The Life and Legacy of John Calvin

In the summer of 1536, the journey of a small caravan to Strasbourg was diverted southdue to military maneuvers between France and Spain. John Calvin had planned to stopover for only a night at Geneva and move on quickly in search of serenity to pursue hisstudies. But upon learning of Calvin’s arrival, the fiery reformer Guillaume Farel urgedthe young French scholar to assist in completing the reformation he had started in the cityearlier that year. Undaunted by Calvin’s excuse that he was more suited for literary pursuits, Farel came to the point of threatening a divine curse on the leisurely studies hewas seeking if he would refuse to help in such a grave moment of need. Calvin was sooverwhelmed that he changed his plan and decided to stay on.

From that moment, hislife became intertwined with that of the city.

Tim Dowley, editor;

A Lion Handbook: The History of Christianity

, (Lion Publishing: Oxford, 2007), page 380 – 381

The ruling authorities appointed him as “Professor of Sacred Scriptures” and Calvinvigorously prepared a confession of faith to be accepted by everyone who wished to be acitizen. However, he met with stiff resistance over the issue of whether the church or themagistrates have the power to excommunicate. The secular authorities had little interestin granting the clergy such powers. In less than two years, both Farel and Calvin weredefeated and expelled from the city. As a result, he spent three happy and formative yearsin Strasbourg as pastor of a congregation of French refugees and husband of Idelette deBuren, a converted Anabaptist widow. It was during this time that he thoroughly revisedand expanded his most important publication

The

Institutes of the Christian Religion,

which had been an overnight bestseller. Its main purpose was catechetical, that is, to“prepare and train students in theology for the study of the divine Word”. Since persecution broke out in France, Calvin also addressed the book to the king in hope thathe would adopt a more tolerant approach. Many would consider it as the clearest, mostreadable and most formidable exposition of Protestant doctrine produced in theReformation era. Its translation into French had a similar effect on the languagecomparable to Luther’s Bible in German or the King James Bible in English.When pro-reform Genevans regained power in the city councils, Calvin was urged toreturn and continue his work. Martin Bucer, the reformer at Strasbourg, was reported tohave employed Farel’s earlier strategy: If Calvin refused to resume his ministry he will beacting like Jonah who tried to run away from God! In September 1541, Calvin reluctantlyaccepted the request and picked up preaching from the Bible passage where he had leftoff three years ago. Timothy George commented, “In this way Calvin signaled that he2

intended his life and his theology to be, not a device of his own making, but a responsiblewitness to the Word of God”.

In terms of church governance, a fourfold office of pastor,teacher, elder and deacon was installed as an essential part of the agreement that took Calvin back to his adopted city. The consistory was formed by the pastors and twelveelders chosen from the city councils as the court for enforcing moral discipline andadjudicating cases of doctrinal error.Although lacking in resources, Calvin worked hard to set up the first integrated, free,state-run education system for everyone, including Catholics.

It was a powerful channelthrough which Reformation ideas were disseminated. Founded in 1559, the GenevanAcademy quickly established itself as an international center for theological scholarship.Persecuted refugees of conscience from France and other parts of Europe found sanctuaryin Geneva and provided a supply of aspiring missionaries eager to bring the gospel back to their homelands. Geneva became a model for rigorous moral lifestyle and center for ministerial instruction. The influential Scottish reformer John Knox even called it “themost perfect school of Christ that ever was on earth since the days of the Apostles”.However Calvin’s leadership was not universally accepted. Many citizens of Geneva probably felt more fear than love towards him for seemingly unwarranted intrusions ineven trivial matters like wearing slashed breeches.

By 1546, fifty eight people were

Timothy George,

Theology of the Reformers

, (Broadman & Holman Publishers: Nashville, Tennessee,1988), page 185

Jonathan Hill,

The New Lion Handbook: The History of Christianity

, (Lion Hudson: Oxford, 2007), page264

Own Chadwick,

The Penguin History of the Church 3: The Reformation

, (Penguin Books: London, 1990), page 88