Question about John Calvin

[progressivegal]

Hi, I have a question that I hope someone can anser for me. I attend a Christian reformed church, though only about half (if that many) of the members actually consider themselves to be Christian Reformed (personally I am kind of on the fence about reformed theology). Anyway, a while ago our pastor was giving a really great sermon about unity, and he gave a brief history about different denominations and how they where started. When he mentioned John Calvin all he said was that he put the bible into the vernacular. I always thought that Martin Luther was credited with putting the bible into the vernacular? Can anyone explain this to me? I'm curious because my knowledge of John Calvin is basically limited to my European Civilizations class in college, but I don't remember ever hearing about him being cretided for this particular thing. Can anyone clarify?

 

[heymikey80]

Sure, I can clarify. John Calvin first systematized Reformation thought into "Institutes of the Christian Religion". He started the French Reformation, which incurred the most brutal repression among the Reformers. He started the Reformation in Switzerland and it was instrumental for Reformation in Holland, Scotland, England, and North America.

Calvin's organizing principle was on the Free Grace of God. He embraced Luther's view of justification by faith alone, through Christ alone. His view of church reform was more thoroughgoing than Luther's, to where Calvin instituted reforms of church liturgy, individual practice, and government within and without the church. He instituted church government by elders.

Calvin isn't generally acclaimed for translation of Scripture into the vernacular. Martin Luther and Tyndale are normally given this credit, and rightly so. I believe Calvin worked on a French translation, but I'm unaware how popular it was. French Reformers -- Huguenots -- were largely blotted out by persecution (cf. St. bartholomew's day massacre, http://history.hanover.edu/texts/barth.htm ), though at one time they represented nearly 10% of the French population.

I hope it helps. People castigate Calvin so, because he is so huge a figure.

 

[progressivegal]

Sure, I can clarify. John Calvin first systematized Reformation thought into "Institutes of the Christian Religion". He started the French Reformation, which incurred the most brutal repression among the Reformers. He started the Reformation in Switzerland and it was instrumental for Reformation in Holland, Scotland, England, and North America.

Calvin's organizing principle was on the Free Grace of God. He embraced Luther's view of justification by faith alone, through Christ alone. His view of church reform was more thoroughgoing than Luther's, to where Calvin instituted reforms of church liturgy, individual practice, and government within and without the church. He instituted church government by elders.

Calvin isn't generally acclaimed for translation of Scripture into the vernacular. Martin Luther and Tyndale are normally given this credit, and rightly so. I believe Calvin worked on a French translation, but I'm unaware how popular it was. French Reformers -- Huguenots -- were largely blotted out by persecution (cf. St. bartholomew's day massacre, http://history.hanover.edu/texts/barth.htm ), though at one time they represented nearly 10% of the French population.

I hope it helps. People castigate Calvin so, because he is so huge a figure.

Thank you for that information, it's very helpful

 

[Paleoconservatarian]

Calvin isn't generally acclaimed for translation of Scripture into the vernacular. Martin Luther and Tyndale are normally given this credit, and rightly so. I believe Calvin worked on a French translation, but I'm unaware how popular it was.

This is perhaps beside the point, but didn't Jan Hus also translate the Bible into the vernacular (Czech)?

 

[EvAnglican]

Sure, I can clarify. John Calvin first systematized Reformation thought into "Institutes of the Christian Religion". He started the French Reformation, which incurred the most brutal repression among the Reformers. He started the Reformation in Switzerland and it was instrumental for Reformation in Holland, Scotland, England, and North America.

Calvin's organizing principle was on the Free Grace of God. He embraced Luther's view of justification by faith alone, through Christ alone. His view of church reform was more thoroughgoing than Luther's, to where Calvin instituted reforms of church liturgy, individual practice, and government within and without the church. He instituted church government by elders.

What I have found quite interesting is that Calvin's legacy (amongst non-Calvinists) is the doctrine of predestination - yet this was quite a minor work for him, accounting for only 4 chapters out of 80 in Institutes of Christian Religion. Much of the doctrine that is attributed to him, was actually the work of his followers, known as hyper-Calvinists.

I'm only just reading about Calvin now, but these are two things that stood out to me.

 

[AndOne]

Much of the doctrine that is attributed to him, was actually the work of his followers, known as hyper-Calvinists.

 

[Proeliator]

He started the Reformation in Switzerland and it was instrumental for Reformation in Holland, Scotland, England, and North America.

Didnt Zwingli start the reformation in Switzerland, and die for it?

 

[HiredGoon]

This is perhaps beside the point, but didn't Jan Hus also translate the Bible into the vernacular (Czech)?

I don't know that Hus himself was responsible for the vernacular translation, but his followers (Hussites) did translate the Bible to their vernacular. Hus had been influenced by the ideas of John Wycliffe, whom had made a vernacular translation into the English of his day. And of course much earlier Jerome's Vulgate was a translation from Greek and Hebrew to the vernacular Latin of his day.

