Month: November 2020

Compiled by Dr. Marcus J. Serven 

Who was John Calvin? Many Christians today have distinct impressions of who John Calvin was, but most have never read a single line from his Institutes of the Christian Religion, or benefited from the careful exegesis found in his Commentaries on the Bible, or reflected upon a single salient point from one of his many published sermons. In brief, it must be noted that the reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) has often been misinterpreted, misread, and misunderstood. He is, perhaps, best known for his views on the doctrines of election, predestination, and reprobation. He is also known for his pivotal role in the prosecution of the arch-heretic Michael Servetus (1511-1553) who rejected the Trinity and the deity of Jesus Christ. But, none of these disconnected pieces of information can demonstrate, in my opinion, the true character of the man. And so, who really was John Calvin? Hughes O. Old, a noted scholar of Calvin’s life and theology, states the opinion that, “John Calvin is chiefly remembered as a biblical scholar and a systematic theologian.” (Old, “John Calvin,” in Encyclopedia of the Reformed Faith, 45-48) While it is clear that Calvin distinguished himself through his theological writing and teaching ministry, he also, however, was the preeminent pastor of the city of Geneva during the time of the Protestant Reformation. John T. McNeill notes,

“The office of a true and faithful minister is not only publicly to teach the people over whom he is ordained pastor, but as far as may be, to admonish, exhort, rebuke and console each one in particular.” So wrote John Calvin in a section on Visitation of the Sick in his Liturgy. This is traditional and scriptural language, but Calvin gave to it rare emphasis in many utterances and in the organization of the Church in Geneva. Jean Daniel Benoit, the expert on Calvin’s work in the cure of souls, states boldly that the Genevan Reformer was more pastor than theologian, that, to be exact, he was a theologian in order to be a better pastor. In his whole reforming work he was a shepherd of souls.

McNeill, A History of the Cure of Souls, 197-198

Thus, it was Calvin’s role as a “shepherd of souls” that serves as the best lens by which to explain his indefatigable preaching, his voluminous writings, and his strenuous efforts at reforming the City of Geneva according to the Word of God.

HIS EARLY YEARS: BIRTH AND PREPARATION (1509-1531)

• 1509 – Jean Cauvin is born July 10, 1509 in Noyon, France; he was the second of six children born in the Cauvin family.
• 1513 – Jean’s mother, Jeanne, suddenly dies when he is just 4 years old; his father, Gerard, remarries
• 1521 – with his father’s help on May 19th the young Jean Cauvin, a budding scholar, receives a generous financial benefice from the altar of Gesine in the Cathedral of Noyon
• 1523 – in August he is sent by his father, Gerard, to study at the prestigious University of Paris (14 years old)
• 1526 – the young Jean Cauvin changes his name to reflect his growing ability and expertise in Latin–he becomes known as Johannes Calvinus

• 1528 – Calvin finishes his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College de Montaigu in the University of Paris early in 1528 (18 years old)
• 1528 – Calvin is sent by his father to study law at the University of Orleans
• 1529 – Calvin moves to the University of Bourges to study law under the fiery Italian jurist, Alciat; here he begins a lifetime study of NT Greek
• 1531 – on May 26th Calvin’s father dies, allowing him to return to the University of Paris to study the Bible and Christian theology

IN PARIS: HIS THEOLOGICAL TURNING-POINT (1531-1533)

• 1531 – Calvin enrolls at the College de France studying Greek, Hebrew, the Bible, Church History, and Theology
• 1532 – He returns briefly in May to the University of Orleans and graduates with a degree in law, the Juris Doctorate 
• 1532 – Calvin experiences a “sudden conversion” (the exact date is uncertain)
• 1533 – on November 1st Nicolas Cop, Calvin’s friend from Noyon, preaches his inaugural address as the new Rector of the University of Paris; but immediately flees Paris in the ensuing controversy over his evangelical message
• 1533 – following this Calvin is associated with the fugitive Nicholas Cop and he flees Paris dressed as a farmer

IN FLIGHT: ON THE ROAD AS A FUGITIVE (1534) 

• 1534 – “Calvin’s Wartburg”: during the cold and lengthy Winter months Calvin lays the foundations for the Institutes of the Christian Religion in Louis du Tillet’s library in Angouleme, France
• 1534 – on May 4th Calvin returns to Noyon and formally resigns his benefices breaking with Roman Catholicism (imprisoned for a short time?)
• 1534 – The “Affair of the Placards” occurs on the night of October 17-18th with an ensuing persecution by King Francis I of many French Evangelicals (Huguenots); sadly Calvin loses several close friends

IN BASLE: WRITING THE IMMORTAL “INSTITUTES” (1535-1536)

• 1535 – in January Calvin is safely dwelling in Protestant Basle with the Reformer Oswald Myconius
• 1536 – on March 21 a theological disputation lead by Guillame Farel and Pierre Viret results in the City of Geneva deciding for the Reformation; the Roman Catholic Bishop, monks, and nuns depart
• 1536 – in March Calvin publishes his “little book,” the Institutes of the Christian Religion (1st edition), in Basle 

