…Christ is the mark whereat faith must aim; and, therefore, men’s minds do nothing else but wander when they turn aside from him. Therefore, no marvel if all the divinity of Popery be nothing else but an huge lump and horrible labyrinth; . . . Continue reading →
Calvin Studies
Calvin’s Theology And Its Reception: A Review
What should we do with John Calvin? What if, on the way back from dinner, we drove through a wormhole into a parallel universe and found John Calvin sitting on our sofa when we arrived home? What would we do with him . . . Continue reading →
Tell Me Again, Why Don’t We Sing The Psalms?
Only it appeared to me to be requisite to show in passing, that this book makes known to us this privilege, which is desirable above all others — that not only is there opened up to us familiar access to God, but . . . Continue reading →
We Never Ask “Am I Elect”
Let no one, then, seek confidence in his own election of God anywhere else than “in Christ,” unless, indeed, he would blot out, and do away with, the “book of life” in which his name is written. God’s adoption of us “in . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: Resolutely Adhere To The Exclusive Particle
When you are engaged in discussing the question of justification, beware of allowing any mention to be made of love or of works, but resolutely adhere to the exclusive particle. John Calvin | Commentary on Galatians 5:6, (1548) RESOURCES Subscribe To The . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: The Promise Of Grace Without Any Mention Of The Law
I do not want to pursue the individual testimonies that the stupid Sorbonnists of today have groundlessly torn from Scripture—whatever first came to hand—to fling at us. For some are so ridiculous that I could not mention them unless I wished to . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On The Proper Practice Of The Lord’s Supper
43. But as for the outward ceremony of the action — whether or not the believers take it in their hands, or divide it among themselves, or severally eat what has been given to each; whether they hand the cup back to . . . Continue reading →
The Practice Of The Sabbath In Calvin’s Geneva
Between 1542 and 1609, the Consistory frequently interviewed and sometimes reprimanded people for working on Sunday, whether for pruning trees, making lace, selling tripe, unloading boats, hunting birds, or moving furniture. The Consistory also disciplined people for engaging in recreational activities on . . . Continue reading →
Muller: Utterly Unwarranted To Conclude Against Ordo Salutis
It is utterly unwarranted, moreover, to conclude from the pedagogical arrangement of the Institutes that Calvin “deliberately subverts any chronological” or other ordering of salvation “by not only putting sanctification first, followed by justification, but by placing predestination last” on the ground . . . Continue reading →
On Calvin’s Birthday: The Biography Channel Is Wrong (Updated)
Today is John Calvin’s birthday. He was born in 1509, in Noyon. In his honor let us watch a video and discuss it. [Editor’s Note: In 2013 someone posted a video featuring the American church historian Martin Marty discussing John Calvin. That . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: There Are Two Parts In Christianity
Now, by these words the Apostle shows that there are two parts in Christianity which correspond with the two tables of the Law. Therefore, he who separates the one from the other, has nothing but what is mutilated and mangled. And hence . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On Tasting Of The Powers Of The Age To Come And Falling Away
But here arises a new question, how can it be that he who has once made such a progress should afterwards fall away? For God, it may be said, calls none effectually but the elect, and Paul testifies that they are really . . . Continue reading →
Calvin’s Law-Gospel Hermeneutic In Hebrews 6
He calls it a tasting of the good word of God; by which he means, that the will of God is therein revealed, not in any sort of way, but in such a way as sweetly to delight us; in short, by . . . Continue reading →
Roman Catholic Scholar Converts to Evangelical Faith
Dateline Paris, 1534. © Paris News Service By Guy LaFontaine Jean Calvin, 25, of Noyon, a leading scholar of the classics and law student in the University of Paris, has reportedly converted to the evangelical cause. A classicist with a bright future . . . Continue reading →
The “Calvin As Tyrant Meme”
For a fellow who has been dead since 1564 and for a movement that, socially considered, is little more than a demographic blip (about 500,000 people in North America) Calvin and Calvinism continue to receive a remarkable amount of attention in the . . . Continue reading →
Muller on Calvin’s Doctrine of Union with Christ Through Faith
“Calvin’s understanding of union with Christ, as accomplished by the work of the Spirit through faith, was foundational to his soteriological expression from the time of the second edition of his Institutes and the initial publication of his Romans commentary. Given, moreover, . . . Continue reading →
The Long-Term Success Depended On the Company Of Pastors
John Calvin was undoubtedly the leading theologian and chief architect of Geneva’s Protestant church in the 16th century. But the long-term success of his religious program depended in large part on the company of reformed ministers who worked alongside Calvin with daily . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On Instruments: "Stupid Imitation"
The musical instruments he mentions pertained to the time of instruction.1 Nor should we stupidly imitate a practice which was proper only for God’s old [covenant] people…. They were for use under the legal cult.2 John Calvin, From his commentary on Ps . . . Continue reading →
Renée of France
A Study in the Difficulty of Reformation
UPDATE January 30, 2013: This volume is now available at Amazon. It is tempting sometimes to think of the Reformation as a magical event. Luther re-discovered glorious truths and all of Europe swooned. Of course that’s not what happened. There was resistance . . . Continue reading →
Do You See How He Makes This Distinction Between Law And Gospel?
Do you see how he makes this the distinction between law and gospel: that the former attributes righteousness to works, the latter bestows free righteousness apart from the help of works? This is an important passage, and one that can extricate us . . . Continue reading →