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Calvin was used by the Holy Spirit to restore sound doctrinal teaching to the church to counter false papal teaching that had blighted the church for the previous 1000 years. He was a theological pioneer who rebuilt a new theological structure on the correct foundation (Christ).A good example of how theolgians are just one person themselves, we really shouldn't Paul and Apollos them. Perhaps instead of studying books of dead people of a dead culture, practical lessons should take priority in religious teaching.
We have to realise that Calvin's theology was a new framework built upon the true Gospel of Christ. It wasn't the complete building. Since Calvin, the Holy Spirit has progressively to the framework to restore truth to the church that was lost when the church went apostate under papal rule.
For example:
Luther restored "the just shall live by faith", but fell short of holiness. This was because religion was based totally on works, and his theology was to totally counter it.
Calvin built on it by introducing the importance of living a holy life as well as being justified by faith.
The Puritans built on Calvin by stressing the importance of a genuine conversion to Christ that needs to be sought for from God.
Wesley introduced full sanctification by faith through the baptism with the Spirit (a central doctrine of the Wesleyan Holiness movement).
The Anabaptists introduced the importance of believers' baptism which evolved into the Baptist movement.
George Whitefield and Charles Finney introduced the importance of evangelism and seekers making their own decision for Christ.
The Pentecostals introduced the availability of the Spiritual gifts to every believer.
The Charismatics introduced all the above that can be part of any of the traditional denominations without having to form a new denomination.
What still needs to be introduced to the church is the cancellation of a clergy and hierarchy structure and the restoration of a presbytery of elders running local churches, without a "pre-eminent senor elder", with the involvement of all the members, instead of the one-man-band structure that exists in most churches today. This will be the restoration of the Body of Christ as Paul described it in 1 Corinthians 12.
With every truth that is being restored to the church, initially there is emphasis on it, probably over-emphasis, but that is normal when fresh revelation of truth that was in the Early Church, but is now revealed important for today's church, is discovered. A good example is when after decades of neglect of the Law, a king discovered in a dusty part of the Temple, a copy of the Law, and upon reading it realised how far they had departed from what God prescribed in the Law, and there was a major nationwide revival centred around what was written. It was a vitally important truth that was restored to Israel at the time, so much emphasis was placed upon it. But once everything calmed down, the Law then bonded into the normal fabric of life and worship in the nation.
Such as today. While we have churches that still over-emphasize their part of the truth and make it so important that some teach that one cannot be saved without it. Many other churches just incorporate evangelism, justification by faith, holiness of living, sanctification by faith, believers' baptism, continuance of the gifts as integral components of church and personal life. Everything in its correct place and balance.
I'm sure that members will get some fun kicking all that around in subsequent posts!
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