As Frases da BíbliaTrending · Reformation Day · Oct 31
Reformation Day 2026: what happened on Oct 31, 1517, and the 5 verses behind “faith alone”
October 31 is Halloween for most people, but for Protestants it is also Reformation Day: on that date in 1517 Martin Luther made public his 95 Theses in Wittenberg, Germany. Here is what happened, why it still matters 509 years later, and the five verses that sit at the center of it.
In 30 seconds
- Date
- October 31, 1517, in Wittenberg (Saxony, today Germany).
- Who
- Martin Luther, a monk and professor of theology.
- What
- 95 Theses against the sale of indulgences. Tradition says he nailed them to the door of the Castle Church; historians agree he sent them to the archbishop that day.
- The verse that changed him
- Romans 1:17, “The just shall live by faith.”
- 2026
- 509 years since 1517.
What happened in 1517
Indulgences were being sold with the promise of shortening punishment after death. Luther wrote 95 points for an academic debate, arguing that forgiveness is not bought. Printed copies spread across Germany within weeks, and what began as a debate became the Protestant Reformation.
The 5 verses behind “faith alone”
Luther said his turning point was understanding Romans 1:17: that the righteousness of God is given to faith, not earned. These are the verses most tied to that idea, worth reading in their own chapters:
“The just shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:17 · read the chapter →
“The just shall live by his faith.”
Habakkuk 2:4 · read the chapter →
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
Ephesians 2:8 · read the chapter →
“A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.”
Galatians 2:16 · read the chapter →
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Romans 3:28 · read the chapter →
Get a new verse every day
The whole Bible is in the app, chapter by chapter, with a verse of the day at the time you choose. Open Romans 1 tonight.
Start for freeWhy it still matters
Whatever your church, the question Luther asked is personal: can you earn God’s love, or is it a gift? Reading Romans 1 tonight takes about five minutes and is the best way to see what moved him.
Pray like this
Lord, thank you that your grace is a gift and not a wage. Help me rest in it today and live by faith. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Why is October 31 Reformation Day?
Because on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther made public his 95 Theses in Wittenberg, the event usually counted as the start of the Protestant Reformation.
Did Luther really nail the theses to a church door?
That is the tradition. What historians agree on is that he sent them to the Archbishop of Mainz on October 31, 1517.
What verse started the Reformation?
Luther pointed to Romans 1:17, “The just shall live by faith,” which quotes Habakkuk 2:4.