Lord’s Day, Vol. 5 No. 39
500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation – Meaning and Significance
On 28th October 2017, a special commemoration service for the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation will be held at the rented premises of The Salvation Army’s Worship Centre at 500, Upper Bukit Timah Road from 4pm – 6pm, followed by fellowship dinner at the Fellowship Hall.
We are thankful to the Lord that Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Khoo, Pastor of True-Life Bible-Presbyterian Church and Principal of the Far Eastern Bible College will be our guest speaker. He will share with us the “Meaning and Significance” of the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in two messages.
We invite you to come and support this milestone event in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ on earth.
Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
The 16th century Protestant Reformation was a movement raised by God to bring the deviant Medieval church back to the “old paths, where is the good way”. It was a movement back to the Bible. A movement back to the old faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3).
It was an awakening for the church to purpose in her heart that the Bible alone is the believers’ final authority for rule of faith and practice. The Bible alone is sufficient to govern the life of believers and the church. Until then, the church had forbid the lay people to read and study the Scripture on their own. Through the Reformation, the Scripture was translated to the vernacular language that people could understand.
In 1522, Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German. In 1525, William Tyndale translated it into English for England. The man in the street, the ordinary ploughman, could now read and understand the Holy Scripture in his own language for the first time.
The Word of God, the foundation and basis of the Christian faith was now freely given to sinners and saints. It was a great moment in church history when the shackles of darkness were dispelled, the Light of Scripture shone through to illuminate the hearts of countless multitudes in Europe.
It was through the Reformation that the church, with the Bible in their hands, learned the right way of salvation. Salvation is by Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone, Sola Christus-Christ alone, Sola fide – Faith alone, Sola gratia – Grace alone, Soli Deo Gloria – Glory to God alone.
It was through the Reformation that the preaching of God’s Word was revived, the old paths restored, the good way pointed out clearly and the people found rest in their souls. The singing of hymns became the means of congregation praise and worship. It was at that time that the German Reformer Martin Luther composed hymns and sang them in church. One such hymn is “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”. The spirit of the Reformation was well articulated in that hymn.
The cause for the Reformation burned in the hearts of men and women who were raised of God to earnestly contend for the faith. Many were burned at the stake, standing up for the faith. It was a holy courage that the Spirit of God laid upon these Reformers, as Martin Luther expressed it so well – “the body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever,”
It was through the Reformation that the protestant covenant home was established.
Until then, the priests were sworn to life-time celibacy. None were allowed to marry. Reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox and Zwingli, based on Scriptural principle, were married and set up Christian homes, reforming home life and marital relationships. They started family worship, catechism of the children, family prayers and domestic life.
The Reformation impacted the realm of secular life and work. It gives dignity to the believer in that there is no dichotomy between the secular work of the world and that of the church, giving honour to honest hard work that was to be called the Work Ethic of the Protestant. In all that we do, we do it to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). It was the spirit of excellence, discipline and diligence, of doing all things unto the Lord that gave rise to increased productivity and was a prelude to the Industrial Revolution to come.
The 16th century Reformation impacted not only life in the church but also the families, societies and nations as a result of the adherence to the Word of God. There is a need for a continuing Reformation today for indeed the church today has lapsed into a lukewarm state as a result material affluence. The protestant church today has indeed the form of the Reformation, but where is the power? If we have said in our hearts, and choose that “we will not walk therein,” in the old paths, the good way, it is no wonder that the church lacks power, abdicating her role as the pillar of truth (1 Tim. 3:15), the salt and light of the world (Matt. 5:13-16). May we not fail the Lord in our generation!
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee