Thus it is that on 31 October 1517 Dr. Martin Luther, Doctor of Theology at the University of Wittenberg, nailed 95 Theses to the Castle Church door. The nailing of these theses to the door was not unusual. The church doors often served as a public notice board. It also served as a posting site for anyone posting theses for the purpose of debate. Quietly, or so Martin thought, he nailed 95 simple statements to a church door and awaited a debate.
The debate never came. German princes had the theses translated into German and disseminated for the average person to read. These 95 theses became a German "Declaration of Independence from Rome."
And while Luther never sought to form his own church, but merely to clean-up abuses and reform the church he was in, the 95 Theses set off a revival of the Gospel in Christendom. Returned to the people were the Scriptures--in their own language! Preached anew was salvation by grace alone. The blessings of God came to the people by faith, not by works or by buying indulgences or by venerating relics.
Also returned to God's people was their rightful role as holy priests in God's kingdom. This was carried out in hymn singing in the churches, in the mass and Scriptures in the language of the people, in the catechism so that the "head of the household may teach those in his house."
Two hammers, two sets of nails, all driving home the same point. We are justified freely by grace. The righteous are saved by their faith.
And while Hallowe'en might still be spooky with assorted ghosts and goblins, thanks to Martin Luther and God's grace we can celebrate the joyous rediscovery of the true, precious Gospel on October 31, 1517.
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