8. God has confirmed the prophetic words

Calvin uses several of the Old Testament prophetic books to illustrate his belief that God confirms the words of the prophets with later actions in history.  Can you believe that this is still true today?  The answer depends on whether we can work out who are the prophets who disclose God’s purposes today?  How do the prophets of today come?  Could it be with unusual dress, living habits or arcane language?  Do they incite others to take action? If so then what is that action and would we support it?  Prophecy is not fortune telling.  It is the forth telling and expression of God’s will.  Who would you regard as a prophet of the twenty first century?

7. Prophecies that are fulfilled contrary to all human expectation

Calvin uses the primacy of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) and the Kingship of David as examples of prophecy indicating events that would not be according to what human beings might expect. Somehow in our world today we have been persuaded that Presidents and Prime Ministers will originate from certain classes and professional backgrounds.  The idea that a King might have begun his working life a s a herdsman feels alien to the ways of our world.  Yet this is the enduring power of the living God to which Calvin draws our attention and defends.  Where do we see that paradox, the inversion of our human aspiration?  When we see it do we attribute it to God’s power?

6. Moses’ Miracles are incontestable

Can you believe that the miracles performed by Moses are the actions of the living God? Or are you tempted to see them as some sort of primitive magic arts? Calvin believed that those who did see them in this way had been deceived by evil “the father of lies”. He also suggests that through these miracles God taught and guided the Israelite nation that unbelief would not work.  So the miraculous manna from heaven comes with a warning not to take too much (Exodus 16:19-20) thus guiding the people away from a path of greed.  Some would not accept this guidance and rose up against God.  According to Calvin this does not impair the quality of the miracle, it highlights the “pride and insolence” of the people.  Do you think that God can teach and guide you through miracles today?  Are you too proud to accept God’s guidance?

5. Miracles strengthen the authority of God’s messengers

How would you define a miracle?  Have you seen one in your life time? Or do miracles take place at all now that we have science and technology?

Calvin outlines many miracles that took place when Moses was the leader of the fledgling nation of Israel – such as Moses being taken into a cloud and being without fellowship for forty days (Exodus 24:18). Calvin insists that the works of God through miracles strengthen the authority of God’s messengers.  Would you rate more highly those who perform miracles?  In some traditions it is necessary to perform a miracle to be declared a saint.  How would you rate the miracles of Jesus? Would it matter whether it was a healing miracle or a feeding one?

4. The truthfulness of scripture shown by Moses’ example

In our celebrity culture personalities are elevated beyond reasonable expectation of fallen humanity: they become almost like gods to their followers.  Then when their sinfulness becomes known the media pounce and they are publicly pilloried.  Calvin gives the example of Moses who was unafraid to speak of the sinfulness of his own family mentioning the iniquity of Simeon and Levi and the grumbling of his brother Aaron.  Yet Calvin remains convinced that Moses was like an angel and thus testifies to the truth of scripture.  Who do you know who points to the grace of God working tin the lives of frail human beings yet is unafraid of admitting their sinfulness and need of the Holy Spirit?

Feb-March 2019 3. The great antiquity of scripture

How many old texts do you know? And just how old?  May be you are familiar with Shakespeare’s plays or Pilgrim’s Progress, or possibly with Aristotle or Plato.  In your eyes does a recent writer have books that you would regard as old and dated: Carol Ann Duffy or Ian Hislop –do they stand the test of time?  What weight in all this would you put upon scripture? Does age invest it with knowledge and status in your view?  Calvin would argue that it does alongside its nature as the inspired Word of God, distilled through fallible human writers.  How can this view assist us in a world where the written word in a book is often disregarded in preference for tweets and anything electronic.  Are these not ephemeral pieces of social media? Can we use them to illustrate what a rich treasure we have in the corpus of scripture?

A New Year Book Review January 2019 Love Intimacy and Power

Love Intimacy and Power

Marriage and Patriarchy in Scotland 1650-1850

Katie Barclay Manchester University Press 2011

In a blog Post that focusses on the works of John Calvin (1509 – 1564) then why include a review of a book that details patterns of marriage in a different period and country from those where his life’s work predominated?  John Calvin influenced the Protestant Reformation in cities and countries far beyond Geneva, the city with which his name is most frequently associated.  This is true of Scotland where the Reformation beginning in 1560 and the influence of John Knox (1513- 1572) is extensive.

With the Scottish Reformation came more formal schooling and increased literacy among the population.  Her Calvin’s desire for human beings to be able to read and comprehend Scripture for themselves is worked out.  Calvin’s influence on the governance and authority of the local Church, the Kirk is also prevalent.  In this book Katie Barclay explores the approach to marriage over two centuries through correspondences between couples linked with data on the number of marriages, the age of the partners and developments in other countries affected by the Protestant Reformation such as England Wales and the Scandinavian countries.  Aspects of duty and obedience on the parts of husband and wife are considered at the beginning of the period under study followed by how these changed a the Enlightenment began with its greater emphasis on individual satisfaction rather than family commitments.

The text is derived from a PhD thesis and is adequately referenced for further study should the reader wish to undertake it.  As a stepping stone to considering the broader implications of John Calvin’s work in a country in which he did not reside it as is a worthy read.

Love, Intimacy and Power

Marriage and Patriarchy in Scotland 1650-1850

Katie Barclay Manchester University Press 2011

In a Blog Post that focusses on the works of John Calvin (1509 – 1564) then why include a review of a book that details patterns of marriage in a different period and country from those where his life’s work predominated?  John Calvin influenced the Protestant Reformation in cities and countries far beyond Geneva, the city with which his name is most frequently associated.  This is true of Scotland where the Reformation began in 1560 and the influence of John Knox (1513- 1572) is extensive.

With the Scottish Reformation came more formal schooling and increased literacy among the population.  Here Calvin’s desire for human beings to be able to read and comprehend Scripture for themselves is worked out.  Calvin’s influence on the governance and authority of the local Church, the Kirk is also prevalent.  In this book Katie Barclay explores the approach to marriage over two centuries through correspondences between couples linked with data on the number of marriages, the age of the partners and developments in other countries affected by the Protestant Reformation such as England Wales and the Scandinavian countries.  Aspects of duty and obedience on the parts of husband and wife are considered at the beginning of the period under study followed by how these changed as the Enlightenment began with its greater emphasis on individual satisfaction rather than family commitments.

The text is derived from a PhD thesis and is adequately referenced for further study should the reader wish to undertake it.  As a stepping stone to considering the broader implications of John Calvin’s work in a country in which he did not reside it as is a worthy read.