The 500^th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation

The year 2017 marks 500 years since Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses onto the church door of Wittenberg, Germany that launched the Protestant Reformation. Luther, a priest, an outstanding scholar and theology professor, began a thoroughgoing reform of the medieval church. The Reformation transformed millions of people’s understanding of their relationship with God. Join us for this lecture describing how the anniversary is being commemorated and how its legacy is understood by scholars and theologians.

Luther was heralding the biblical truths of the supreme authority of Scripture, salvation by grace alone, salvation by faith alone, salvation through Christ alone, and living life for the glory of God alone. These emphases are seen in the slogans of the Reformation often called the “five solas”: sola Scriptura (the Bible is the final authority in faith in life), sola fide (we are justified by faith alone, not by faith and works), sola gratia (we are saved by God’s grace to us, and His grace alone, and not because of anything we have done), solus Christus (we are saved through the person and work of Christ alone, not Christ plus the sacraments or Christ plus good works), and soli Deo gloria (all things are to be done to God’s glory).