by Jonathan Gillies
17th April 2021
by Anton von Werner, 1877
Tomorrow is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s famous stand at the Diet of Worms.
On the 31st of October 1517, Martin Luther nailed up his 95 theses. Three-and-a-half years later, Luther was summoned by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to the Diet of Worms, to either renounce or reaffirm his controversial views.
The presiding officer, Johann von Eck, had 25 of Luther’s books in front of him, and asked Luther if he would renounce the things that he written in them. Luther responded by saying that the books could be sorted into three categories:
- Books that even his enemies would not disagree with.
- Books that exposed all the abuse, lies, and desolation in the Christian world and in the papacy.
- Books that consisted of attacks on individuals.
There was no reason for him to renounce the books in the first category. He refused to renounce the books in the second category, saying, “If I now recant these, then, I would be doing nothing but strengthening tyranny.” He also refused to renounce the views he had expressed in the third category of books, claiming it would go against his conscience. He concluded his response by saying, “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot, and will not, recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.”
His bold stand is reminiscent of many brave men and women through the ages, who have wisely recognized that whatever price we may have to pay at the hands of men, it will be nothing compared to the price of comprising on what we genuinely believe to be the truth, because it is to God and not man that we will have to give account to at the end of time.
One great example from the Bible is Peter and John in Acts 4, where they stood up against the authorities of their day, who were attempting to shut down their right to free speech:
“And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
They later prayed a wonderful prayer, which concludes with these words:
“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
There have been, and still are, countless similar incidents happening all round the world, where people are so convinced that what they believe is the truth, that they would far rather suffer greatly, or even die, than compromise. We must pray to God that he would give us this great courage, so that we would be used by him to keep the light of truth shining ever-brighter in this dark and evil world.
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