On this day in history 501 years ago, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenburg Church door. This act of defiance against the Roman Catholic church officially marks the start of the Protestant Reformation.

In celebration of Luther’s act, let’s look at a guest post from Will Graham for EvangelicalFocus.

Let me start today by asking a question.

Have you read Luther’s 95 theses?

Although it is hard to believe, only a very small portion of evangelicals have actually read them. However, I confess that this fact is not all that surprising. After all, it is quite a tedious theological document with a few moments of intellectual and spiritual brilliance.

The 95 theses are nothing in comparison with Luther’s later masterpieces such as ‘The Bondage of the Will’ (1525) or ‘The Minor Catechism’ (1529).

All I want to do in this week’s article is to quote my top ten theses from Luther’s list of ninety-five. I hope it may go some way to helping you all to sitting down to read them yourselves.

So, let me hand you over to my friend, Martin. Enjoy!

Thesis # 1 – When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said: Repent (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

Thesis # 27 – They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory.

Thesis #36 – Any truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without indulgence letters.

Thesis # 62 – The true treasure of the church is the most holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God.

Thesis # 82 – Why does the Pope not empty Purgatory for the sake of holy love and the dire need of the souls that are there if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a church? The former reason would be most just; the latter is most trivial.

Click here to read the full article and the remaining top five theses.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.