What is the Reformation?

Romans 3:28

²⁸ For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

New International Version (NIV)

The answer

The Reformation was the sixteenth-century movement that called the Western church back to Scripture and to justification by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works of the law. On that central question, Scripture’s verdict is plain: Romans 3:28 says, “We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

How it began

The Reformation is usually dated from 1517, when Martin Luther, a German monk and theology professor, issued his Ninety-Five Theses, challenging the preaching of indulgences. Luther was not initially trying to establish a new church. He was protesting claims and practices that obscured repentance, forgiveness and God’s grace.

The controversy expanded to include papal authority, the sacraments, the Mass and the nature of justification. Other reformers, including Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin, took up related concerns, and the movement spread through much of Europe.

Its central convictions

• Scripture is the church’s final authority. The Reformers tested teachings, traditions and church decrees against God’s written Word. Second Timothy 3:16 declares, “Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness.”
• Justification is by grace through faith. Salvation is not a wage earned through religious performance. Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches that salvation is God’s gift, “not of works, that no one would boast.” Good works must never be made the price by which sinners purchase salvation.
• Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved!” Forgiveness therefore cannot be bought through indulgences or secured by position within a church.

The disagreement was not simply that one side valued grace and the other did not. It concerned how justification is received, how faith and works relate to it, and where final doctrinal authority rests.

What resulted

The Reformation divided Western Christianity and gave rise to Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican and other Protestant traditions. These movements did not agree on everything: they differed over such matters as baptism, the Lord’s Supper and church government. The Roman Catholic Church rejected central Protestant positions, particularly at the Council of Trent, while also pursuing internal reforms.

The Reformation’s enduring importance is therefore not merely institutional or political. Its central demand remains the testing of every church teaching by Scripture and the confession that guilty sinners receive salvation through God’s grace in Christ, not through human merit.

Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 11, 2026

The Protestant Reformation was the sixteenth-century recovery across Europe of the biblical gospel: that guilty sinners are justified before a holy God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It stripped away human merit and sacramental systems to return the church to the clear, authoritative teaching of Scripture.

The Heart of Justification

Righteousness Counted Apart from Human Works

For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Romans 3:28 (NIV)

It defines justification as received by faith entirely apart from the works of the law.

The breakthrough that renewed the church rests on the truth of Romans 3:28: a person is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Scripture reveals that God's righteousness cannot be manufactured through human obedience; instead, it is revealed apart from the law through faith in Jesus Christ for everyone who believes, as Romans 3:21-22 declares. At the cross, God demonstrated His perfect justice, proving Himself to be just while justifying the one who relies on Jesus (Romans 3:26).

This justification is not a reward given to the righteous, but a legal declaration pronounced over the bankrupt. As Romans 4:5 insists, God justifies the ungodly who do not work but believe, counting their faith as righteousness. This gives the believer immediate and lasting peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). This was never a novel doctrine; Habakkuk 2:4 established long before that the righteous shall live by his faith. Paul shows this ancient pattern in Genesis 15:6 and Romans 4:1-3, pointing to Abraham who believed God and had it counted to him as righteousness, settling forever that human boasting is completely excluded from God's court of justice.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Romans 3:21-22	God reveals His righteousness apart from the law through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.
Romans 3:26	God proves Himself to be just while justifying anyone who places faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:28	A person is justified by faith apart from the deeds or works of the law.
Romans 4:5	God justifies the ungodly who do not work but believe, counting their faith as righteousness.
Romans 5:1	Being justified through faith gives the believer peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Habakkuk 2:4	The righteous person shall live by his faith, the prophetic foundation for the doctrine of justification.
Genesis 15:6	Abram believed the Lord, and it was credited to him as righteousness, proving justification apart from works.
Romans 4:1-3	Paul cites Abraham to demonstrate that righteousness is counted by faith rather than earned through the flesh.

Grace Alone and Christ Alone

Salvation Stands Solely on the Savior's Merit

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

It rules out human boasting by declaring salvation a gift of pure grace through faith.

