Reformation Day: Reforming More Than Doctrine

Reformation Day is right around the corner. It falls on October 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows’ Eve—Halloween. Tradition holds that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church on October 31, 1517, knowing people would gather there for the approaching holiday.

But Luther’s actions were not really the beginning of the Reformation. Its seeds had been planted centuries earlier. John Wycliffe, Jan Hus, Peter Waldo, and others challenged church teachings and practices they believed departed from Scripture. Movements such as the Anabaptists in Europe were among Luther’s strongest supporters in the early years of the Reformation. And contemporaries of Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, William Tyndale, and, a little later, John Calvin, helped fan reformation flames and solidify its impact. 

I love history and enjoy studying the inner workings of this complicated movement. But I’m also disappointed in some of the Reformers themselves. Luther wrote terrible things about Jews, particularly later in his life. Calvin supported the execution of Michael Servetus, who was condemned not for anything he did, but for what he taught. Despite their profound contributions to Christian theology, reformers also supported religious persecution. 

I know the times were different. Medieval Europe was often bloody, and religious dissent could carry severe consequences. But shouldn’t leaders in the cause of Christ have led the way in rejecting such practices? Instead, some of the Reformers reflected the cruelty of their culture rather than the character of Christ.

Perhaps there’s an important lesson here for us. We should be grateful for the Reformation’s recovery of essential biblical truths, including Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), and Sola Fide (faith alone). These convictions remain central to and undergird what we teach here at The Bridge. 

But when the history of our time is written, I don’t want an asterisk beside our church’s name because our actions contradicted our beliefs. I think of Luther’s antisemitism and Calvin’s religious persecution, and I’m reminded that even people who recover important biblical truths can fail to live consistently by them. 

It’s not enough to know the truth; we must practice it.

We must live as Jesus taught us to, even when doing so means going against our culture. That includes loving those who disagree with us—yes, those who oppose us. Our attitudes and actions must be shaped by Jesus, not simply copied from the world around us. 

May we faithfully carry forward the Reformation we’ve inherited, allowing God’s Word to reform not only what we believe, but also how we live. May our doctrine and our conduct work together to draw others to Christ.