I will bow down toward your holy temple
and I will praise your name
for your love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
~Psalm 138
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
~2 Timothy 2:15
Let the pastors boldly dare all things by the word of God. . . . Let them constrain all the power, glory, and excellence of the world to give place to and to obey the divine majesty of this word. Let them enjoin everyone by it, from the highest to the lowest. Let them edify the body of Christ. Let them devastate Satan's reign. Let them pasture the sheep, kill the wolves, instruct and exhort the rebellious. Let them bind and loose thunder and lightning, if necessary, but let them do all according to the word of God
~John Calvin
Luther was not the only one that God rose up for the purpose of bringing reform to His beloved Church. In Switzerland, a man by the name of John Calvin created a legacy which still can be felt today. On July 10, 1509, Calvin was born in Noyon, France (Piper, 122). At first he studied theology at the University of Paris as his father had urged him. This changed in five years when after having a conflict with the church, Calvin’s father instead persuaded him to study law at Orleans and Bourges. Calvin would later return to the study of theology in Paris upon his father’s death (Piper, 122).
During this time in Paris, Calvin encountered some of Luther’s teachings which the Lord used to open his eyes for His glory to shine through (Lindt, 380). The young man became so impacted that all other authority faded in comparison to that of God’s Word (Piper, 124). Like Luther before him, Calvin became committed to the truth of the Word of God. He decided to teach the gospel solely and taught several who would gather around him (Henry, 337). The association with Lutheran doctrines led Calvin to share in the growing persecution. This forced him to flee from Paris, migrating throughout France before leaving the country in exile. He settled in Basel, Switzerland (Henry, 338). Here Calvin completed the first of five editions of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, laying out the essentials of the Reformed faith (Henry, 338). He desired to educate people concerning the faith that many were dying for in the persecution (Piper, 128). He purposed to become a literary scholar and promote Reformed doctrines, though God had a different purpose for the reformer.
Calvin planned to go to Strasbourg and settle so that he would be able to continue his work in his writing. However, God prevented him from ever arriving there. The road into the town was blocked due to the current war between Charles V and Francis I so he was unable to enter the town. This led him to take a detour through Geneva (Piper, 129). This was a place he had never intended to stay or even travel through. Here the reformer learned God’s plan for him.
In his first night in the city, Calvin received a visit from William Farel, the leader of the Reformation there who attempted to persuade him to join in their reform. While at first unconvincing, Farel in a deep voice pronounced a curse on Calvin that scared him enough to declare that he felt as if God Himself had grabbed him (Henry, 338; Piper, 129). From this point on, Calvin’s ministry was the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, which he relentlessly labored at unwaveringly. He began as Professor of Sacred Scripture and then became the Pastor of St. Peter’s church (Piper, 130). However, this role would prove to be more challenging than the reformer could ever had imagined and pose more problems than he would have wished.
A dispute arose between Calvin and the people of Geneva when the pastor called the people to swear their allegiance to a statement of faith in which the Genevans refused (Lindt, 380). The disagreement resulted in the people banishing Calvin and two others from the city (Henry, 336). However, God was not finished with Calvin yet. Also, this would not be his last service to the people of Geneva. Heading back to Strasbourg, Calvin came in contact with Martin Bucer who persuaded him to minister to a church in the city where he served for three years. It was also during these years that the Lord blessed the reformer with a wife (Piper, 130).
Things progressed worse in Geneva and the people realized that they needed Calvin’s leadership after all. They revoked the ban and invited him back to minister to them. Once again, Calvin was reluctant to return to face the people and their many problems. However, his complete surrender to God drew him back (Piper, 131). Regardless of his emotions, he decided to be obedient. This time, Calvin created drastic changes in the organization of the church and the state to ensure that the church would be given authority by the state (Henry, 339). Never completely rid of its problems, Calvin maintained faithful in serving the congregation until the end of his life in 1564 at the age of 55 (Henry, 340-341).
Separating Calvin from those leaders which preceded him and several which follow is his strong commitment to the expository preaching of Scripture. Calvin held Scripture to such high esteem that he believed it should be taught verse by verse straight through each book. He would preach ten sermons every two weeks (Piper, 138). He believed that this was the best way to counter the downplaying of God’s Word, guard against adding any of his thoughts to God’s Word, and reveal the majesty of the glory of God as He has revealed Himself in His Word (Piper, 140-141). Calvin evidenced such a commitment upon his return to Geneva after his banishment in picking up preaching on the verse he had left off three years prior (Piper, 139). Personally, this has made a tremendous impact on me as a reminder of the importance the Word of God plays in the pastor’s ministry. Being God’s Word it must be treated with honor. The role of the pastor first and foremost is to make sure to Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Calvin modeled such a serious study of God’s Word in his exegesis and exposition.
Calvin left the church with a vast amount of his teachings, having completed commentaries on 27 books of the Old Testament and every New Testament book with the exceptions of 2, 3 John and Revelation. His Institutes of the Christian Religion still remain widely read and used to teach many Christians today the doctrines he explained from God’s Word. In his later years, the Reform movement began to grow as Reformed congregations were being formed and several churches espousing similar organization and doctrines survive and thrive today (Henry, 340). Such an impact does not appear to be waning anytime soon.
-Henry, Dr. P. “John Calvin.” Lives of the Leaders of Our Church Universal: From the Days of the Successors of the Apostles to the Present Time. Eds. Dr. Ferdinand Piper and Henry Mitchell Maccracken. Philadelphia, PA: Lutheran Publication House, 1879.
-Lindt, A. “John Calvin.” Introduction to the History of Christianity. Ed. Tim Dowley. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2002.
-Piper, John. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God’s Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000.
~Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!!!
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