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MARTIN LUTHER, INDULGENCES, AND THE REFORMATION

October 19, 2026

When Martin Luther posted what was originally known as Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences, much better known as The Ninety-Five Theses, on the cathedral door in Wittenburg, Germany on October 31, 1517, it served as the theological “shot heard ‘round the world.” As the longer title suggests, the proposed debate centered on the legitimacy of the Roman Catholic practice of granting what were then known as indulgences. These had to do with a very important and Biblical theme: the forgiveness of sin.

Within Roman Catholicism, the securing of forgiveness involved three requirements. First, one needed to privately confess his or her sin to the Church’s agent, namely, a parish priest that had the authority to absolve sin and at least some of its effects; second, he or she needed to convince the confessor (the priest) that genuine repentance had occurred; and, third, he or she needed to perform some specific act(s) of penance or undergo some form of temporal punishment that fit the offence, as prescribed by the priest. The first two could usually be accomplished posthaste. However, it was not always practical or possible to carry out the third requirement. In that case, an indulgence may have been purchased for a prescribed monetary price, rendering the actual experience of penance and punishment unnecessary. By late 1517, the purchase of an indulgence might even have been secured on behalf of a deceased family member in order to reduce the requisite penalty. At the time of Luther’s protest, this referred to the time that family members might spend in purgatory, the post-mortem “purging ground” for sin not cared for in life.

While we usually think of the Reformation in terms of theological retrieval of good doctrine that had nearly been lost, it is important to appreciate the practical concerns it sought to answer as well. In relation to forgiveness, the question was and still is, how can sinners stand with confidence in the presence of a holy God? The reality of sin, death, and judgment may be suppressed by the individual mind and conscience, but the reality of each remains since God has shown them to be true. And the accompanying sense of guilt and dread also remains. Recall King David’s relief after receiving God’s gracious gift of forgiveness after his own sin: “How blessed is he [or she] whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. How blessed is the man [or woman] to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psalm, 32:1-2). Following this great declaration, David goes on to describe his own experience of living with the effects of unconfessed and unforgiven sin (Psalm 32:3-7).

When we think of the Reformation, we do well to recall the centrality of the doctrine of justification. Theologically, the doctrine of justification lies at its heart. However, the catalyst for the Reformation is found here, in the concept of indulgences. Luther, and many others, recognized that each individual is responsible before God for his or her own sin. Forgiveness cannot be secured for them by others. Only Christ can do that. The more sure way to address this problem is to repent and confess our sin to God and seek forgiveness from any others that may have been impacted by it, and then make restitution as necessary.

As we see from this brief article, the doctrine of forgiveness is intimately related to other doctrines such as justification and Christ’s atonement understood as penal substitution. These critical doctrines will have to wait for separate articles, however. But in the meantime, Martin Luther and his Ninety-Five Theses, nailed to the cathedral door back in 1517, is a much better way to think about the last day of October.

READING THE OLD TESTAMENT (2)

October 2, 2026

I recently heard one sermon and one small group study touching on the life and ministry of the prophet Elijah. I was initially excited by both for two reasons: Elijah is a very important individual and 1 Kings 17:1 – 2 Kings 2:14 is a very neglected portion of the Scripture, even though many Christians can say something meaningful about Elijah. Still, both sermon and study failed to satisfy. Why?

Both lacked almost all historical context and content. Both failed to place Elijah within his historical setting and explain the significance of the times and events that shaped his life and ministry. The results were unfortunate. First, this very important prophet was reduced to an object lesson devoid of almost all meaning within the redemptive history of God. Second, the application, which both the preacher and teacher were eager to prioritize, was shallow. Why does this happen so often?

Most basically, in the words of Brent A. Strawn, The Old Testament is Dying (2017). We no longer “speak the language” since the Old Testament is rarely preached and even more rarely read. As a result, we no longer appreciate its basic plot line. And without that, it is increasingly difficult to place Jesus within his historical context and explain why it was necessary for him to become incarnate as he did. It seems as if we have reached a point where the historical development of the redemptive plan of God no longer matters as we have become increasingly existential and experiential. Our demand is for something “relevant”: something that is immediately applicable to our own historical moment. As this happens, the record of the progress of God’s saving work is increasingly lost to us as a framework by which we might interpret human history, past, present, and future.

Not that God’s Word will ever pass away. But our working knowledge of it can.

So what can be done to reverse this trend? Here it is. We will be well-served by a consistent reading plan covering the entire Bible. There is simply no substitute for our own direct engagement with the written Word of God. One Sunday sermon per week will not sustain us over the course of our lifetime: it simply cannot cover the required ground. Neither will podcasts: what we are exposed to online is always second-hand, may be theologically incorrect, and almost certainly impossible to interact with. But when we read the Scriptures under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, good things happen. It will take time, but investing our time in this manner allows us to steward it to the glory of God.

READING THE OLD TESTAMENT

September 25, 2026

There are many examples recorded on the pages of the Old Testament relating to the reading, whether public or private, of God’s Word. The earliest of these occurs at Sinai when the Mosaic covenant is “cut” at God’s initiative but with the recognition, affirmation, and pledge of Israel in response (Exodus 24:3-8). Notice, Moses’ declaration is verbal but quickly written following the initial pledge made by the people (Exodus 24:3). As a result, the words of God as spoken through Moses become a written, public record that may subsequently be read and reread by all interested parties in the future. It is this brief document that Moses will read to Israel when the covenant is formalized (Exodus 24:7). This is so important because these Scriptures provide the terms of the covenant by which Israel is to live. These terms are added to and explained in all other Scripture recorded in the Old Testament era. Israel is to know and practice all God tells them in order to live faithfully before him. Importantly, God’s Word written carries the same authority as the divine voice itself when God spoke directly to Moses.

You have probably noticed that careful reading takes time. For example, when Ezra publicly read the law of Moses at the completion of much of the rebuilding of Jerusalem following the return from the Babylonian captivity, he read from “early morning until midday,” with the help of instruction when it became necessary (Nehemiah 8:1-8). In the Old Testament, the law is an elastic concept. It may refer to the book of the covenant (Exodus 19-24) or the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy) since the law constituted the first division of the TANAKH. The TANAKH is the name given to the Hebrew Bible, which for us is the Old Testament. Israel would never have thought of it in this way: the TANAKH stood for the law (TA = Torah), the prophets (NA = Nevi’im), and the writings (KH = Ketuvim). These constituted the sacred Scriptures. The point here is, whatever portion of the law Ezra read took several hours to accomplish. We should expect the same, especially since the Old Testament is not the primary document of the New Testament church. It remains, however, a foundational document of the New Testament church since it describes in God’s own words the working out of redemption history in the hand of God, from creation to fall to redemption as made possible through a coming Messiah, revealed in the New Testament to be none other than Jesus Christ.

But back to Ezra. The Bible tells us that he read from the Torah from sunrise until noon, a period of about five and one-half hours. He did this everyday for the duration of the Festival of Tabernacles, or Booths, which lasted for seven days, followed by a closing ceremony of the eighth day. That is a lot of reading. But it is through the hearing of the Word of God that faith is created and healthy growth occurs. For Ezra’s congregation, this is the beginning of the renewal of a congregation that was at risk of being absorbed into its surrounding culture. Their preservation is the payoff.

So do not let the TANAKH slip from your grasp. In reading the Old Testament, you are making an investment in yourself. You will find that by consistent reading over time your understanding of the wonderful works of God will increase, your confidence in what you have been taught will grow, your faith will increase, and your life will be characterized by a distinctiveness that marks the people of God.