Exactly five hundred years ago, on 18 April 1521, Martin Luther uttered those words before an imperial council known as “Diet of Worms” (“Diet”: an assembly of princes or authorities in the Holy Roman Empire; “Worms”: a city south of Frankfurt, Germany).
This occurred about three and a half years after Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses against the Roman Catholic Church’s doctrines and practices (on October 31st, 1517) on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany. Luther’s efforts to repudiate the errors of Romanism were condemned by Pope Leo X in June 1520 in the latter’s issuing a papal bull (a public decree by the Pope), named Exsurge Domine (“Rise up, O Lord!”). It outlined socalled forty-one errors of Luther. It also threatened Luther with excommunication, which in those days was far more severe than simply being shunned by the Roman Church. It was then carried out with the penalty of torture and death at the hands of the civil authorities!
Luther responded to the papal bull by publicly burning it, and declaring to his followers that in condemning his teachings the pope had condemned the Gospel itself. On January 3rd, 1521, the Pope issued the final ban on Luther. The Emperor Charles V was expected to arrest and stamp out Luther’s teachings, which could have led to his execution. However, Luther was spared by the intervention of Elector Frederick III the Wise of Saxony. Instead, Luther was summoned to appear at the Diet, held in Worms, before the Emperor Charles V and an array of powerful clergy and statesmen.
Martin Luther travelled 10 days to get to the Diet of Worms (south of Frankfurt) from Wittenberg (near modern Berlin). It was a 300-mile journey. He knew that his life would be in danger as he prepared to go to Worms. Though many discouraged him from making that journey, he still obeyed the summons to appear before the Diet of Worms, because it presented him a great opportunity to defend his doctrines before the authorities.
Luther presented himself at the Diet of Worms on 17 April 1521. The assembly asked him to confirm whether certain books published in his name (25 books in total) were truly authored by him. Luther acknowledged them as his books. When the council asked him to repudiate the content of his books, he requested time to think about that matter seriously. The emperor gave him a stay of one day – and it would be one of the most famous days in church history.
The next day, on April 18th, 1521, when Luther appeared again before the Diet of Worms, he refused their demand to repudiate his teachings in his books. He stated that he would retract his teachings only if he was convinced by Scripture or by reason that there was error in them. He was uncompromising in matters of doctrine and Christian practice. He stated that the Bible alone is the ultimate source of authority, and not the papal decrees and church traditions. Luther’s final words before the Diet of Worms have been famously reported:
“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture or by clear reason (for I trust neither pope nor council alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have cited, for my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since to act against one’s conscience is neither safe nor right. I cannot do otherwise. Here I stand, may God help me.”
Luther stood before a powerful council with his conscience bound by the Word of God. He thus refused every bit to compromise his biblical convictions. It is that firm stand of Luther on God’s truth that gave rise to the Protestant Reformation, which sent the light of the Gospel all through Europe and the rest of the world. Today, it is our individual and collective duty to stand with conviction on the Word of God, that we may be instruments of God’s glorious purposes for our generation and the next.
