Why was Luther's translation of the New Testament important?

Answer 1

Luther's translation of The Bible meant that the common people could read the Bible and not just the priests.

Practically, since those who were educated were educated in reading Latin usually before even their own tongue, the translation had very little practical effect immediately. However, the translation was a momentous declaration that a Holy Text could be put into a modern vulgar - "vulgar" in the sense of "common" - language and thus broke a taboo that saw the Holy Texts as untouchable. Common translation helped ease the doctrine of private interpretation, since as the Holy Texts had become somewhat profane in their symbolic treatment, it followed that they should be accessible to the intellect and interpretation of the common man.