Calvin – A Sweetener, a Cataract, Absolutely Chinese

Since today is John Calvin’s 500th Birthday, we have a wonderful opportunity to celebrate a man who reminded us of the majesty of God. Here are some striking statements various theologians have made concerning Calvin.

Cotton Mather was asked why he was reading late into the night during his later years, in contrast to his early years where he did not do it very much. He replied,

"Because I love to sweeten my mouth with a piece of Calvin before I go to sleep." ^[1]

Professor John Murray said,

“Calvin was an exegete and biblical theologian of the first rank.

“The greatest and best theologian who has most accurately apprehended the meaning of the statements of scripture – who by comparing and combining them, has most fully and correctly brought out the whole mind of God on all the topics on which the scriptures give us information – who classifies and digests the truths of Scripture in the way best fitted to commend to the apprehension and acceptance of men.

"He is always careful to take account of the unity and harmony of Scripture teaching. His expositions are not therefore afflicted with the vice of expounding particular passages without respect to the teaching of scripture elsewhere and without respect to the system of truth set forth in the Word of God.

"Upon our reading of the Institutes, we shall immediately discover the profound sense of the majesty of God, veneration for the Word of God, and the jealous care for faithful exposition and systematization which were marked features of the author…. The Instutes are infused with the warmth of godly fear." ^[2]

Michael Haykin says,

“The Reformation was not merely about justification through faith alone but, more importantly, it considered "...whether sinners are wholly helpless in their sin, and whether God is to be thought of as saving them by free, unconditional, invincible grace, not only justifying them for Christ's sake when they come to faith, but also raising them from the death of sin by His quickening Spirit in order to bring them to faith."

Even Karl Barth who rejected the authority of Scripture and opposed the entire legacy of John Calvin acknowledged the astonishing stature and contribution of his life.

"Calvin is a cataract, a primeval forest, a demonic power, something directly down from Himalaya, absolutely Chinese, strange, mythological; I lack completely the means, the suction cups, even to assimilate this phenomenon, not to speak of presenting it adequately. What I receive is only a thin little stream and what I can then give out again is only a yet thinner extract of this little stream. I could gladly and profitably set myself down and spend all the rest of my life just with Calvin" ^[3]

The Protestant reformation reached far beyond the doctrine of justification by faith alone, for it opened up the discussion of biblical truth for all areas of life. We saw this with particular clarity in John Calvin’s experience in Geneva. I have just written a book on the subject, “Family Reformation – The Legacy of Sola Scriptura in Calvin’s Geneva.” The Catholic church had established practices for family life including courtship, engagement, sexual standards, marriage, and family. Calvin challenged them during the reformation and a reformation of family life was the result.
 

1. From, John Calvin, A heart For Devotion Doctrine and Doxology, Edited by Burk Parsons

2. John Murray, Professor Systematic Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia Pa

3. Letter to Eduard Thurneysen, June 8, 1922