MARTIN LUTHER & THE 95 THESES THAT TRANSFORMED CHRISTIANITY (PART IV)

“Five Hundred and Nine Years Later, the Problem Remains”

By Akin Ojumu

In Part III of this commentary, we examined the final thirty-three of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, particularly the questions that exposed the theological inconsistencies, financial exploitation, and moral contradictions underlying the sale of indulgences.

Luther insisted that religious authority must be subjected to theological scrutiny and that uncomfortable questions must be answered with sound arguments rather than suppressed through intimidation.

That was October 31, 1517.

Here we are, 509 years later, and the fundamental problem has not disappeared.

The names have changed. The religious institutions have changed. The theological vocabulary has changed. The merchandise has changed.

But the temptation to elevate religious personalities above theological scrutiny remains alive and well.

THE MODERN MERCHANTS OF SUPERNATURAL POWER

In some contemporary Christian circles, the sale of indulgence certificates has been replaced by the commercialization of anointing, prophetic impartation, miracle products, special offerings, and supposed supernatural privileges.

One preacher claims he can transfer spiritual fire and power.

Another says he possesses the authority to release divine blessings.

Yet another presents himself as a custodian of supernatural resources, distributing grace, virtue, anointing, and spiritual gifts according to his own discretion.

Others promise prosperity, healing, deliverance, and divine intervention through financial transactions dressed up in Christian language.

And whenever these claims are challenged, the response is often predictable.

“Touch not God’s anointed!”

“You are attacking a man of God!”

“You don’t understand spiritual things!”

“Be careful what you say about God’s servant!”

“Who are you to question a prophet?”

The implication is unmistakable.

The religious personality is beyond scrutiny, and questioning his claims is tantamount to questioning God Himself.

What theological absurdity!

Where does Scripture teach that a preacher’s supposed spiritual status exempts his teachings from examination?

Where does the Bible command believers to suspend their critical faculties whenever someone claims to speak for God?

And on what biblical basis should a pastor, prophet, apostle, bishop, or general overseer be granted an immunity from scrutiny that even the biblical Apostles did not demand?

THE BEREANS DID NOT SURRENDER THEIR MINDS

Consider the Bereans.

Acts 17:11

“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

Notice what Luke commends.

The Bereans did not simply accept Paul’s preaching because he was an Apostle. They examined the Scriptures to determine whether his message was true.

And rather than condemning them for questioning apostolic teaching, Scripture commends them for their diligence.

If the Apostle Paul’s message was subjected to the examination of Scripture, what possible justification can a contemporary preacher offer for placing his pronouncements beyond examination?

Absolutely none.

Not his title. Not his reputation. Not the size of his congregation. Not his supposed miracles. Not his prophetic experiences. Not his claimed encounters with Jesus. And certainly not his alleged ability to impart supernatural power.

The biblical standard remains unchanged.

1 Thessalonians 5:21

“But test everything; hold fast what is good.”

1 John 4:1

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

The Christian is commanded to exercise discernment. The Christian is commanded to test spiritual claims. The Christian is commanded to distinguish truth from error.

And the ultimate standard for testing doctrine is not the subjective experience of a preacher but the objective revelation of God in Scripture.

RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY DOES NOT DETERMINE TRUTH

There is a fundamental distinction between the authority of God’s Word and the authority claimed by human beings.

The former is divine. The latter is always subordinate and accountable.

No church leader possesses the authority to invent doctrines. No religious institution has the right to impose teachings that contradict Scripture. No supposed spiritual experience can establish a doctrine that God’s Word does not teach. And no theological claim becomes true simply because it is proclaimed from a pulpit by someone with an impressive ecclesiastical title.

The Apostle Paul issued a warning that ought to settle this matter.

Galatians 1:8

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

Think about the implications.

Paul included himself in that warning. He even included a hypothetical angel from heaven.

Neither apostolic office nor supernatural appearance could legitimize a false gospel. 

How much less, then, should the supposed spiritual experiences of contemporary religious personalities be treated as unquestionable sources of divine truth?

A preacher who claims that Jesus appeared to him and taught him something contrary to Scripture has not acquired superior revelation. He has presented a claim that must be rejected.

A pastor who invents an elaborate doctrine of spiritual impartation cannot establish that doctrine by recounting an extraordinary supernatural experience.

A prophet who claims that God has given him authority over the destinies of human beings cannot make that claim true merely by insisting that it was revealed to him.

And a religious institution that cannot defend its teachings from Scripture has no legitimate basis for silencing those who demand biblical evidence.

The truth of a doctrine is not determined by the authority of the person proclaiming it. The legitimacy of the person’s teaching is determined by its conformity to the truth of God’s Word.

That is the proper order. Anything else is spiritual authoritarianism masquerading as Christianity.

THE REFORMATION QUESTION WE MUST KEEP ASKING

Martin Luther was not a perfect man. His theology developed over time, and not everything he wrote or believed should be accepted uncritically.

Indeed, the very principle of biblical scrutiny that emerged so prominently from the Reformation must also be applied to Luther himself.

The Christian’s allegiance is not to Martin Luther. It is not to John Calvin. It is not to any council, creed, confession, denomination, or ecclesiastical institution as an infallible authority.

Our ultimate allegiance is to the Lord Jesus Christ, whose truth is revealed in the Holy Scriptures.

And that brings us back to October 31, 1517.

An Augustinian monk issued ninety-five propositions. He raised uncomfortable questions. He challenged religious practices that had become deeply embedded in the life of the Church. He called for theological debate.

And the controversy that followed changed the course of Christian history.

Five hundred and nine years later, the lesson remains as relevant as ever.

The Church must never place itself beyond correction. Religious leaders must never be treated as infallible. Spiritual experiences must never be elevated above Scripture. And Christians must never surrender their God-given responsibility to test everything against the written Word of God.

The Church does not own the truth. The Church is obligated to proclaim, defend, and submit to the truth.

And that truth is not determined by religious celebrities, institutional influence, claims of supernatural power, or ecclesiastical hierarchies.

It is determined by the Word of God.

The question is not whether the religious establishment approves of our questions. The question is whether the religious establishment can answer those questions from Scripture.

And when it cannot, intimidation is no substitute for biblical truth.

Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda est secundum Verbum Dei.

The Church must continually be reformed according to the Word of God.