On this, of five minutes in church history, we're going to explore the 28 theses.

Now, you likely know the 95 theses, this of course is the great document by Martin Luther,

started the Protestant Reformation on October 31st, 1517.

Luther is also the author of the 28 Theses.

This is not a discount version of the 95 theses.

Luther didn't run out of ideas,

but he was much more focused in this text, the 28 theses.

This is also sometimes simply called the Heidelberg Disputation because these were

written for a disputation at the city of Heidelberg and it was held on April

26th 1518. Now to give you a little background here Luther of course was an Augustinian

monk and his 95 theses in the previous fall had caused quite a stir within the

Augustinians there in Germany,

and Johannes Staupitz, who was very significant in Luther's life,

a formidable influence on him.

Staupitz was the head of the Augustinian order in Germany and he

called for a disputation in the wake of the 95 theses. This was held in the chapter

house at Heidelberg, and Luther advanced within these 28 theses

or the Heidelberg disputation a series of contrasts.

He initially sets up a contrast between the works of God and the works of man.

He notes how that within the medieval church it was the works of man that pretty much governed.

This was behind the indulgences. This was behind penance. This was behind

the way we sort of work towards God. We somehow work to achieve our righteousness.

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