Martin Luther published the first edition of his New Testament, translated from Latin to German. It was a move that changed the European world.
Even devout Roman Catholics of today must admit that there was great corruption in the medieval Roman Catholic Church. And one of the ways in which the medieval Church held onto its power during the Dark Ages was to keep the Scriptures out of the hands of the common people.
For years, this was easy, since a majority of the lower-class were unable to read. With the advent of the Renaissance and the rise of the middle class, this began to change. Europe was emerging from the Dark Ages, and the medieval Catholic Church (one of the few constants during the European Middle Ages) wasn't prepared for this change.
Martin Luther is best known for his Ninety-Five Theses and his stand against Catholic corruption, including the sale of indulgences as a fundraising tool. Yet Luther's legacy rests primarily with his translation of the Bible from Latin to German - making it accessible to the German commoner for the first time.
Luther did what John Wycliffe and William Tyndale did for the English-speaking world, and what other literary pioneers have done with God's Word.
Too many people today take for granted the multiplicity of Bibles in so many languages around the world. It's easy to get a hold of a Bible - one in which you can read easily and conveniently. This was not the case for many people - most people, in fact - centuries ago.
Something worth thinking about on a day like today.
