between 1510 and 1520, luthers theological ideas took shape during his lectures on the psalms, romans, galatians, and hebrews. his doctrine of justification by faith alonesola fideemerged as a sharp departure from the catholic churchs teachings, which emphasized both faith and good works for salvation. luther argued that salvation and eternal life were the free gifts of god's grace, not earned through deeds. his interpretation of romans 1:17, which states, "the righteous will live by faith," became foundational to his new understanding of righteousness and faiths role in justification. *-*  romans 1:17  "for in the gospel the righteousness of god is revealeda righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'the righteous will live by faith.'"  *-* another cornerstone of luthers theology was sola scriptura, the belief that the bible alone was the ultimate authority in matters of faith, directly challenging the catholic church's assertion that tradition and papal authority were equally authoritative. luther's ideas ignited a movement, and his refusal to recant his writings at the diet of worms (1521) solidified his break with the catholic church. his declaration, "i am bound by the scriptures i have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the word of god," became a defining moment in the reformation. luthers success in spreading his ideas was due in large part to the advent of the printing press. his translation of the bible into german democratized access to scripture, allowing everyday germans to read the bible in their vernacular. this not only made scripture more accessible but also helped standardize the german language, deeply influencing german culture. luther believed that the bible should be "accessible to everyday germans," removing barriers that kept people from understanding it.
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