In rediscovering God's Mission for His Church we have arrived at the Reformation.  For 1200 years (32AD - 1517AD), the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) ruled politically, spiritually, economically and powerfully over the powers of Europe.  since the time it was legal (32AD), as the official religion of the Roman Empire, it took on characteristics of the Emperor Caesar himself.  ti centralized all religious power in Rome, the Bishop of Rome - once an appointed office by the apostles to care for the congregations that were going through persecution in the area as they carried out the mandate to GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES - became corrupt in politics and secular activities.  It became a business, selling indulgences, the forgiveness of sins, and invented offices of power in a hierarchical political structure for a price.  In other words, it strayed entirely from what the body of Christ ought to look like in this world.  Luther learned through the Scriptures that salvation was through faith in Christ, not through the church and obedience to the pope.  Listen to how this man rediscovered the purpose of all believers in the body of Christ, and liberated the church into a potential powerhouse of Christian brothers and sisters like in the days of the apostles.