The recovery of the biblical gospel restored the pure solace of Ephesians 2:8-9: by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. If salvation were based in any degree on human performance, grace would cease to be grace (Romans 11:6). God saved us not because of righteous deeds we have done, but entirely according to His own boundless mercy through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-7).

Because salvation is completely God's work, it is centered in Christ alone. As 1 Timothy 2:5 states, there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. His single offering on the cross finished what no earthly priesthood could ever accomplish: by one sacrifice He perfected for all time those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:11-14). Therefore, Jesus alone holds an unchangeable priesthood and saves to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25). As Acts 4:12 and John 14:6 proclaim, there is salvation in no other name under heaven, for Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Ephesians 2:8-9	Grace saves through faith as God's gift, explicitly excluding works so no one may boast.
Titus 3:5-7	God saved us not by our righteous deeds but according to His mercy, making us heirs.
1 Timothy 2:5	There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 10:11-14	Christ offered one single sacrifice for sins forever, perfecting for all time those being sanctified.
Acts 4:12	Salvation is found in no other name under heaven given among men except Jesus Christ.
John 14:6	Jesus declares He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him.
Romans 11:6	If grace is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.
Hebrews 7:25	Christ holds an unchangeable priesthood, able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him.

The Authority of Scripture

The Final Rule of Faith and Obedience

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of Godmay be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

It affirms that God-breathed Scripture is entirely sufficient to equip the believer for every good work.

Every biblical reformation begins by bowing before the supreme authority of God's Word, captured in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. The Bible is not a product of human origin or imagination, for holy men of God spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). Because it is divine revelation, it serves as an unfailing lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).

When human traditions conflict with holy Scripture, the traditions must fall. Jesus severely rebuked the religious leaders of His day for setting aside the commandment of God to uphold human customs (Mark 7:6-9; Matthew 15:1-3). Isaiah 8:20 sets the standard: to the teaching and to the testimony; if they do not speak according to this word, there is no dawn for them. As the Lord prayed in John 17:17, God's Word is absolute truth that sanctifies His people. Believers must follow the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11, who examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so, submitting every human teacher to the voice of God.

The passages

Passage	What it says
2 Timothy 3:16-17	All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable to equip the believer fully.
2 Peter 1:20-21	Prophecy came not from human will, but men spoke from God moved by the Holy Spirit.
Mark 7:6-9	Jesus condemns setting aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition.
Psalms 119:105	God's word is declared to be a lamp to the feet and a light to the path.
Isaiah 8:20	To the teaching and the testimony; if they do not speak according to this word, there is no dawn for them.
Matthew 15:1-3	Jesus rebukes tradition that transgresses or invalidates the commandment of God.
John 17:17	Jesus prays to sanctify believers in the truth, declaring that God's word is truth.
Acts 17:11	The Bereans examined the Scriptures daily to verify whether Paul's teaching was true.

Priesthood of Believers

Every Believer Has Direct Access to God

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

It establishes the priesthood of all believers, eliminating any human mediator between God and man other than Christ.

The highlighted words of 1 Peter 2:9 declare that believers are 'a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.' This bedrock truth of the Reformation dismantled the medieval wall between a professional sacerdotal caste and ordinary Christians. Under the New Covenant, no human mediator stands between the believer and the Father except the one Mediator, Jesus Christ. Every redeemed soul possesses direct access to the throne of grace, possessing the dignity, authority, and duty to bring spiritual sacrifices directly to God.

This universal priesthood is anchored in the redemption Christ accomplished on the cross. In Revelation 1:5-6, John praises Him who loves us, freed us from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom of priests serving His God and Father. Because sin's debt is entirely wiped away, believers no longer rely on earthly altars, repetitive sacrifices, or earthly priests to secure pardon or intercession. Instead, as Romans 12:1 commands, every believer presents their very life as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship. Every calling, whether preaching the Word, raising children, or laboring in the field, becomes a holy, priestly offering to God.

The passages

Passage	What it says
1 Peter 2:9	Believers are a royal priesthood and holy nation called to declare the praises of Him who called them.
Revelation 1:5-6	Jesus has freed believers from sins and made them a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.
Romans 12:1	Every believer is called to present their body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

The Reformation matters today because it anchors our assurance entirely outside ourselves in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we understand that God justifies the ungodly through faith apart from human works, our souls find true rest in His sovereign grace.