IN GENEVA: THE FIRST REFORMATION (1536-1538)

• 1536 – Calvin detours to Geneva in July—he plans to stay just one night, but is strongly persuaded by Guillame Farel to remain in Protestant Geneva as a co-worker and fellow Reformer
• 1536 – on September 5th Calvin is hired as a “sacarum literarum doctor” by the City Council of Geneva to teach the Bible
• 1536 – on November 10th the Genevan Confession, written by Calvin, is formally adopted by the City Council of Geneva
• 1537 – in January a Protestant Statement of Faith is presented to the City Council of Geneva; all of the citizens raise their right hands and pledge agreement
• 1538 – on April 25th, after a growing dissension regarding the Lord’s Supper, the three ministers of the city, Farel, Calvin, & Coralt, are suddenly banished from Geneva for not being willing to serve the Lord’s Supper  

IN STRASBOURG: PASTOR, TEACHER, WRITER (1538-1541)

• 1538 – in the spring Calvin flees from Geneva and travels through Berne and Zurich; he settles in Strasbourg with the Reformer Martin Bucer
• 1539 – in August Calvin replies to the letter written by Bishop Jacopo Sadolet’s seeking to convince Geneva to return to Roman Catholicism
• 1540 – in March Calvin publishes his Commentary on the Epistle of the Romans in Strasbourg
• 1540 – on August 6th Calvin marries the widow Idelette de Bure in Strasbourg

BACK TO GENEVA: THE YEARS OF STRUGGLE (1541-1548)

• 1541 – after many unsuccessful invitations from the City Council to return to Geneva, Calvin finally arrives in Geneva on September 13
• 1541 – on November 20th the “Ordannances Ecclesiastiques” are established in Geneva to bring order and reform to the Genevan Church
• 1542 – the birth and death (July 28th) of John and Idelette Calvin’s son—”Jacques”
• 1543 – the establishment of the “Libertines” (enfants de Geneve) in Geneva
• 1543 – a plague rages in Geneva; the City Council votes to remove Calvin from “plague duty” even though he is willing to serve
• 1543 – in December a conflict erupts with Sebastian Castellio over his qualifications for ministry in Geneva—he was not accepted and leaves Geneva
• 1544 – on May 30th Sebastian Castellio returns and interrupts the weekly Pastor’s Bible study, Le Congregation, over the question of his ministerial qualifications; he is rejected and bitterly resolves to make trouble for Calvin
• 1545 – on April 8th Pierre Ameaux is sentenced to public repentance for libeling Calvin and the Genevan Church
• 1546 – on January 24th Calvin publishes his Commentary on the Epistle of 1 Corinthians in Geneva
• 1546 – in February Michael Servetus begins correspondence with John Calvin on a multitude of theological subjects—these letters are later printed, without Calvin’s approval, in Servetus’ heretical book (1553)
• 1546 – problems with the wife of Ami Perrin erupt over public dancing
• 1546 – on August 1st Calvin publishes his Commentary on the Epistle of 2 Corinthians in Geneva
• 1547 – on June 27th a letter threatening Calvin was found attached to the pulpit at St. Pierre Cathedral
• 1547 – after an investigation, Jacques Gruet, the author, confesses his guilt and is sentenced by the Genevan City Council to suffer death by beheading on July 26th; his crime is sedition against the city and the church  
• 1548 – on February 1st Calvin publishes his Commentary on the Epistles of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, & Colossians in Geneva
• 1548 – on July 25th Calvin publishes his Commentary on the Epistles of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy in Geneva

IN THE CRUCIBLE: SEVERE TRIALS IN GENEVA (1549-1555)

• 1549 – in February Ami Perrin, leader of the Libertines, is chosen as the first Syndic of the Genevan City Council
• 1549 – on March 29th, Idelette, Calvin’s beloved wife dies after a brief illness; he is heartbroken, but is consoled by his dear friend, Pierre Viret the minister of Lausanne, Switzerland
• 1550 – Calvin publishes Institutes of the Christian Religion (4th edition) in Geneva
• 1551 – Calvin publishes his Commentary on James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1 John, and Jude in Geneva
• 1553 – on January 1st Calvin publishes his Commentary on John in Geneva and dedicates it to the syndics and City Council of Geneva

• 1553 – in January Michael Servetus’s heretical book, Christianismi Restitutio, is secretly printed in Lyon; he is discovered, tried, and imprisoned by the Roman Catholic Inquisition
• 1553 – Michael Servetus escapes his prison cell in Lyon and is drawn to Geneva “like a moth to light” to justify his theology before Calvin. Key Question: was Servetus recruited by the Libertines to threaten and displace Calvin?
• 1553 – on August 13th Michael Servetus is recognized and arrested after attending public worship at St. Pierre Cathedral in Geneva
• 1553 – on September 3rd a crisis at the Lord’s Supper is narrowly averted when Calvin steadfastly refuses to serve any who have been excommunicated 
• 1553 – after a lengthy trial by the City Council, Michael Servetus, is found guilty of heresy and executed by burning on the Plain Palais on October 27th
• 1555 – on January 24th the City Council of Geneva formally adopts the “Ordannances Ecclesiastiques” written by Calvin
• 1555 – on May 16th a public riot instigated by the “Libertines” utterly fails and the key leaders are arrested or flee the city

