After a thousand years of unrestricted exercise of power by the church, there was a spiritual renewal and return to the Bible. Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, Jean Calvin, Schwenkfeld, Erasmus, Thomas Müntzer, Melchior Hoffman, and others who protested against the pope and the church helped facilitate the breakthrough of the Reformation. The nailing of the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, is a well-known historical event, as is the appearance of Luther before the Emperor and princes in Worms on April 17, 1521. His statement is well documented: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.” (Große illustrierte Kirchengeschichte, p. 136).

Unfortunately, the newly formed churches – the Lutheran, the Reformed, the Anglican – also adopted the Nicene Creed and, until today, have continued to practice their infant baptism and have remained in the doctrine of the Trinity. Parallel to this, there were further revivals, particularly in Protestant areas, such as the Anabaptist movement.

In the spiritual renewal, the preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ increasingly emphasized the biblical truths. Above all, salvation and forgiveness through the sacrificial blood of Christ were being preached; many conversions took place everywhere. John Smith, the founder of the Baptists; John Wesley, who inspired the Methodists; Menno Simons, whose proclamation encouraged the establishment of the Mennonite church; William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army; Dwight Moody; George Müller; and many others preached the Gospel by emphasizing repentance and conversion to Christ as a personal experience of salvation. The Scripture from Rom 5:9 was not only important to Luther but to all preachers of the Gospel: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” – Justification before God is not obtained through one’s own works, but by faith in the completed work of Redemption through Jesus Christ.

It can be said that the five hundred years since the Reformation, with the help of the various revivalist preachers, have been used to lead the believers deeper into the Word of God and into a consecrated life. True faith always comes from the preaching of the Word of God (Rom 10:17). The following was already written of Abraham, who is considered to be the father of faith: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Rom 4:3; Heb 11:8-10). God alone is true, and every man a liar (Rom 3:4).

Thousands of articles have been written on the occasion of the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017; hundreds of events were held. But upon closer examination, all of the churches and free churches have stayed with the creed they established at their foundation. Now, despite all of their differences, the daughter churches are returning to the bosom of the mother church. This is “unity in diversity.” However, Jesus, the Redeemer, referred to a very different unity, namely the unity with God in accordance with the Word and the Will of God. “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (Jn 17:23).

After a thousand years of unrestricted exercise of power by the church, there was a spiritual renewal and return to the Bible. Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, Jean Calvin, Schwenkfeld, Erasmus, Thomas Müntzer, Melchior Hoffman, and others who protested against the pope and the church helped facilitate the breakthrough of the Reformation. The nailing of the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, is a well-known historical event, as is the appearance of Luther before the Emperor and princes in Worms on April 17, 1521. His statement is well documented: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.” (Große illustrierte Kirchengeschichte, p. 136).

Unfortunately, the newly formed churches – the Lutheran, the Reformed, the Anglican – also adopted the Nicene Creed and, until today, have continued to practice their infant baptism and have remained in the doctrine of the Trinity. Parallel to this, there were further revivals, particularly in Protestant areas, such as the Anabaptist movement.

In the spiritual renewal, the preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ increasingly emphasized the biblical truths. Above all, salvation and forgiveness through the sacrificial blood of Christ were being preached; many conversions took place everywhere. John Smith, the founder of the Baptists; John Wesley, who inspired the Methodists; Menno Simons, whose proclamation encouraged the establishment of the Mennonite church; William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army; Dwight Moody; George Müller; and many others preached the Gospel by emphasizing repentance and conversion to Christ as a personal experience of salvation. The Scripture from Rom 5:9 was not only important to Luther but to all preachers of the Gospel: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” – Justification before God is not obtained through one’s own works, but by faith in the completed work of Redemption through Jesus Christ.

It can be said that the five hundred years since the Reformation, with the help of the various revivalist preachers, have been used to lead the believers deeper into the Word of God and into a consecrated life. True faith always comes from the preaching of the Word of God (Rom 10:17). The following was already written of Abraham, who is considered to be the father of faith: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Rom 4:3; Heb 11:8-10). God alone is true, and every man a liar (Rom 3:4).

Thousands of articles have been written on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017; hundreds of events were held. But upon closer examination, all of the churches and free churches have stayed with the creed they established at their foundation. Now, despite all of their differences, the daughter churches are returning to the bosom of the mother church. This is “unity in diversity.” However, Jesus, the Redeemer, referred to a very different unity, namely the unity with God in accordance with the Word and the Will of God. “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (Jn 17:23).