Martin Luther (History) - Binogi.com

[Music] this is the city of Wittenberg in Germany let's go back to the early 16th century at this time Whittenburg is still part of the Holy Roman Empire and here lives a monk named Martin Luther Martin Luther lives a simple life fasts prays and reads the Bible but he's angry with a really powerful person the Pope the Pope is the highest-ranking person in the church and that's no small thing at this time only God is more powerful the Pope and his bishops scare people if you don't do what the Bible says you will end up in hell but themselves they live a luxurious life that's not what the Bible says right so Martin Luther wants to protest against the Pope and against his interpretation of the religion meanwhile the Pope is building a new church in Rome st. Peter's Basilica even though the Pope is rich he demands that it's the people the believers who should pay for the new church one of the ways that the Pope and the bishops have been making money is by selling these things these documents are called indulgences and they give forgiveness freeing the buyer from their sins those who buy these indulgences no longer need to fear ending up in hell after death Martin Luther definitely thinks that the religion is going wrong he thinks that Christianity isn't supposed to favor the rich and powerful it's supposed to help the poor Luther writes down everything he thinks is wrong with the church this text from 1517 consists of 95 different points or theses ah the Pope can't forgive anyone's sins he can't pardon anyone not even by selling the indulgences poor Christians should save their money instead of wasting them on indulgences and if the Pope wants his Saint Peter's Basilica he can pay for it himself and now you want to nail these theses to the church door like a notice board well it's not certain if you actually do that but this is what the history books are going to say about you in 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg that's the story people will tell the Pope really doesn't like this of course the people should pay for my amazing Church Martin Luther is therefore summoned to the city of therms here the Pope demands that Luther takes back that he recants at least half of his theses Martin Luther refuses and says it's the Pope who's wrong the Pope really doesn't like that and says if you're going to criticize the church like this you're out the Pope kicks Martin Luther out of the church he excommunicates him so what do you plan to do now translate the Bible that's a good idea at this time the Bible is only translated into Latin so most people can't even read it books are also written by hand so they are really rare but at the same time as Martin Luther is translating the Bible someone else is inventing the printing press and all of a sudden you can print books now a lot more people can read the Bible in their own language and understand what it really says you're not so angry anymore right well your ideas have become so popular that many around Europe also want the church to change to be reformed this is why this period is called the Reformation and you know your protest will lead to a whole new branch of Christianity and because it starts with your protest it'll be called Protestantism [Music] you [Music] you