Reformation Day and the Baptists

Almost five hundred years ago today, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther wrote to his local Archbishop, protesting the church’s practice of selling indulgences, mainly to poor people, in order to raise funds to build St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. His letter included 95 theses in which he challenged the practice with key questions and points. Among his objections was the notion that the church seemed intent on taking over God’s prerogative in forgiving sins through Christ by advertising that people’s sins can instead be forgiven by giving money to the church. Luther’s arguments quickly spread as they were translated from Latin into German and copied through printing presses. As Luther’s fame spread he continued to publish commentaries and discourses that challenged common church teachings and practices of his days. Within a few years Luther was summoned by the powers that be to appear before a hearing and either renounce his views or take ownership of them and face the consequences. He chose the latter, and with his decision what we now call the Reformation had officially begun. October 31st is now known as Reformation Day, commemorating a key event in the history of God’s people, the church, and as Baptists Reformation Day can be our day too.


The word Protestant has become empty of the meaning it used to have. Luther and most all the others who protested against the church centuries ago had hoped their efforts would help the church see its error and return to its rootedness in Scripture. But that never happened. Some Christians recognized this sooner than did others. As the Bible was translated into people’s native languages and printing presses made copies of Scripture available to all kinds of people who never had access to it before, issues arose in which Christians would find Scripture supporting a variety of beliefs and practices regarding things such as the government of the church, the meaning of the Lord’s Supper, the meaning of baptism, and so on. Some people, but we won’t call them Christians, even re-opened issues that were discussed centuries ago among a majority of Christian leaders such as which books are genuinely God’s Word, whether God is Father, Son, and Spirit, and whether Jesus was fully divine and fully human. As things were settled during the first few centuries of the Reformation both through heated church disputes and even political disputes/wars, the landscape of Christianity in the West eventually stabilized and has looked mostly the same for the past two hundred years.
I grew up in an American tradition that traces its roots back to 1949 in Ft. Worth, Texas. Some people would say the roots of the tradition of my youth really go back to John the Baptist as they follow what they call a “trail of blood” throughout the history of the church in which the church constantly persecuted the “true believers” of Christ. Those who agreed with the “trail of blood” story would look back on the history of the church from the close of the first century onward as mostly bad until their group came along to set everyone straight. They would not use the word “Protestant,” because they felt as if their group and its heritage never protested to reform anything since they were never a part of the official church from the start.
Several years ago I learned that the “trail of blood” was a nice story, but nothing more than that. Historically, Baptists have a rich heritage that goes back to England in the early seventeenth century among people who insisted both on a separation of church and state and on baptizing only people who publicly confess faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Baptists called for a further reforming of Protestant churches, and so on October 31st even Baptists can recognize our place within the story of God’s people. We call others who believe in the same gospel as us brothers and sisters in Christ, even if we differ on certain doctrines and practices that are not essential to the gospel itself. We also recognize that there is much more that ties God’s people together than separates us.
This Reformation Day be thankful that we worship a God who speaks. He has spoken through prophets of old. He has spoken through Christ. He has spoken through his Word. And, yes, he has spoken through his churches too. The first few chapters of the book of Revelation include messages from Christ to individual churches in the first century. I think of them often because they tell me Jesus hears each church. He knows each situation personally. And, even if a church is thoroughly imperfect, he loves them—even the lukewarm ones.
John’s Gospel includes a prayer from Christ to the Father on the night he was betrayed. In that prayer Jesus says, “My prayer is not for them [the disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (17:20-23). Sadly, Reformation Day also reminds us that Christ's church is not unified, but split into a thousand pieces. I know why people say "Happy Reformation Day," but as Stephen Holmes argues, "happy" may not be the right word.
Lord, as your children, may we find unity in you, despite our diversity. Amen!