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Reformation Day

Today marks 500 years since Martin Luther ignited the Protestant Reformation by nailing his 95 theses against the sale of indulgences to the door of the church in Wittenberg. It was not his intention to start a convulsive movement; rather, he was hoping to foster a scholarly discussion on the topic he addressed in his 95 theses. However, thanks to the recent invention of the printing press the theses spread like wildfire throughout Europe. As well because printing became relatively inexpensive and easy, Bibles translated into the common languages of Europe flooded the continent. People could read the Bible in their own languages and preachers could preach the Word of God.

The Reformation was built on the idea that salvation came through faith alone in Jesus Christ as proclaimed in scriptures and not at all through human endeavour. Luther had not expected the impact his actions would make. He described it like falling down the shaft of a tower and reaching out to grab hold of the bell rope to break his fall. That rope for him was the good news that we are saved by Christ alone, and it rang a gospel bell that woke up all of Germany and Europe.

Martin Luther, October 31st, 1517

On this Reformation Day we do well to be reminded of the “five solas” of the Reformation:

1. salvation is by Christ alone,
2. by faith alone,
3. by grace alone,
4. through scripture alone,
5. so that all glory be to God alone.

Thanks be to God and all praise to him alone that there are yet countless churches and pulpits where the true gospel is still proclaimed. At the same time we know that there are many places in the world, and even in our own countries, where the preaching is overshadowed by false doctrines and the candlestick is being removed.

Let us on his Reformation Day, and always, remember the five solas.

Relevant & Rich: 1517-2017 Seventh Annual CRTS Conference

(This article appeared in Clarion, vol. 6, no. 5, March 10, 2017.)

On January 12^th-14^th our seminary (CRTS) hosted its seventh annual conference. Fittingly, the topic for this quincentenary (500^th) anniversary was the Great Reformation. On October 31^st of this year we will commemorate how the Lord, 500 years ago, began to bring his church out of a long Babylonian captivity. The conference did not disappoint.

In this little article I will not give a summary of the speeches since the interested person can watch video recordings of them on the seminary web page at www.canadianreformedseminary.ca. Rather, I will give some broad and general information about the conference, my impressions as a participant, and some further reflections.

The two-day conference had a modest international flavour. Not only did some of the 150 participants come from five Canadian provinces—BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, and Ontario—but there was also representation from a smattering of other countries—Australia, Brazil, and New York state. Catching up with old friends and making new ones is always a great side benefit of such a conference. It was well run: the online registration and payment were easy to navigate and the time allowances for the speeches and workshops were well managed—perhaps to the chagrin of some presenters. Almost everything was right on time. The catering was top notch and the singing, led by gifted organists and pianist, was transcendent.

The speeches themselves were interesting and informative. The conference did not focus only on Martin Luther and John Calvin but, in addition to these better known men, we also got to hear about Ulrich Zwingli and Guillaume Farel.

Two of the speeches were open to the public and at both times the large Ebenezer Church auditorium was comfortably filled. Ebenezer Church seems to have become the “home”of the annual CRTS conference, and we appreciate its comfort and roominess. In addition to the more important things we learned in the first speech was a new “why did the chicken cross the road?” joke, but to hear it you will need to listen to Dr. Van Raalte's speech.

All the speeches and workshops in one way or another addressed the theme of how the Great Reformation is still relevant for us and of how we are the richer because of it.

We have been made the richer by it because it turned us back to the five solas (“alones”) of our salvation: By scripture alone, by grace alone, by faith alone, by Christ alone, and all glory to God alone. These are five foundational biblical principles central to the doctrine of salvation. Each sola represents a fundamental teaching of the Bible undermined by the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). The RCC, and especially its head, the Pope, had usurped the throne of Christ in both the church and the world. The Pope plagued the church and society with corruption and abuse. The Pope and the ecclesiastical hierarchy had led the church away from the essential and original teaching of Christ, the prophets, and the apostles, especially with regards to how people can be forgiven of their sins by the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of how they can receive eternal life with God. The Reformation re-oriented Christianity back on the original message of the Old and New Testaments.

We are rich because of the Reformation, and the conference stopped and explored each of the five solas.

The Reformation is relevant to us, for several reasons.

First, we always need to be reminded that salvation is by Christ alone, by faith alone, by grace alone, through scripture alone, and that we, as forgiven people, need to live to the glory of God alone. Thanks be to God and all praise to him alone that there are yet countless churches and pulpits where the true gospel is still proclaimed. At the same time we know that there are many places in the world, and even in our own countries, where the preaching is being overshadowed by false doctrines and the candlestick is, in my judgment, being removed. We need to remember the five solas.

Second, the cults are as active as they have always been. The cults teach a false view of our Lord Jesus Christ, usually denying his deity. They teach that salvation is by faith plus human effort, and so deny the biblical preaching of faith alone and grace alone. The cults add their own human documents to scripture. The cults deny God the glory that only he merits. The cults deny each of the five solas, and so the Reformation and the true preaching it revived is as relevant as ever.

