Church History · 1517

Martin Luther Posts the 95 Theses

On October 31, 1517, a monk and Bible professor named Martin Luther sent out 95 Theses challenging the sale of indulgences. Printed copies spread across Germany in weeks, and the Protestant Reformation was born.

Read it in the Bible: Romans 1:16-17 Romans 3:21-28 Matthew 4:17 Galatians 2:16 Ephesians 2:8-9

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a monk and Bible professor in Wittenberg, Germany, sent his 95 Theses to Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz. Tradition says he also nailed them to the door of the Castle Church. The theses challenged the sale of indulgences and called Christians back to real repentance. Thanks to the new printing press, they spread across Germany in a few weeks. That day is remembered as the start of the Protestant Reformation, and Protestants still celebrate it as Reformation Day.

Who Was Martin Luther?

Luther was born on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany. His father wanted him to be a lawyer. Then in 1505 he was caught in a terrible thunderstorm, a bolt of lightning knocked him down, and he cried out to Saint Anne that he would become a monk if he lived. He kept his word, which shows you he was a man who meant what he said, even when he said it in a panic.

He joined the Augustinian monks in Erfurt and tried harder than anyone to please God. He fasted, prayed and went to confession for hours. But he never felt clean. His wise mentor, Johann von Staupitz, pointed him to Christ and put him to work teaching the Bible at the new University of Wittenberg. Luther became a doctor of theology in 1512.

What Did Luther Discover in Romans?

While teaching the Psalms, Romans and Galatians, Luther wrestled with one verse more than any other.

For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17

He had always heard the righteousness of God as the standard God would judge him by. Slowly he came to see it as a gift God gives freely to those who trust Christ. Later he said it felt as if he had been born again and walked through open doors into paradise. Historians debate exactly when this breakthrough came, whether before or after 1517, but it became the heart of everything he taught.

What Did the 95 Theses Say?

The theses were written in Latin, the language of scholars, as points for a public debate. Their official title was a disputation on the power and efficacy of indulgences. Luther was not yet attacking the pope or the Catholic Church as a whole. He was attacking the way indulgences were being preached by men like Johann Tetzel.

The very first thesis says that when Jesus said repent, He meant the whole life of believers to be one of repentance. Luther was thinking of verses like this one.

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 4:17

Other theses taught that a true Christian shares in all the blessings of Christ without buying a letter, and that giving to the poor is better than buying an indulgence. Thesis 86 had some bite. It asked why the pope, who was richer than anyone, did not build Saint Peter's with his own money instead of the money of poor believers.

Did Luther Really Nail Them to the Church Door?

We know for certain that he mailed them to Archbishop Albrecht on October 31, because the letter survives. The story of the hammer and the door comes from Philip Melanchthon, Luther's friend, who wrote about it after Luther died. In 1961 a Catholic historian questioned whether it happened. Later, a note by Luther's secretary Georg Rörer was found that says the theses were posted on church doors in Wittenberg. Many historians now think the posting probably happened, perhaps with paste or wax instead of a dramatic hammer. Church doors worked like a community bulletin board, so it would not have been strange.

How Did the Reformation Spread So Fast?

Friends translated the theses into German and printers rushed them out. Within weeks they were all over Germany, and within months much of Europe. Luther soon wrote short, punchy booklets in plain German, and he became the best selling author of his age. The printing press was to the Reformation what the internet is to us.

Over the next few years the fight grew. Luther debated Johann Eck at Leipzig in 1519. In 1520 Pope Leo X threatened to excommunicate him, and Luther burned the papal letter in public. Over time he worked out the great themes later summed up as the solas: Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone and Christ alone.

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Romans 3:28

Was Luther a Saint or a Sinner?

Luther would say both, and he would laugh while he said it. He was brave, funny, hardworking and deeply in love with the gospel. He married a former nun, Katharina von Bora, and their home was full of children, students and loud dinner talk. He wrote the hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.

He also had a hot temper and a harsh pen. Late in life he wrote terrible things about the Jewish people. Lutheran churches today have openly rejected those writings, and they should. Being honest about his failures does not cancel his message. It proves it. Luther needed grace as much as anyone.

It is worth saying, too, that in 1999 Lutheran and Catholic leaders signed a joint statement on justification, agreeing on much more than either side expected. The conversation Luther started is still going on, and it has become kinder.

Why It Matters for You Today

Luther's great discovery was not new. It was as old as Paul and as old as Abraham, who believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. You cannot buy God's favor and you cannot earn it. You receive it by trusting Jesus. Luther found that freedom by reading his Bible. You can find it the same way, one page at a time.

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Questions People Ask

When did Martin Luther post the 95 Theses?

Luther sent his 95 Theses to Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz on October 31, 1517. Tradition, going back to his friend Philip Melanchthon, says he also posted them on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg that day.

What were the 95 Theses about?

They were 95 points for an academic debate on indulgences. Luther argued that the Christian life is one of repentance, that indulgences could not buy forgiveness, and that helping the poor was better than buying an indulgence letter.

Did Luther want to leave the Catholic Church?

No. In 1517 Luther wanted to reform the church from within and expected a scholarly debate. The break came over the next few years as the conflict grew, ending in his excommunication in 1521.

Why is October 31 called Reformation Day?

Protestants, especially Lutherans, remember October 31, 1517, as the start of the Reformation because that is the day Luther sent out the 95 Theses. Many churches celebrate it on the last Sunday of October.

Sources

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