Analytical Paper #1

Calvin’s Atonement
Submitted to Dr. Kenneth Reid
THE 710

Max Spoelstra
October 20th, 2022

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A summary of Calvin’s theology of atonement

Calvin’s theology begins with the knowledge of a perfect God, and the knowledge of

mankind. Because of the corruption of sin, humanity falls short of their divine purpose, and

shamefully fails to compare the its perfect Creator. Atonement then, to Calvin, has everything to

do with the restored relationship between God and mankind. Through the atoning work of Christ,

mankind can experience a right relationship with God according to His grace, divinely ordained

for His people. Calvin sees a number of crucial points of discussion in relationship with this

process, which will be examined below.

God’s love, grace, and justice.

There are a few characteristics of God that form the foundation of atonement for Calvin.

First and foremost, Calvin’s theology of atonement starts with the understanding of God’s justice

and wrath against sin and sinners. Because of God’s righteousness, and his role as judge and the

executed of justice, He is hostile towards sin, and equipped and armed to destroy the wicked and

sinful. He argues that without a full understanding of this righteous wrath, God’s grace cannot be

fully recognized. With a biblical understanding of our depraved state in sin, the wrath that we

anticipate as judgement for our sin, and the utter hopelessness we have in our own power, we can

more fully appreciate the abundance of mercy that God demonstrate in offering us his love and

salvation. (Institutes, 504-505.)

However, Calvin also notes that the character of God’s abundant love precedes His

process for atonement and reconciliation. God’s love was not a change in character, from hatred

to fatherly affection at the moment of salvation. Instead, it was His loving grace that initiated His

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work to restore humanity to himself. In other words, His love is the motivating source for

sending His Son, not simply the result of the work of Christ in the believer. (Institutes, 506)

God’s love for us was established before the creation of the world, and continued even in our

enmity and rebellion against Him. For Calvin, the work of Christ must be completely and fully

rooted in God’s grace.

The Works of the Law

The works of the law provided a means for atonement for Israel. God’s people could

experience a right relationship with God through the keeping of the first covenant, and through

the sacrificial system of the Law. However, the law placed any man who sought righteousness

through the law under the curse of obligation to it. Since every man falls short of the law, so they

are subject to the curse of the law. That’s not to say that salvation was impossible until the time

of Christ. Rather, true faith in God and His grace and His promises were a faith in the person of

Christ that had yet to come. Therefore, faith could be salvific for mankind through their faith in

Christ, though Christ was unknown to them. (Institutes, 345-346) Yet the Law brings into light

the condemnation of sin, demonstrates the short falling of mankind, and proves the necessity for

a grace that only God can provide. Under the law, mankind is subject to the curse of God’s

wrath.

Reconciliation through Christ

But because of his preexisting love for us, Jesus Christ administers atonement through his

sacrifice. Although deserving of no such death, he obediently took our place in humiliation,

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subjecting himself to condemnation and suffering, and experiencing the wrath and judgement of

God and separation from the Father. Jesus took on the curse of the law on mankind’s behalf. And

in doing so, his blood satisfies the wrath and justice of God, allowing for and working in

mankind’s hearts for the reconciliation between God and His people.

Many conversations regarding this atoning work surrounds the reach and limits of

Christ’s sacrifice for humanity. Calvin holds that God’s grace must be the initiator of His work

and salvation, and therefore He knew in the foundations of the world who he would. However,

this doesn’t mean that Christ’s sacrifice was insufficient for the whole world. Salvation through

Christ is an offering to all, and is sufficient for all people. But effectively, according to Calvin,

only those who God has chosen to illuminate their hearts through grace are able to believe and

accept it the atoning work and experience a reconciled relationship with God.

Blessings extended through Christ

If atonement is a restored relationship with the Father, through Christ, then naturally in its

completion, the believer receives the benefits of participating in that relationship with God. He

identifies a number of blessings that the believer experiences, not because of their status before

God, but because of the status of Christ in their place. Through Christ mankind can live in

righteousness, with Jesus as the advocate and intercessor in heaven, have access to the work and

power of the Holy Spirit, and experience new life and transformation.

Analysis of Calvin’s Commentaries

Romans 5:10;13-18

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Calvin’s commentary on Romans provides a few profound insights into his view of

Christ’s role in the restored relationship between God and humanity. While the

First, Romans 5:10 demonstrates an issue for Calvin’s confession that God’s love was

established for humanity before reconciliation took place, saying that we were “enemies” to God.

Calvin defends this, though, demonstrating that while God’s hatred for sin extends to us insofar

as we are sinners, He yet has chosen us to be recipients of His mercy through Christ. Yet, until

that sacrifice is accepted and taken into affect, we are yet subject to the same wrath and status as

enemies. Regardless, God demonstrates His love in the midst of our enmity towards him

(Romans 5:8), and through the sacrifice of His Son we can receive favor from the Father.

Second, commenting on verses 12-18, Calvin explores Paul’s understanding of Christ’s

work in comparison to Adam’s sin. Through this, he examines in more depth the extent of

Christ’s work. Paul, in this section, compares and contrasts the work of Adam (who through his

sin brought sin and condemnation into the world for many) and Christ (who through is perfection

and sacrifice brought a free gift of grace for many). The focus of Calvin, here, is in the quantity

of those who receive condemnation through Adam, and the more potent and abundant salvation

made available through Jesus’ free gift of life. Defending against those who would claim that

Paul here is establishing that Christ’s redemption effectively applies to all, Calvin is careful to

make a distinction between Christ’s universal offer of grace, extended to the world, and the

limited extent to which God has graciously ordained that individuals accept that offer. Faith is

still required to incur the benefits of Jesus’s gift of grace and experience a restored relationship

with the Father.

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Galatians 3:10-13

Calvin demonstrates in his commentary in Galatians how through faith we experience

oneness with the Son of God. This is a rescue from being under the weight and restrictions of the

law (which Calvin attributes to slavery), and into becoming free as children of God. Under the

law, we experience the curse of sin, condemnation for our transgressions, and an inability to fully

participate in relationship with God, because of our continued sin. But through faith in Christ, as

Calvin elaborates on Paul’s explanation, we are so closely identified with him that we bear his

name and character. Our relationship with God becomes as Christ’s relationship with the father,

regardless of our insufficiencies.

Evaluation with Calvin’s theology

I find myself in agreement with a many points of interest in Calvin’s understanding of

atonement. A part of this is because I think that he has a sound sense of the core Gospel of Christ.

One point of agreement that was impactful to me was that of God’s initiating grace and the

benefits of reconciliation with God. Calvin has a strong emphasis on God’s love as the source of

power that initiates salvation, and I believe rightly so. In order to maintain that God’s character is

eternal and immutable, one must hold fast to the claim that His love for us in eternal and constant

from before Creation. This is supported in Scripture, even in Psalm 139 in which the psalmist

acknowledges that God intimately knew and created him, well before he could make any sort of

motion to initiate a relationship of reconciliation with God.

I also found myself appreciating his understanding of sin, the curse of the law, and

satisfaction of God’s justice. Often, in our modern church culture, the topic of our sin and

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depravity is avoided and treated as taboo, not to speak on the scarcity that God’s judgement and

wrath is appropriately taught from the pulpit. However, Calvin holds a healthy boldness in his

view of sin, and the importance that it has to understand and appreciate the Lord’s grace. Without

fully comprehending the weight of our own sin, we can’t understand the gravity of Christ’s

sacrifice on the cross. I think that Calvin understood that well, and so the fear of the Lord wasn’t

a polemic or tool he used to enforce behavioral order, but a proper motivation to pursue grace

and righteousness.

Knowing and understanding some of the theology of Calvinists today, I expected more

disagreement and discomfort with Calvin’s views on the extent of Christ’s atonement. However,

I found myself not feeling as though he intentionally made any case that Christ’s sacrifice was

necessarily insufficient for the whole of humanity. Instead, Calvin’s stance was that it was

sufficient for the whole world, yet it only is in effect for those who God graciously appointed to

receive it. This feels as though it could be interpreted in both directions. Specifically as it

pertains to the potency and superiority of Christ’s power over that of sin, I think that this

distinction is crucial. Although all of humanity won’t accept or receive the redemptive power of

Christ, this isn’t a demonstration of Christ’s power being limited.

Lessons regarding Christian growth and ministry

In my own personal growth in Christ, I found tremendous benefit in reflecting on the

impact of my sin and the separation that it causes between myself and God. Additionally,

Calvin’s focus on the hopelessness of the law is convicting for me. I find myself living in what is

controllable and comfortable, attempting to pursue righteousness on my own terms, yet

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continuing to fall short. Calvin’s idea of atonement is a focus and acceptance of grace, through

faith, and that alone.

From a ministerial standpoint, I was convicted in my timidness to share and teach

regarding sin and God’s judgement. For many in my church tradition, we avoid heavy handed

explanations of God’s wrath and judgement in order to focus on the love of God, and His desire

for a relationship with mankind. But that love, as Calvin demonstrates, is actually emphasized by

his hatred of sin, and his righteous judgement; that as much as he detests sin and we are hopeless

to save ourselves from it, he took that same judgment upon himself simply so that we could be

restored as heirs in his sight.

Bibliography:

Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Ed. John T. McNeil. Trans. Ford Lewis Battles.
2 vols. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960.

Calvin, John. Commentary on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians. Trans.
William Pringle. Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle.

Calvin, John. Calvin’s Writings on Romans: The Expansive Commentary Collection. 2017.
Kindle.

Allen, David L. The Extent of the Atonement: A Historical and Critical Review. Nashville, TN:
B&H Academic, 2016.