In Rembering Martin Luther's Brave Action on Reformation Day

95 Theses: Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences Luther's 95 Theses have surely made their impact on Christianity as many believe this particular document to be the spark that gave birth to the Protestant Reformation. The theses are specifically the result of the controversy over the meaning and sale of indulgences. The controversy came to a head in the year 1517 with the arrival of John Tetzel. Tetzel was a Dominican monk from St. Paul's Convent in Leipzig. On January 22, he was sworn in as the general subcommisary for the sale of indulgences in the church province of Magdeburg. There were other indulgence preachers but Tetzel was the better known to Luther, undoubtedly because of the proximity of Tetzel's peddling activities which centered in Jeuterbock and Zerbst, only 20 miles from Wittenberg. Luther was criticizing the practice of indulgences as a means of cheapening grace. In the Lectures on Romans during the summer of 1516, Luther characterizes the practice as a devious way of misleading people into sin and corruption. Where money's involved, corruption is near at hand--also in the church. Luther's core complaint: "Christians are taught to rely on salvation by letters of indulgence [in place of] the grace of God and the compassion shown in the cross." Luther simply wanted to debate the practice of granting indulgences (allowing people to pay money to receive forgiveness for their sins instead of doing penance. This reminds me of the Word of Faith's doctrines. Prosperity evangelism surely can't pass this test, no matter how often and how badly they mangle Christ's words about "having life abundantly." There is zero-correlation between what Christ was talking about and "having all the stuff you've wanted" in Word of Faith's term: "Claim it". This also reminds me of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s (German Lutheran Theologian) concept of "costly grace" has appealed to many who think it is the answer to the apathy and worldliness of contemporary (1930's) Christians. From reading Dietrich's book, "The Cost of Discipleship" which first published in English in 1949. He wrote: 'costly grace' as opposed to 'cheap grace,' which he described as 'Grace without price; grace without cost,' or "grace without discipleship.' To Bonhoeffer, costly grace is inseparable from discipleship. I was thinking. Luther wanted to Reform but people viewed his action as schism. So, it depends how people view Luther's historical action. Some say: Reform, while others say Schism.

Divisions and separations are most objectionable in religion. They weaken the cause of true Christianity ...But before we blame people for them, we must be careful that we lay the blame where it is deserved. False doctrine and heresy are even worse than schism. If people separate themselves from teaching that is positively false and unscriptural, they ought to be praised rather than reproved. In such cases separation is a virtue and not a sin. J.C. RYLE