Reformation in Christianity: Luther’s The Five Solas

The Reformation formed the era in which modern society commenced. An era in which people began to think for their own wellbeing and not follow the will of the Church without question. Luther’s core belief that salvation came through one on one interaction with God and faith in Jesus, comes from the Latin word for alone. Through the Sola scriptures, Luther set forth the blueprints in which his reformed Catholicism should be based. These five principles became the basis into what todays reformed Christianity originated from.

The first sola, being Sola Fide, “that people are saved by faith in Jesus alone, not by anything they do.” The importance of Sola Fide dwells in the form in which change came forth throughout the globe. People became intellectual and began to question if the Church still stayed on its righteous path of giving homage to God and Jesus Christ. Luther had a very strong will in which he believed this scripture, Sola Fide, lies the path to salvation.

The second sola, Sola Gratia, “that this faith is given by grace alone, and cannot be earned.” This set forth the layout that people everyone would considered equal in the eyes of God. Social aspects such as being rich, poor, or even being in position of power such as a king or Pope do not exist in the supreme one’s vison. Due to the Popes attempt to gather funds for the building of St Peters Cathedral, through the selling of indulgences the reality of fraud became unmasked, and the actions of the Pope became clear. The cruel reality that the Pope abused the authority given to him, showed that a service that only God can offer cannot be offered by any human being due to everyone being equal in the eyes of God.

The third Sola, incarcerates the purpose in which Luther kept pushing forth the idea that everyone should have a deep understanding of the bible, Sola Scriptura, “is based on the authority of the Bible alone, and not on tradition or the church.”No matter what a person of higher power in the Catholic Church says, such as the Pope, a priest, Bishop says can change the true meaning of the Bible. The preporderant consequence (influence) in allowing the third sola to be brought to light due to the printing press. Through Bibles being reprinted, in mass production in the common tongue, people began to see the true wording of the Bible and could no longer be taken advantage of and the church lost power through, “this act of defiance, Catholicism ultimately lost its monopoly of Christian salvation in the West.” Due to worshipers now not having to rely on the Church to read them the Bible. People where now reading it on their own since now they could. Luther wanted, “Christianity to go back to the 'pristine Gospel': the teachings of Jesus and the apostles”. Luther put forth a plan to reform the Catholicism as a whole, reformed in a path in which the religions basis came solely on the bibles scriptures and their true meaning.

The fourth sola, 'Solus Christus' - through Christ alone”. Also brought up as Solo Christo, imbedded the appreciation that all humans where saved through the actions of Jesus Christ, and nothing else that anyone else has done. Because of this scripture people began to (love) Jesus and in a way form a (plan) to repay this debt.

The fifth sola, Soli Deo Gloria' - glory to God alone.” Calvinist put forth their life based on serving God, as Gods mercy influences the reason life exists. Due to the lord bringing forth human existence It became the will of the people to praise and put God in all aspects of humanity. The sola scriptures became the outline to modern day democracy by, 'The separation of powers, toleration, freedom of conscience, they are all Protestant ideas,' says Jacques Berlinerblau, a sociologist at Georgetown University.” 

In conclusion, the Reformation has had many steps in which religion took twist and turns. Catholicism went through a few different strands of change, from complete control by the Catholic Church, to Martin Luther unleashing a path towards a bright future from which Protestants came. Through the reformation of Luther’s teaching, a strand of Protestant branch in which followers follow the Bibles verses to the core. Calvinism emerged.