IN GENEVA: THE YEARS OF TRIUMPH (1555-1564)

• 1555 – on August 1st Calvin publishes his Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels in Geneva
• 1557 – on July 22nd Calvin publishes his Commentary on the Psalms in Geneva
• 1559 – on June 5th the Genevan Academy is founded with Theodore Beza as Rector
• 1559 – on August 1st Calvin publishes his penultimate version of the Institutes of the Christian Religion (5th edition) in Geneva; it consists of eighty chapters in four thick volumes
• 1560 – the Geneva Bible, with notes written on key verses under Calvin’s supervision, is published in Geneva
• 1562 – the Genevan Psalter is published in Geneva, with metrical tunes written by Clement Marot and Theodore Beza for all 150 Psalms
• 1564 – on February 6th Calvin appears for the last time in the pulpit of St. Pierre’s Cathedral 

• 1564 – on May 27th John Calvin dies in his own bed at Geneva; he is buried per his wishes with a simple grave in the city cemetery
• 1564 – Theodore Beza, Calvin’s chosen successor, writes his Life of Calvin & posthumously publishes Calvin’s Commentary on Joshua

Books for Further Research:

Beeke, Joel R., David W. Hall, Michael A. G. Haykin. Theology Made Practical: New Studies on John Calvin and His Legacy. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2017.   

Benoit, Jean-Daniel. “Pastoral Care of the Prophet.” In John Calvin Contemporary Prophet. Edited by Jacob T. Hoogstra. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1959.

Beza, Theodore. “The Life of John Calvin.”In Selected Works of John Calvin: Tracts and Letters. Edited and translated by Henry Beveridge. Volume 1. Originally published in Edinburgh by the Calvin Translation Society, 1844; reprint, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1983.

Bucer, Martin. Concerning the Care of Souls. Translated by Peter Beale. Strasbourg, 1538; Reprint edition, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009.

Calvin, John. Calvin’s Commentaries. 46 vols. Various translators. Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1847-55; reprint edition in 22 volumes, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1998.

Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Edited by John T. McNeill. Translated by Ford Lewis Battles. 2 vols. Library of Christian Classics, no. 20-21. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960.

Calvin, John. Letters of John Calvin. Edinburgh, Scotland: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1980.

Calvin, John. Selected Works of John Calvin: Tracts and Letters. 7 volumes. Co-edited by Henry Beveridge and Jules Bonnet. Originally published in Edinburgh by the Calvin Translation Society, 1851; reprint, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1983.

Calvin, John. The Necessity of Reforming the Church. Reprint, Dallas, TX: Protestant Heritage Press, 1995.

de Greef, Wulfert. The Writings of John Calvin: An Introductory Guide, Expanded Edition. Lyle D. Bierma, trans. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008. 

Dillenberger, John, ed. John Calvin: Selections from His Writings. Scholar’s Press, American Academy of Religion, 1975.

Gordon, Bruce. Calvin. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2009. 

Hughes, Philip E., ed. and trans. The Register of the Company of Pastors of Geneva in the Time of Calvin. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1966.

McKim, Donald ed. Encyclopedia of the Reformed Faith. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992.

• “Beza, Theodore,” by Philip C. Holtrop
• “Bucer, Martin,” by David F. Wright
• “Calvin, John,” by Hughes O. Old
• “Ecclesiastical Ordinances,” by Robert D. Linder
• “Farel, William,” by Charles Partee
• “Geneva Academy,” by Robert M. Kingdon
• “Geneva Bible,” by Dan G. Danner
• “Geneva Catechism,” by Charles Partee
• “Geneva Company of Pastors,” by Robert M. Kingdon
• “Geneva Consistory,” by Robert M. Kingdon
• “Institutes of the Christian Religion,” by Hughes O. Old
• “Ordination,” by Thomas D. Parker
• “Preaching, History of,” by Hughes O. Old
• “Psalmody,” by LindaJo H. McKim
• “Predestination,” by Dewey D. Wallace, Jr.
• “Servetus, Michael” by Nathan P. Feldmeth
• “Viret, Pierre” by Robert D. Linder

McNeill, John T. A History of the Cure of Souls. New York, NY: Harper Brothers Publishers, 1951. 

Monter, E. William. Calvin’s Geneva. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1967; Reprint, Huntington, NY: Robert E. Krieger Publishing Company, 1975. 

Parker, T. H. L. Portrait of Calvin. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1954.

Reymond, Robert L. John Calvin: His Life and Influence. Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 2004. 

Selderhuis, Herman J. John Calvin: A Pilgrim’s Life. Translated by Albert Gootjes. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009. 

Stickelberger, Emanuel. Calvin: A Life. Translated by David Georg Gelzer. London: James Clarke & Company, 1959.

Wallace, Ronald. Calvin, Geneva, and the Reformation: A Study of Calvin as Social Worker, Churchman, Pastor and Theologian. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988 and Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1990.

Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin

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