John Calvin (1506-1564) was born in France. He went to the University of Paris, where he studied theology. Later, Calvin went to the College de France in Paris to study Greek. The college was noted for Humanism, the study of classical and cultural literature. At some point between 1528 and 1533, Calvin says he experienced a “sudden conversion” and became interested in Protestantism.
He said, “God subdued my soul to docility by a sudden conversion.” What this experience was, we do not know. Calvin became highly critical of the abuses in the French Catholic church. At that time in France, his ideas would have been heretical. He lived at a dangerous time for heretics; thus, He fled Paris. In the following year, twenty-four heretics were burned at the stake.
For three years (1533 to 1536), he roamed France, Italy, and Switzerland to escape attention for his beliefs. He went to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1536, where he had more religious freedom. He published the first edition of his “Institutes of the Christian Religion.” This book is a clear explanation of his religious beliefs, which were heretical at that time.
Geneva became the centre of his work. Geneva was a French-speaking Swiss city. At the time of Calvin’s arrival, the city was struggling to achieve independence from Catholic control. In May 1535, the city adopted religious reform.
Monasteries were dissolved, the Catholic Mass was abolished, and Papal authority was renounced. This was a big step away from Catholicism. It would take Calvin fourteen years to fully impose his doctrine concerning what the church should resemble.
Calvin’s services were plain and simple. He placed great importance on the sermon. Worship and the seeking of the knowledge of God should be the centre of worship. Though he himself liked instrumental music, he distrusted its use in religious services, believing it distracted the people from the more important parts of the worship.
Musical instruments were banned from the churches, but congregational singing was permitted, and this proved to be both popular and an effective way of spreading the gospel. All matters relating to worship must come directly from the Scriptures, so psalms took the place of hymns in the services.
Calvin rejected the organisation of the Medieval (Catholic) church as contrary to the New Testament. He wanted a church modelled after the church in Apostolic (New Testament) times. There were to be no bishops such as the Catholic Church had.
All ministers (preachers) were equal. Their duties were to preach, administer the Lord’s Supper, and look after the spiritual welfare of the people. They were to uphold moral discipline but were assisted by the elders. The elders were elected by the city council. Thus church and state were tied together.
However, Calvin believed that the church and state should be separate, but he tolerated it. Deacons were also elected and were to look after the relief of the poor. Calvin’s overall plan was in many ways still far from New Testament Christianity. The thing that Calvin is most noted for is his doctrine of Predestination. Simply stated, God has chosen to send certain people to Heaven and the remainder to Hell.
It would be unfair to say this was only Calvin’s doctrine, for it can be found in Augustine’s writings. After Augustine’s death, it became unpopular and died out. Calvin resurrects it with several additions. Basically, Calvinism is known by an acronym: T. U. L. I. P.
T. Total Depravity.
Sin has affected every part of man. The heart, emotions, will, and body are all affected by sin. We are completely sinful. Calvin argues, how is it possible for anyone to choose or desire God? Calvin’s answer is, He cannot; therefore, God must predestine.
U. Unconditional Election.
God does not base His election on anything good He sees in an individual. He chooses the elect at random without any consideration of the merits of the individual. Man has nothing to do with God’s selection.
In the same way, he does not reject one to hell because he sees wickedness in an individual. He randomly selects those who will be lost, even though they may want to believe and want to go to heaven. The lost can do nothing to change their lost condition.
L. Limited Atonement.
Jesus died only for the elect after they had already been chosen to be among the elect. Jesus purchased only those in the church with his blood. This implies that the church contains the elect. If you are in the church, that is a good sign you are one of the elect. If you are not in the church, that is a sign you are not one of the elect.
I. Irresistible Grace.
When God calls his elect into salvation, they cannot resist. God extends an internal call, and it cannot be resisted. This call is by the Holy Spirit, who works in the hearts and minds of the elect to bring them to repentance and regeneration, whereby they willingly come to God.
P. Perseverance of the Saints.
You cannot lose your salvation. This is because the Father has elected the redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation. Thus, those saved are eternally secure. They are eternally secure in Christ. Calvinism focuses on God’s sovereignty.
By virtue of His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, He can do whatever He desires. A correct view is that God could look into the future and could see those who will choose, love, and obey Him, thus He chooses them to be saved.
Those who reject him will not be saved. Jesus died for all people who live in sin. Each person decides if they want to be saved or not. It is also possible to lose your salvation. “We are to take heed lest we fall” We know some of the Galatians had “fallen from grace.”
Calvin draws from Scripture to buttress his arguments. “He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”
Calvin said that this is God’s good pleasure not anything we do. He says, God “purposed in himself”, Ephesians 1:9, thus he considered nothing outside himself such as man’s obedience, with which to decide who would be saved and who would be lost.
He uses Jacob and Esau as an example. When born, none had done anything good or bad. But God decided that “the elder will serve the younger”, Romans 9:11-12. God could look into the future and see what kind of man Esau would turn out to be.
God could see that Jacob would be more spiritual. He chose the better man to develop his scheme of redemption. Calvin points out that God, “has mercy upon whomever He wills, and He hardens the heart of whomever He wills”, Romans 9:18.
However, Pharaoh had already demonstrated he would not allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. By hardening his heart, God could prove that no one can deter God in his plan to bring salvation to mankind.
Calvin said God is free to determine a purpose for election, but that purpose has nothing to do with man’s desire or effort. Calvin said nothing is clearer than Romans 9:16, “It does not therefore depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
Also, what about Romans 9:21, “Has not the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for beauty and another for dishonour?” God “wants all men to be saved”, 1 Timothy 2:4. “God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance,” 2 Peter 3:9.
He quotes Paul, “no one is righteous, no one understands, no one seeks God.” He takes this passage out of context. How can this be? We even see pagans doing honest and good things, heroic acts of sacrifice, obeying civil laws, and some seeking God.