 

[drstevej]

Hi, I have a question that I hope someone can anser for me. I attend a Christian reformed church, though only about half (if that many) of the members actually consider themselves to be Christian Reformed (personally I am kind of on the fence about reformed theology). Anyway, a while ago our pastor was giving a really great sermon about unity, and he gave a brief history about different denominations and how they where started. When he mentioned John Calvin all he said was that he put the bible into the vernacular. I always thought that Martin Luther was credited with putting the bible into the vernacular? Can anyone explain this to me? I'm curious because my knowledge of John Calvin is basically limited to my European Civilizations class in college, but I don't remember ever hearing about him being cretided for this particular thing. Can anyone clarify?

It was Luther that translated the bible into German and that translation is still considered one of the great works of translation by scholars today.

Calvin's Works comprise 59 volumes but he did not undertake a translation of the Bible. He did write commentaries on most of the New Testament.

No wonder few in your church consider themselves Reformed if the pastor does not know Luther from Calvin. I would suggest picking up a book or two by RC Sproul and give one as a belated Christmas present to your pastor.

 

[HiredGoon]

Didnt Zwingli start the reformation in Switzerland, and die for it?

You're right, Calvin did not start the reformation in Switzerland, he didn't even start the reformation in Geneva, he just continued the work that had been begun earlier by men like Farel. Zwingli was one of the main early reformers in Switzerland, influenced by the German reformation, he began his work in Zurich before Calvin arrived in Switzerland. Zwingli was killed in battle in 1531 leading the Zurich forces against the united Swiss Catholic cantons. He was succeeded by Henirich Bullinger.

 

[drstevej]

Didnt Zwingli start the reformation in Switzerland, and die for it?

That is true for Zurich. He argued the case for Protestantism before the town council and the town embraced the reformation.

He was killed in the battle of Kappel in 1531...

Heinrich Bullinger succeeded Ulrich Zwingli as pastor of the Grossmünster after the latter’s death in the battle of Kappel in 1531.

The following account of Zwingli’s death was written by Bullinger.

On the battlefield, not far from the line of attack, Mr. Ulrich Zwingli lay under the dead and wounded. While men were looting … he was still alive, lying on his back, with his hands together as if he was praying, and his eyes looking upwards to heaven. So some approached who did not know him and asked him, since he was so weak and close to death (for he had fallen in combat and was stricken with a mortal wound), whether a priest should be fetched to hear his confession. Thereat Zwingli shook his head, said nothing and looked up to heaven.

Later they told him that if he was no longer able to speak or confess he should yet have the mother of God in his heart and call on the beloved saints to plead to God for grace on his behalf Again Zwingli shook his head and continued gazing straight up to heaven. At this the Catholics grew impatient, cursed him and said that he was one of the obstinate cantankerous heretics and should get what he deserved.

Then Captain F. of Unterwalden appeared and in exasperation drew his sword and gave Zwingli a thrust from which he at once died. So the renowned Mr. Ulrich Zwingli, true minister and servant of the churches of Zurich, was found wounded on the battlefield along with his flock (with whom he remained until his death).

There, because of his confession of the true faith in Christ, our only Saviour, the mediator and advocate of all believers, he was killed by a captain who was a pensioner, one of those against whom he had always preached so eloquently.
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[drstevej]

What I have found quite interesting is that Calvin's legacy (amongst non-Calvinists) is the doctrine of predestination - yet this was quite a minor work for him, accounting for only 4 chapters out of 80 in Institutes of Christian Religion. Much of the doctrine that is attributed to him, was actually the work of his followers, known as hyper-Calvinists.

I'm only just reading about Calvin now, but these are two things that stood out to me.

Calvin's views were expanded after his death. For example, RT Kendall's book Calvinism and English Calvinism to 1649 presents the following thesis:

those who formed the Westminster Confession of Faith, which is regarded as Calvinism, in fact departed from John Calvin on two points (1) the extent of the Atonement and (2) the ground of assurance of salvation.

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He also argues...

that the English "Puritans," who he calls 'experimental predestinarians,' were followers of John Calvin's successor in Geneva, Theodore Beza, and not of Calvin himself. RT Kendall maintains that what became known as English Calvinism was largely the thought of Beza, not Calvin. His book is an important clarification of Calvin's position in relation to those who have been regarded as his followers.
​

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Neither of these developments is hyper-Calvinism and the Westminster Confession is quite mainstream. The term hyper-Calvinism is imprecise and usually is used of anyone more Calvinistic than ones-self. I find it usually unproductive of much more than an argument.


That if some disciples became hyper it is the Law of the Offspring (as articulated by the Kingfish on the Amos and Andy show) at work... namely "the offspring always springs off higher than what it sprung off of."

 

[Proeliator]

*does the happy dance at being right for once*