Reformation Day? 

Yes today (31st October) is Reformation Day and if you’ve never heard of it, it’s the 490th anniversary of the day Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses (or ideas) to the Church door in Wittenberg. It has come to be remembered as the symbolic start of the Protestant Reformation which changed the world. Luther was unhappy as he believed that the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church had departed from what the Bible taught and wanted to reform the Church. He protested about the unbiblical changes that he thought had taken place and wanted the Church to return to the biblical gospel.

1. What needed Reforming? 

So what was the Reformation about? Well lots of things, but at its heart there was a desire by the Reformers to return to the biblical gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ: that we’re saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, uniquely revealed in the Bible alone, and all of this to the glory of God alone. These have come to be known as the Five Solas (or alones). Today I’m going to pick two, Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) and Sola Fide (faith alone). Why these two? These are the so called formal and material causes of the Reformation.

A. Sola Scripura (Scripture Alone)

Known as the formal cause, (deriving from Aristotles’ categories of cause), of the Reformation, so called because it provided the form or blueprint of how things needed to be changed. The Reformers asserted that Scripture alone binds our consciences; it alone is the supreme authority for matters of faith and behaviour. The Bible alone is God’s inspired, sufficient, inerrant and infallible Word. They argued that the Bible is the only ultimate authority for Christians, not human reason, Church traditions, the Pope or anything else. Here’s a few things the Bible has to say about that: Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Psalm 119.

Further Reading: J.I. Packer, Authority, God governs His people through Scripture

B. Sola Fide (Faith Alone)

Known as the material cause, (also deriving from Aristotles’ categories of cause), of the Reformation, so called because it provided the (big) matter, the main material of what needed changing. More fully, the Reformers confessed we are justified (by grace alone) through faith alone. That is to say we are declared by God to be in a right relationship with Him through trusting in Christ alone, by relying on His death and resurrection. Christ took the punishment that the faithful deserve when He died on the cross. The Reformers boldly contended that we are accounted righteous in God’s sight, viewed by Him “just-as-if-I’d been Jesus,” only because Christ’s righteousness has been credited (or “imputed”) to us. Faith, they said echoing the Bible, is the only means by which we are saved; we are not saved through anything we have done, or by earning salvation. Here’s just some of what the Bible has to say about that: Romans 3:21-5:21; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:15-16; 1 Peter 3:18.

Further Reading: J.I. Packer, Justification, Salvation is by grace through faith

2. Did these things shape the Church of England?

These glorious and life changing truths sit at the heart of the gospel. They spread quickly around Europe and eventually came to England. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer wrote them into what later became the Thirty-Nine Articles, still the official confession, or statement of faith, of the Church of England today.

VI. Of the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.
Holy Scriptures containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation…

XI. Of the Justification of Man.
We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore that we are justified by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort…

Taken from the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, (1572)

Did the other Anglican Reformers believe these Biblical truths? Hopefully I’ve shown that they clearly did over the last few days as I’ve been highlighting some quotes from them on these two topics in the run up to this post. Firstly on the ultimate authority of the Bible: Sandys, Jewel, Pilkington and Latimer. Secondly on justification by faith alone: Latimer, Jewel, Ridley and Sandys. Just in case you missed them here are a couple more: Bradford (Reformer and martyr) on the Bible and Becon (Cranmer’s Chaplain) on justification.

Other word of God have we none than in the canon of the Bible; and all things written therein are written for our learning, (saith St. Paul) whereby he proveth, seeing that it is a learning, yea our learning, that we must learn it. Therefore, woe be to all them which either persuade men that there is other doctrine of like authority, or that dissuade men from embracing this word, this word of God. 

John Bradford, M.A. quoted in Thomas R. Jones, An exposition of the Thirty Nine Articles, by The Reformers, (Hamilton, Adams and Co, 1849), p.48

By faith are we justified … Thus have I declared unto you that the only means to obtain remission of your sins, and to be made heirs of eternal glory, is unfeignedly to repent and faith fully to believe, that through this repentance and faith, God will undoubtedly, for Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all our sins, receive us again into favour, and make us heirs of his eternal glory.

Thomas Becon, D.D. quoted in Thomas R. Jones, An exposition of the Thirty Nine Articles, by The Reformers, (Hamilton, Adams and Co, 1849), p.75

I’ve not highlighed these and the other quotes, not because I think these men were perfect or had an authority equal to the Bible, but because they demonstrate that the Anglican Reformers believed in these two key Biblical Reformation principles, and that the reformed Church of England was built on that foundation.

3. Should and do these things still shape the Church of England today?

Firstly should they still shape the Church of England? Why should these events that took place over 500 years ago be important today? I’m not suggesting we look back at the time of the Reformation with rose tinted glasses as being a perfect time - far from it! I’m not saying these things are right just because they are old. Nevertheless, I hope you don’t dismiss them because they are old. Indeed these truths that the Reformers were seeking to express were a lot older than that - they wanted to explain the Bible - the Word of God, and that never changes. The truth it contains will always be relevant and life changing. So that is the question - are these things biblical? I hope you can see from the suggested passages, and please do check (as always be discerning!), they are.

Secondly do they still shape the Church of England? Well, how do things stand today in the Church of England and Anglican Communion worldwide? Many throughout the world still boldly contend for the faith once delivered, nevertheless it is sad to see parts of the the Church of England in the West breaking loose from these gospel moorings - both in terms of the authority of the Bible and the nature of justification. The Church of England needs hold fast to God’s Word and God’s gospel for God’s glory! Or as John Piper might say, the Church of England should aim ”…to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.”

Part of the Second Annual Reformation Day Symposium hosted by Tim Challies. Please do be biblically discerning about everything you read here and there (and everywhere!).

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