Journal: Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal
Volume: RPTJ 02:2 (Spring 2016)
Article: The Reformation Of Josiah And The Rediscovery Of The Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 34
Author: C. J. Williams

RPTJ 2:2 (Spring 2016) p. 49

The Reformation Of Josiah And The Rediscovery Of The Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 34

C. J. Williams

Professor of Old Testament Studies
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Observing Reformation

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his famous 95 theses on the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, an event which many regard as the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. So each year, on October 31, many reformed churches mark what we call “Reformation Day.”

Why do we do it? Out of nostalgia for the past? A wistful longing for better times? Or maybe it is our attempt to maintain a distinctly reformed holiday! One we can celebrate in good conscience apart from the cultural trappings that now surround other holidays throughout the year!

Undoubtedly this day is observed for some of these reasons. However, a Reformation Day is only truly meaningful if we are committed to the same reformation in our times. This is not a call to live in the past, but a call to acknowledge very real and present need. To observe and understand the significance of events of the past is not merely to look back with historical interest; it is rather a serious consideration of how the church measures up today to the biblical standards of doctrine, worship, and ecclesiology. Reformation is not to be only a past event, but an urgent and contemporary calling. It is a biblical principle, in Old and New Testaments, that did not begin in Geneva.

Only in this light then is Reformation Day worth observing. Our desire ought to be a new reformation in our time, one that even eclipses the reformation of our fathers in the 16th century.

What, then, is this thing for which we pray, this thing we commemorate and seek after, called “Reformation”? Let us begin with a working definition:

Reformation is when God’s people, out of faith and love for Him, cast off the traditions of men and the influences of the world, and passionately return to the purity of biblical direction in worship, doctrine, and practice.

A definition like this, imperfect as it may be, gives us a starting point for our prayers and our efforts. To unpack this definition, it will be better for us to examine some concrete examples of it to see how it works out in real history. Our first instinct may be to look to men like Luther, Knox, and Calvin. These figures are certainly fine examples and there is much we can learn from men such as these. However to focus on them, great as they may be, would be to content ourselves with secondary resources. The Reformers themselves drew, not from their surroundings, but from the Word of God. There is a primary resource on the subject of Reformation, and that is the