“Happy Reformation Day!”

“Happy Reformation Day!”
“When The Church Is In Error!”(II Pt.2:1-10).
Today is Reformation Day. The importance of the Reformation cannot be gainsaid; both for the Protestant, the Catholic and the Orthodox churches.
Our reflection today considers this old time accepted Reformation slogan:Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda,” that is, “the church reformed, always being reformed,” according to the “Word of God and the call of the Spirit.”
What this means is that the church reformed occasionally runs into error and stands in need of reforming.
When Martin Luther became worried about the errors of the church, he wrote out ninety-five theses and pasted it on the door of the chapel in the University of Wittenberg on 31 October 1517. As a professor of Moral theology, Luther did this as the normal call for an academic disputation that could redirect the focus of the church on the right path.
Right in New Testament times and in the early church there were people who stood up like Martin Luther to raise a voice against digression. Sometimes these persons overstepped their bounds and introduced frightening teachings that could take away authority from the grasp of the princes of the church. Such teachings were considered ‘heretical.’
By the way, heresy is more and more understood as “Contested Interpretation.” And who are those who contest interpretations? They are the leaders of the church. That is why the church is doomed when her leadership does not comprise of theologians. Under such leadership the Church becomes this worldly. In such a worldly church the word of God does not become the standard for measuring truth and falsehood. The word of the leaders, based upon their myopic reasoning becomes the truth that must be forced down the throats of innocent Christians who are in search of genuine faith. In such instances the word of the leader becomes law and obedience is coerced instead of teaching sound doctrines that opens people up to the understanding of God’s word.
So you see why the church reformed is always reforming? A church is at the threshold of electing leaders and there is no call to prayers. Instead pastors are scheming evil against others – with the readiness to destroy them if possible.
The false teachers of today who have to be greatly feared are not the Daminas, the Omidijis – even the Fochangs, etc! The false teachers who are propagating the false gospels, intentionally leading the people into error are the leaders who use their positions and authority to sway the crowd with words that does not save.
Luther’s call for a genuine disputation did not meet his intended expectation as the leadership turned against him, hence the Reformation and the birth of the Protestant church. Before Luther, brewing discontent was already there with Ulrich Zwingli and later John Calvin.
In Africa the reforming church has yet given birth to African Independent Churches (AIC), the Pentecostals, the Charismatics and African prophets who actually play the roles of modern “Ngambi people or Sangomas.” Maybe other brands are in the pipeline.
Luther’s main argument was against the sales of indulgence. The fight against the sales of indulgence was like Jesus driving away the business operators in the temple courts because they had transformed God’s house of prayer into a den of thieves! Is Jesus really happy with today’s church that has become more or less a business organisation with a drive towards maximising profit by hook or crook? Is this the reason for which hundreds of thousands of Protestant Huegenots were killed?
Reformation Day is a day to remind us of what was being reformed and to go back to the scriptures, let it serve as the rule of faith in the church of Christ.
One truth remains: Whoever is a false teacher, “the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgement…”
Reformation Day prayer: Holy Spirit guide us away from false teaching and make the Scriptures remain our rule of faith. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace ve with you!
Happy Reformation Day!
Rev Babila Fochang.