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 Studies
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 →
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 →
Calvin: God Works Effectually Where The Spirit Illuminates The Heart
At the same time, as he works not effectually in all, but only where the Spirit, the inward teacher, illuminates the heart, he subjoins, to every one who believes. The gospel is indeed offered to all for their salvation but the power . . . Continue reading →
Calvin as Theologian of Consolation (Pt 5)
Part 4: Consolation And Pastoral Ministry IV. Consolation Preached In part one of this series we considered Calvin’s interpretation of several biblical passages on consolation. In part two we looked at how he harvested a theology of consolation from his exegetical work. . . . Continue reading →
Calvin as Theologian of Consolation (Pt 4)
Part 3: His Theology of Consolation in The Institutes. III. Consolation and Pastoral Ministry For Calvin, christian consolation is not only a theological reality but it is also the result of good pastoral practice. Christians often fail to appropriate the consolation they . . . Continue reading →
Calvin As Theologian of Consolation (Pt 3)
II. His Theology of Consolation (1559 Institutes) In the previous installment we looked at the way Calvin read Paul’s epistles and how he drew from them a doctrine of consolation, of God’s presence with his people in Christ, by the Spirit, in . . . Continue reading →
Calvin As Theologian of Consolation (Pt 2)
Part 1: Introduction to Calvin’s Life and His Own Need for Comfort I. Calvin’s Exegesis of Consolation (in Paul) In the first part we saw that Calvin was a pilgrim who himself needed the consolation of the gospel, given by the Spirit, . . . Continue reading →
Calvin As Theologian of Consolation (Pt 1)
Wikipedia, that ubiquitous source of unimpeachable scholarship, defines “consolation” as “something of value, when one fails to get something of higher value….” That is precisely the opposite of what John Calvin (1509–64) meant by “consolation.”For Calvin, the consolation that Christ gives to . . . Continue reading →
Calvin on “Not Having a Righteousness of My Own”
He says, that believers have no righteousness of their own. Now, it cannot be denied, that if there were any righteousness of works, it might with propriety be said to be ours. Hence he leaves no room whatever for the righteousness of . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On A Mistaken Confidence In Works
We, too, when treating of the righteousness of faith, do not contend against the substance of works, but against that quality with which the sophists invest them,1 inasmuch as they contend that men are justified by them. Paul, therefore, divested himself—not of . . . Continue reading →
Was Calvin A Homosexual Convict?
Recently a correspondent wrote to ask about the following: “An interesting story: in 1527, the year he was 18, Calvin was arrested, tried, and convicted of homosexual activity. Instead of being executed (per French law at the time), he was branded with . . . Continue reading →
It’s Here: Muller on Calvin and the Reformed Tradition
This is going to be fun. Anyone who is interested in the history of Reformed theology, in finding out what the classical Reformed authors (of which Calvin was one) actually said, must get to grips with the work of Richard Muller. By . . . Continue reading →
Why Did the Geneva Consistory Insist on Biblical Names at Baptism?
Matt Tuininga, a friend and former student, has an interesting post at Christian in America in which he tells about the conflict between the consistory and some of the people in Geneva over the question of how the people should name their children. . . . Continue reading →