Calvin regarded the Bible as the text that was central to his thought- it contained the Word of God dictated to mortals by the Holy Spirit. But in Calvin’s eyes there was nothing magical about the texts he was aware that copyists were fallible and he regarded a knowledge of the original languages as essential to its exposition and explanation. He put the techniques he had learned with Seneca’s work, into practice with the holy scriptures. He was unsurprised therefore when there were inconsistencies in the Bible. The interpretation of the Bible was via the Holy Spirit acting through the conscience of human beings and it did not come automatically to every person. Do we read critically any piece of text we receive? How much damage is caused in our society by uncritical acceptance of news stories and rumours propagated by social media? For you is there such a thing as an inspired text? And if it is inspired then who is the mind behind it?
Calvin believed that God’s word was made law in the Old Testament, regarding the Ten Commandments as a basic text binding on all Christian believers. He also integrated the idea that the covenant was made by God with Abraham, then to the Patriarchs and David and so through Christ to all Christians because the covenant was a set of promises between God and His people.
In the New Testament God provided His Son as the great mediator of the covenant who would help God’s sinful people fulfil their calling as God’s chosen ones. The death and resurrection of Christ followed by His return at the day of judgment would enable humans to be reconciled to God. Until that day Christ was present in the Church and in the Lord’s supper (often known as the Holy Communion).
Calvin’s system of understanding the scriptures allowed him to be critical of those who did not rate God’s word highly. He wrote “For they mock the Holy Spirit when they ask: Who can convince us that these writings come from God?” (Institutes I, vii,1). Are there many people around today who would speak in a similar way? Would you be one of them?