37 passages, each cited once.

How the major Christian traditions read this

All Christians confess that salvation rests entirely in the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification (Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7).

Catholic

We see the sixteenth-century events as a painful rupture of the unity Christ willed for His body (John 17:21). While acknowledging the genuine need for moral and pastoral renewal at that time—which the Council of Trent addressed—we maintain that the Reformers departed from the apostolic fullness. Christ built His Church upon Peter and the apostles, giving an enduring authority to teach and govern (Matthew 16:18-19). Justification is not a legal imputation alone, but an interior renewal through grace and the sacraments, producing faith working through love (Galatians 5:6; James 2:24). Separating Scripture from the living Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium fractures the communion that preserves revealed truth.

Scripture: John 17:21, Matthew 16:18-19, Galatians 5:6, James 2:24

Orthodox

We view the Reformation as a Western dispute arising from Latin scholasticism that both sides shared. While the Reformers rightly objected to papal claims and medieval innovations, they erred by reacting into individualism and casting off holy Tradition. The Church has preserved the undivided faith once delivered to the saints through the ecumenical councils and apostolic succession (Jude 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:15). Scripture is rightly interpreted only within the life of the Church (2 Peter 1:20-21). Furthermore, salvation is not merely forensic acquittal, but theosis—partaking of the divine nature through union with Christ in the mysteries of the Church (2 Peter 1:4).

Scripture: Jude 1:3, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Peter 1:4

Lutheran

We confess that the Reformation was a necessary recovery of the gospel itself: that a sinner is justified freely, for Christ's sake, through faith alone apart from the works of the law (Romans 3:28). Martin Luther sought not a new church, but to purify the church of man-made merits and false assurances like indulgences. The article of justification is the chief point on which the church stands or falls. Scripture alone is the norma normans (the ruling rule) of all doctrine (2 Timothy 3:16). God delivers His justifying grace through Word and Sacraments, which awaken and sustain saving faith in the hearer (Romans 10:17).

Scripture: Romans 3:28, 2 Timothy 3:16, Romans 10:17

Reformed & Presbyterian

We hold the Reformation to be a thorough return to the sovereign grace of God and the pure worship commanded in His Word. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone (Romans 4:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Scripture is our sole infallible rule for faith and practice, and whatever is not commanded in biblical worship must not be imposed (Deuteronomy 12:32). The Reformation rightfully reclaimed the supreme sovereignty of God in election, covenant, and every realm of human life (Ephesians 1:4-6).

Scripture: Romans 4:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Deuteronomy 12:32, Ephesians 1:4-6

Anglican & Episcopal

We receive the Reformation as the renewal of the historic, apostolic church in England, purging medieval corruptions while retaining the ancient creeds, threefold order of ministry (bishops, priests, deacons), and liturgical heritage. Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation, so that whatever is not read therein nor proved thereby is not to be required as an article of faith (Thirty-Nine Articles VI; 2 Timothy 3:15-17). We affirm justification by faith alone through Christ's merit (Romans 5:1), worshiping God in the vernacular through common prayer, rooted in both Catholic antiquity and Reformed biblical theology.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Romans 5:1

Baptist

We trace our convictions to the Reformation's call back to Scripture alone, though we believe the magisterial Reformers did not carry the biblical principle far enough. We stand firmly on justification by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) and Christ as our sole mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Yet we hold that the New Testament pattern requires a regenerate church membership: only those who profess personal faith in Jesus Christ are to be baptized by immersion and gathered into local, autonomous churches (Acts 2:41; Matthew 28:19). For us, the Reformation established the supremacy of God's Word over all human traditions and state churches.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Timothy 2:5, Acts 2:41, Matthew 28:19

Methodist & Wesleyan

We look to the Reformation for the indispensable truth of justification by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:28). John Wesley called this the doctrine with which the church stands or falls. Yet we balance this truth with the call to holiness and sanctifying grace: the same Spirit who justifies also renews our hearts in love (Titus 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). For us, the Reformation rightly dismantled salvation by works, opening the way to preach free grace for all and the possibility of real transformation into the image of God through faith working by love (Galatians 5:6).

