Perhaps, Calvin’s most memorable fight was with a group that came to be known as “the libertines.” The libertines believed you could openly and willfully practice immorality and be a Christian in good standing at a church. They planned to physically force Calvin into giving them Communion though they were unrepentant. To which Calvin responded that they could crush his hand, lop off his arms, and even take his life. But they would never force him to profane and dishonor the table of God.9 Here again, we see Calvin’s disregard for his own well-being when biblical principles were at stake. More than most people, Calvin stood on principle. He saw truth so clearly that compromise was unintelligible for him.10
In conclusion, we turn to the reformation doctrine of Soli Deo Gloria, Glory to God alone. It was the rallying cry of the reformation. The reformers believed that one’s life should be lived for God and God alone. The Calvin statue that sits on my desk is a small monument of one man’s attempt to live out Soli Deo Gloria. Though Calvin is a flawed and sinful theologian, he attempted to live for God alone. It is that attempt that ultimately influenced me. That my thinking, my work, my relationships and my life should be lived out for God’s glory and God’s glory alone.
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1 Jean Calvin. Institutes of the Christian Religion trans. Henry Beveridge (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008), XXXVII
2 Schaff, P. History of the Christian Church, Vol.7 Modern Christianity; The Swiss Reformation (Classic Reprint).United States: FB&C Limited, 2007, 354-41
3 Parker, T. H. L. Calvin's Preaching. Westminster John Knox Press. 81
4 Lawson, S.J. The Expository Genius of John Calvin Standford, FL: Reformation Trust Pub., 207, 1.
5 Horton, M. Rediscovering the Holy Spirit: God’s Perfecting Presence in Creation, Redemption, and Everyday Life. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2017, 19.
6 Breckinridge Warfield, B. Calvin and Augustine. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1956,484-5.
7 Evans, E. John Calvin: Theologian of the Holy Spirit, Reformation and Revival, Vol 10, Num 4.,83-104.
8 Parker, T. H. L. John Calvin—A Biography. Edinburgh, Scotland: Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 1992, 88-92.
9 Henderson, H.F. Calvin in His Letters. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1996, 78.
10 Evans, E. John Calvin: Theologian of the Holy Spirit, Reformation and Revival, Vol 10, Num 4.,83-104.
Approved by faculty of the College of Theology on June 7, 2023.