that have gone out from her.

Luther's action. A simple act, it was the work of a few moments, but it triggered an epic era of political and religious convulsions that changed the shape of Europe.

As prophecy unfolds, we are being equipped with the vital keys to understand the events of today's news.

"In the end, however, her honeymoon with political leaders will turn sour. The kings supporting her widespread influence will come to despise her. Possibly they will finally recognize that God is not with her, that her claims of divine support are a lie.

Whatever the reason, they will turn on her with a vengeance". (Apocalypse Unfolding Now, pages 248-9, in publishing phase)