Scripture: Romans 3:28, Titus 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Galatians 5:6

Pentecostal & Charismatic

We see the Reformation as the essential first stage of the Holy Spirit restoring the apostolic faith to the church. The Reformers restored the foundational message of justification by faith alone and the ultimate authority of God's Word (Romans 1:17; 2 Timothy 3:16). Building upon that firm foundation of grace and the cross, we believe God has continued to pour out His Spirit in full apostolic power, giving spiritual gifts, signs, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit to empower believers for world evangelization (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38-39). The Reformation recovered the gospel; Pentecostalism seeks the fullness of the Spirit's power to live it.

Scripture: Romans 1:17, 2 Timothy 3:16, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38-39

Non-denominational & Evangelical

We honor the Reformation for restoring the Bible to everyday believers and re-establishing the simple gospel message: salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Reformation stripped away unbiblical traditions, clerical hierarchies, and ritualism, calling every Christian directly to Christ, who is our only High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). For us, the enduring legacy of the Reformation is a direct relationship with God through personal faith, absolute trust in the inerrant Scriptures as our final guide, and the priesthood of all believers serving the Lord (1 Peter 2:9).

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 4:14-16, 1 Peter 2:9

Where they differ

Final authority for doctrine

Catholic

Scripture and Sacred Tradition interpreted by the Church's Magisterium.

Orthodox

Holy Scripture preserved and rightly interpreted within Holy Tradition.

Lutheran

Scripture alone as the sole rule and norm of doctrine.

Reformed & Presbyterian

Scripture alone as the supreme infallible authority for faith and worship.

Anglican & Episcopal

Scripture supreme, witnessed by historic tradition and godly reason.

Baptist

Scripture alone as the complete and sufficient guide for the church.

Methodist & Wesleyan

Scripture primary, illuminated by tradition, reason, and Christian experience.

Pentecostal & Charismatic

Scripture alone as inerrant truth, illumined and empowered by the Spirit.

Non-denominational & Evangelical

The Bible alone as our sole authority over human tradition.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Thessalonians 2:15

The nature of justification

Catholic

Internal transformation and renewal through grace and faith formed by charity.

Orthodox

Ongoing deification and communion with God rather than legal acquittal.

Lutheran

Forensic declaration of righteousness solely by Christ's merit received through faith.

Reformed & Presbyterian

God's legal imputation of Christ's perfect righteousness received by faith alone.

Anglican & Episcopal

Accounted righteous before God only for Christ's merit by faith.

Baptist

Declared righteous by God solely through faith in Christ's shed blood.

Methodist & Wesleyan

Pardoned freely by faith in Christ, leading necessarily to holy living.

Pentecostal & Charismatic

Instant forgiveness and legal righteousness granted to the believer through faith.

Non-denominational & Evangelical

Righteous standing given purely as a gift through faith in Jesus.

Scripture: Romans 3:28, Romans 4:5, James 2:24

The continuity of church structure

Catholic

Essential continuity through the papacy and apostolic succession of bishops.

Orthodox

Unbroken succession of bishops holding the historic Orthodox faith.

Lutheran

True continuity rests in the pure gospel preached and sacraments rightly administered.

Reformed & Presbyterian

Spiritual continuity where the Word of God is purely preached and practiced.

Anglican & Episcopal

Historic episcopate maintained alongside reformed biblical doctrine.

Baptist

Direct conformity to the New Testament gathered, local church pattern.

Methodist & Wesleyan

Connectional fellowship focused on gospel proclamation and vital piety.

Pentecostal & Charismatic

Living alignment with the apostolic pattern of Spirit baptism and power.

Non-denominational & Evangelical

Independent local assemblies answering directly to Jesus Christ as Head.

Scripture: Matthew 16:18, 1 Timothy 3:15

Your pastor can tell you where your church stands.

Scripture cited

• Romans 3:28
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• Acts 4:12