What was the significance of Luther’s translation of the Bible into German?

Responses

Ordinary people could read the Bible, and no longer had to rely on the Church to interpret it for them.

Ordinary people could read the Bible, and no longer had to rely on the Church to interpret it for them.

Scholars became more interested in studying the Bible.

Scholars became more interested in studying the Bible.

Only the priests would be able to read and interpret the Bible, and they could charge money for those services.

Only the priests would be able to read and interpret the Bible, and they could charge money for those services.

Only the very educated people could read the Bible.

3 answers

The significance of Luther’s translation of the Bible into German was primarily that ordinary people could read the Bible, and no longer had to rely on the Church to interpret it for them. This democratization of access to the scriptures played a crucial role in the spread of Protestant ideas and the Reformation, as it empowered individuals to engage directly with the text and interpret it in their own way. It also contributed to the development of a German national identity and the German language. While scholars did become more interested in studying the Bible, and the ability to read the scriptures was not limited to just the very educated or only priests, the critical impact was the shift towards individual interpretation and greater accessibility for the general populace.

Choose one of the answers above

The significance of Luther’s translation of the Bible into German was that ordinary people could read the Bible, and no longer had to rely on the Church to interpret it for them.