Skip to main content

John Calvin: Scholar of Grace

By Jonathan Goos - Posted at Continuing Reformation:

“John Calvin” Believed to be authored by Hans Holbein c. 1540 
Hekman Digital Archive.

Everyone knows John Calvin. He is beloved and reviled; the object of praise and respect and the object of scorn and resentment. John Calvin is claimed by Reformed Christians, the Church of England, the Free Will Baptists and Westboro Baptist Church. Indeed, Calvinism has become an utterly useless term. Those who claim to be Calvinists sometimes have little to no relation to each other whatsoever. In his article “Calvin and Calvinism,” Carl Trueman states, “we need to understand that the term ‘Calvinism’ is profoundly unhelpful. It was coined as a polemical tool for tarnishing the reputation of the Reformed, and it is of no real use to modern intellectual history.” (The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Ch. 13) Love him or hate him, John Calvin’s writings continue to shape and change the world as they did during the Reformation.

John Calvin – T Woolnoth after Cornelis Danckerts – 19th Century
Hekman Digital Archives.

Born in Noyon, Picardy in France, John Calvin grew up in a changing world. Renaissance humanism had opened the door to new ideas and Calvin embraced them as he studied for the priesthood and later turned to law at his father’s bidding. Neither really suited Calvin’s aspirations even though he went to some of the finest schools France had to offer. These included the Collège de Montaigu for his priesthood training and Orlèans and Bourges for law. As church historian David Calhoun put it, “He did not want to be priest, and he did not want to be a lawyer either. Young John Calvin wanted to be a scholar. He wanted to write books and have people read them.” (“Business with God: The Life of John Calvin”) Calvin wrote On Mercy as a discourse of Seneca to little reception in 1532 and also started to really delve into the writings of Martin Luther. Calvin’s appropriation of Luther and continued interest in studying the scriptures put him in a place that was ripe for controversy and reformation.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Imprisonment of John Bunyan

Compiled by Angela Wittman, editor Image from Wikipedia John Bunyan ( /ˈbʌnjən/ ; baptised 30 November 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher [1] best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory The Pilgrim's Progress . In addition to The Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan wrote nearly sixty titles, many of them expanded sermons . Bunyan came from the village of Elstow , near Bedford . He had some schooling and at the age of sixteen joined the Parliamentary army during the first stage of the English Civil War . After three years in the army he returned to Elstow and took up the trade of tinker , which he had learned from his father. He became interested in religion after his marriage, attending first the parish church and then joining the Bedford Meeting, a nonconformist group in Bedford, and becoming a preacher. After the restoration of the monarch , when the freedom of nonconformists was curtailed, Bunyan was arrested and spent the ne

Covenant: What is Reformed Theology? with R.C. Sproul

Presented by Ligonier Ministries (YouTube) Description: Are we as Christians saved by works, or by faith alone? The key to understanding what part works and faith play in the drama of redemption is to understand the biblical structure and role of covenants. Without a proper understanding of covenants we fail to grasp the grandeur of Christ’s life and work. In this message, Dr. Sproul gives us the covenantal framework of redemption that finds full resolution in the work of Christ. Direct Link:  Covenant: What is Reformed Theology? with R.C. Sproul - YouTube

C.H. Spurgeon: 'What of My House'

Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house — Acts 16:31 This gospel for a man with a sword at his throat is the gospel for me. This would suit me if I were dying, and it is all that I need while I am living. I look away from self, and sin, and all idea of personal merit, and I trust the LORD Jesus as the Savior whom God has given. I believe in Him, I rest on Him, I accept Him to be my all in all. LORD, I am saved, and I shall be saved to all eternity, for I believe in Jesus. Blessed be Thy name for this. May I daily prove by my life that I am saved from selfishness, and worldliness, and every form of evil. But those last words about my "house": LORD, I would not run away with half a promise when Thou dost give a whole one. I beseech Thee, save all my family. Save the nearest and dearest. Convert the children and the grandchildren, if I have any. Be gracious to my servants and all who dwell under my roof or work for me. Thou makest this promise to