Martin Luther and His Reformation

Martin Luther of the Renaissance and reformation period was born in Germany,November 10, 1483. Martin Luther's life quickly changed when he was struck down by lightening during a storm. He then quickly decided he would become a monk. Luther's father and friends tried desperately to discourage him from taking this path in life and tried to get him to complete his studies in law, but Luther decided he would go through with his decision. While Luther was visiting Whittenberg and praying at St. Peters he could not help but notice the corruptness of the people, and especially the church leaders, and how things were being ran. Martin Luther then began to see that Catholic teaching had stressed that both faith and good works were needed in order to gain salvation and when he began studying the Bible he was able to see that one could obtain salvation through not just good deeds, but through faith in the promises of God. Luther did not like the fact that the people were believing in the wrong thing in which the church was telling them. On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. In these Ninety-Five Theses Luther's opinion on how the Word of God was not properly being taught to the people was expressed. For his actions Luther was charged with heresy and was excommunicated. All Luther wanted was to show the people how they were basically being lied to by the Church. He wanted the people to know that there was a different way to receive salvation.