When you scroll through social media the morning of October 31, you might see pictures of kids wearing cute costumes to school, discussions about favorite candy, and everyone’s Halloween chili recipe. But you also may see paintings of a man with quite an odd haircut nailing some papers to a door? And the caption underneath will say, “Happy Reformation Day!”
What is Reformation Day? And why is it worth our remembrance? To answer these questions, we have to break down who this funny-haired man is, what he was nailing to that door, and the effect that historic action has on our modern Christian lives.
Who was Martin Luther?
Martin Luther was born in 1483 to a prosperous German family. While he was expected to have a career in law or government, a spiritual crisis in the midst of a vicious thunderstorm led him to the monastery instead (hence the funny monk haircut). He also became a theology professor at the University of Wittenberg.
Luther was a passionate man who catalyzed all sorts of opinions from the public and from church leaders. His asceticism was so excessive, it jumped over the line into self-harm. Luther would go days without sleep, flog himself, and endure the frigid cold without anything to warm himself. These practices were a means for him to worship God and convey his unworthiness of the grace he had received.
While lecturing on Romans, Luther experienced an inner “rebirth” or “reformation” while interpreting chapter 1, verse 17: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.”
Instead of focusing on the word faith, he turned to the word righteous. Who can live by faith but those who have already been made righteous? He lectured to his class this idea that contradicted the practices of the Catholic church at the time. This rebirth in him progressed and intensified the more he searched and studied the scriptures.
For medieval Christians, grace was a pilgrimage to be experienced through the sacraments of the church. The sacrament of penance was one subjected to a particular type of abuse from leadership. Penance itself is remorse, confession, absolution, and satisfaction (fasting and prayer are examples of satisfaction) of one’s sins. However, the institution of monetary indulgence certificates by the papacy promised the commonwealth that their sins could be absolved a quicker way, for a price.
This did not sit well with Luther, who preached that grace is a free gift because of Christ’s work on the cross.
The Ninety-Five Theses
The story, passed on by tradition, says that on All Saints’ Eve (October 31) in 1517, 95 theses penned by Luther were nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany. There are disputes as to whether Luther was the one who physically did the nailing or if they were transported by a university representative. Nevertheless, these theses were publicly displayed to generate scholarly discussion.
You can read the full 95 theses for yourself, but check out a few of the theses that challenged papal power and introduced provocative theological ideas for the time.
- Any truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without indulgence letters.
- Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better deed than he who buys indulgences.
- Christians are to be taught that he who sees a needy man and passes him by, yet gives his money for indulgences, does not buy papal indulgences but God’s wrath.
- Injury is done to the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or larger amount of time is devoted to indulgences than to the Word.
Though these were originally written in Latin, the theses were translated into German and disseminated across the country as a call to question what they had been taught by the church. Where did the pope’s power begin and end? Why were their indulgences for sin being used to build Saint Peter’s Basilica? What does God really want from his people, payment or true repentance? How am I really justified before Christ?
Many regard this act by Luther as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Why Should I Care About the Reformation?
Protestants today owe a lot to the life and study of Martin Luther. We trace our understanding of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone back to Martin Luther’s life and study.
The challenge to the papacy informs how we see scriptural authority today. While there are many helpful resources and Christian thought leaders, anything created has the ability to be corrupted and twisted. That’s what happened with the papacy. Luther’s idea of sola scriptura (scripture alone) sparks many views and conversations, but this is the gist: The Word of God is what we should depend on. Scripture is the self-revelation of God Himself and His redemption plan for humanity.
Hebrews 12:1 references a great “cloud of witnesses,” and Luther is surely included. His conviction and calling aimed for him to simply point the church back to scripture and see Christ as her foundation. Instead, he sparked a reformation that resulted in a new branch of the global church.
When you’re reading your preferred version of Scripture in your language, thank God for the Reformation. When you’re able to freely discuss interpretation of certain scriptures without fear of excommunication, remember the Reformation. When you think about taking some Bible classes at the seminary just because, give thanks for the Reformation.
One thing Luther would want you to know as you scroll this Reformation Day is this: Those nails on the church door have NOTHING on the nails who pierced the hands of our Savior.
Interested in church history? Study the Reformation, as well as other influential people and periods, in B&H Academic’s Christian History series. Volume 2: From the Reformation to the Present is currently available, and Volume 1: From the Apostolic Fathers to the Eve of the Reformation releases in March 2026!
About Dakota Rice
Dakota Rice is a marketing strategist for B&H Academic. With her educational background in both theology and communication, Dakota’s passion is to foster in others the desire to know God more intimately through his Word. She has taught small group Bible study for over a decade and serves alongside her pastor husband, Jason, at Crossroad Baptist Church in Alabama.