Third, the Reformation is relevant because there are those who leave the Reformed faith and embrace the Roman Catholic. There are websites where one can read the writings of former Reformed pastors, seminarians, elders, and church members, who turned away from the Reformed faith and embraced Catholicism. For this reason, too, the Reformation and knowledge of its message are relevant.

Also during the first evening “Celebrate 1517 in 2017” was unveiled. This is a joint initiative of CRTS and the Teachers College (CCRTC), a project meant to help us celebrate throughout the year the faithfulness of God in granting reformation. This initiative has made its own splash in this magazine, so nothing more needs to be said about it here.

We thank everyone who contributed to the CRTS conference. We look forward to celebrating throughout the year of our Lord 2017 the great thing that God did 500 years ago. We are the beneficiaries of the labours and faithfulness of countless who went before us. Let us with them, and together with the church of all ages, say, Soli Deo Gloria!

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The evening public lectures:

• Dr. Ted Van Raalte, professor of Ecclesiology at CRTS, “By Grace Alone: How and Why the Reformation Occurred.”
• Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn, OPC minister and professor of Historical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Washington, DC, “Luther on Solo Christo: The absolute sufficiency of the Saviour for sinners.”

Day time speeches:

• Rev. Bill Boekestein, pastor of Immanuel Fellowship Church (URCNA), Kalamazoo, Mich, “Zwingli on Sola Scriptura: The clarity and certainty of Scripture.”
• Dr. Jason Van Vliet, professor of Dogmatics at CRTS, “Calvin on Sola Fide: Justified only by an assured faith?”
• Dr. Jason Zuidema, elder in the ERQ in Repentigny, PQ, and executive director of the North American Maritime Ministry Association, “Stealing God's Glory: Farel, Calvin, and the Importance of Scriptural Perspective.”

Panel discussion:

• Brs. Boekestein, Van Dixhoorn, Zuidema, and Van Vliet addressed the question: “Navigating Change in the Church in a Bold but Balanced Way: What Can the Reformers Teach us?”

Breakout sessions:

Speakers:

• Mr. Martin Jongsma, music teacher and member of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
• Rev. Bram de Graaf, missionary working in Maceio, Brazil sent out by Cornerstone Church in Hamilton.
• Dr. Ted Van Raalte.
• Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn.

Topics:

• How the Reformation Helps us in Worship and Psalm Singing.
• How the Reformation Helps us in Prayer and Spiritual Life.
• How the Reformation Helps us in Church Planting and Mission.
• How the Reformation Helps us in Politics, Church, and State

Decet Romanum Pontificem

On this date, January 3, A.D. 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther and his followers. Leo published Decet Romanum Pontificem ("It befits the Roman Pontiff"). By it Leo effected the excommunication threatened in his earlier document of the previous year, Exsurge Domine ("Arise O Lord!") in which Leo called upon the Lord, St. Peter, St. Paul, and all the church to rise up against the "wild boar" of Psalm 80:13 said to be trampling upon "the vine" mentioned in the same Psalm, v. 8. Leo promulgated Exsurge Domine as a response to Martin's publication of his 95 theses on the power of indulgences, on October 31st, 1517.

This year we commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Great Reformation of the church. Next week CRTS will commemorate this work of the Lord and we will celebrate it many times, especially as we approach October 31st. But it is good already to remember the Reformation today, the anniversary of our excommunication from the false church.

The Reformed faith, still relevant?

In a word, yes. See here where among other things you can read this:



The Church's Treasury of Grace

The Catholic Church is able to grant indulgences because she draws on the infinite merits of Christ, Mary, and all the saints. Blessed Mary of Quito, a Spanish nun, saw in a vision a vast treasure, which, God explained to her, symbolized the graces and merits of Jesus (the treasure of the Church!) from which indulgences are taken. These graces and merits can be obtained by anyone who fulfills the conditions, usually quite easy, for receiving an indulgence. People who don't bother to take advantage of indulgences are like travellers passing through a field full of precious jewels, who don't even take the trouble to bend over and fill their pockets, even though they know they will need these treasures when they reach their destination.

The Church was given the authority to grant indulgences by Jesus, when He gave St. Peter the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19) In modern-day language, Jesus might have said, "I am giving you the P.I.N. to my heavenly bank account."

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the Church granted indulgences for giving alms to help build the beautiful cathedrals which were being erected at the time. This unfortunately led to the wrong idea that the Church was selling the indulgences to make money. As a result, the Protestant reformers of the time completely rejected the doctrine of indulgences as an abuse of the Church's power. They were mistaken; even though some abuses did occur, the Church's power to grant indulgences comes from God. However, they were right in that you can't simply buy indulgences like "quick-fix" medicines for your soul! You have to have the proper spirit of sorrow for sin to benefit from the indulgence.
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I often find myself thinking, the RCC doesn't really teach what we think it teaches, does it? And then I check and discover, hmmm....., actually it does.