In his last post on the sufficiency of the atonement thread, David Ponter introduced us to an element of Calvin's world of thought which is severely misunderstood by Calvin's non-Calvinistic would-be followers. Apparently David Ponter follows those extreme Calviniana students who conclude from certain places in Calvin's writings that the redeemed can actually fall away from salvation. I thought it would be good to examine this claim, in order to set it in its proper light, and show how it is to be understood within the general contours of Calvin's thought.
The quotation from David Ponter is provided below, and underneath it the reader will find the redemption of Master Calvin from the hands of his oppressor.
So here we are faced with some statements made by Calvin, which seem to suggest that Christ´s redemptive work is not limited to the elect, but is also extended to those who shall ultimately perish. When these are considered in context, it will be seen that they amount to nothing more than what Christ Himself taught concerning the rise of false prophets, that they would deceive even the elect, "œif it were possible," Matt. 24:24. As Calvin says on that passage, "œThis was added for the purpose of exciting alarm, that believers be more careful to be on their guard... yet here is a firm footing on which they may stand; for it is not possible for them to fall away from salvation, to whom the Son of God is a faithful guardian."
It is in this same vein that Calvin sometimes spoke of those who are redeemed by Christ as hypothetically falling away; it was in order to excite believers to duty, but not to insinuate that they could actually fall away from salvation.
In his debates with the Romanist Pighius over the doctrines of grace, Calvin hypothesised what might take place should Pighius´ suggestion be observed, and the faithful choose to keep silence amidst defection in the church. Now any person who understands Calvin´s view of the preservation of the saints, would take his words naturally to mean, this is what would happen should Pighius´ silence be kept.
Regrettably, however, some have seized this statement as an opportunity to show that Calvin taught that the subjects of Christ´s redemptive work are broader than the elect. This is the case with A. N. S. Lane, the editor of Calvin's work, which David Ponter has cited. He writes: "œSee 1 Cor 8:11. Unlike Some later Calvinists, Calvin does not appear to limit Christ´s redemption to those who will eventually be saved." But one is compelled to ask, Where has Calvin extended the redemption of Christ beyond the borders of the elect of God? What has become of paying attention to context? At no point did Calvin suggest that such as have been redeemed by Christ shall in fact perish.
At the direction of Calvin´s editor, we shall turn to the text of 1 Cor. 8:11, and what does it say? "œAnd through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?" A very forceful interrogation by the apostle Paul indeed, one which is fitted to cause alarm that ever Christians should be a means of stumbling to their brethren; but it is an interrogative nonetheless, not a declarative statement. It makes no claim concerning an ill destiny for those who have been redeemed by Christ. And this is exactly the way Calvin understood Paul´s words in his commentary upon this text: "œI read, however, the sentence interrogatively." And the sense of this searching question he gives as follows:
"œThere is, however, still greater force in what follows "“ that even those that are ignorant or weak have been redeemed with the blood of Christ; for nothing were more unseemly than this, that while Christ did not hesitate to die, in order that the weak might not perish, we, on the other hand, reckon as nothing the salvation of those who have been redeemed with so great a price. A memorable saying, by which we are taught how precious the salvation of our brethren ought to be in our esteem, and not merely that of all, but of each individual in particular, inasmuch as the blood of Christ was poured out for each individual."
In other words, the purpose of the question is to place Christian brethren on their guard against acting carelessly with those for whom Christ has paid the ultimate price. By so doing he is addressing the cause of an hypothetical perishing, not the possibility of actually perishing.
This same vein is to be found in a number of extracts from Calvin´s sermonic pieces, which have been quoted by David Ponter in order to show that Calvin held to a redemption of those who shall ultimately perish. Each of these extracts teach nothing more than that it is the duty of Christians not to lay stumbling-blocks in their brethren´s way seeing Christ has died for them, according to the judgment of charity.
[Edited on 8-29-2006 by armourbearer]
The quotation from David Ponter is provided below, and underneath it the reader will find the redemption of Master Calvin from the hands of his oppressor.
Calvin: You should have kept silence, says Pighius. It would have been a treacherous and abominable silence by which God's glory, Christ, and the gospel were betrayed. Is it possible? So God shall be held up as a laughingstock before our eyes, all good religion shall be torn apart, wretched souls redeemed by the blood of Christ shall perish, and it shall be forbidden to speak? ...shall the church be plundered by the thieving of the ungodly, shall God's majesty be stamped under foot, shall Christ be robbed of his kingdom, while we watch and say nothing? Calvin, The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, p., 19.Now, note that in the footnote, the TRANSLATOR himself says: "œSee 1 Cor 8:11. Unlike Some later Calvinists, Calvin does not appear to limit Christ´s redemption to those who will eventually be saved." G.I. Davies footnote 44.
Now lets look at Calvin on that verse range:
There is, however, still greater force in what follows--that even those that are ignorant or weak have been redeemed with the blood of Christ; for nothing were more unseemly than this, that while Christ did not hesitate to die, in order that the weak might not perish, we, on the other hand, reckon as nothing the salvation of those who have been redeemed with so great a price. A memorable saying, by which we are taught how precious the salvation of our brethren ought to be in our esteem, and not merely that of all, but of each individual in particular, inasmuch as the blood of Christ was poured out for each individual... For if the soul of every one that is weak is the price of Christ´s blood, that man, who, for the sake of a very small portion of meat, hurries back again to death the brother who has been redeemed by Christ, shows how contemptible the blood of Christ is in his view. Calvin, 1 Cor 8:11 & 12.
David: This like so may of the quotations I´ve adduced have _Nothing_ to do with the gospel offer. These souls that go on to perish have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, which was so great a price.
So here we are faced with some statements made by Calvin, which seem to suggest that Christ´s redemptive work is not limited to the elect, but is also extended to those who shall ultimately perish. When these are considered in context, it will be seen that they amount to nothing more than what Christ Himself taught concerning the rise of false prophets, that they would deceive even the elect, "œif it were possible," Matt. 24:24. As Calvin says on that passage, "œThis was added for the purpose of exciting alarm, that believers be more careful to be on their guard... yet here is a firm footing on which they may stand; for it is not possible for them to fall away from salvation, to whom the Son of God is a faithful guardian."
It is in this same vein that Calvin sometimes spoke of those who are redeemed by Christ as hypothetically falling away; it was in order to excite believers to duty, but not to insinuate that they could actually fall away from salvation.
In his debates with the Romanist Pighius over the doctrines of grace, Calvin hypothesised what might take place should Pighius´ suggestion be observed, and the faithful choose to keep silence amidst defection in the church. Now any person who understands Calvin´s view of the preservation of the saints, would take his words naturally to mean, this is what would happen should Pighius´ silence be kept.
Regrettably, however, some have seized this statement as an opportunity to show that Calvin taught that the subjects of Christ´s redemptive work are broader than the elect. This is the case with A. N. S. Lane, the editor of Calvin's work, which David Ponter has cited. He writes: "œSee 1 Cor 8:11. Unlike Some later Calvinists, Calvin does not appear to limit Christ´s redemption to those who will eventually be saved." But one is compelled to ask, Where has Calvin extended the redemption of Christ beyond the borders of the elect of God? What has become of paying attention to context? At no point did Calvin suggest that such as have been redeemed by Christ shall in fact perish.
At the direction of Calvin´s editor, we shall turn to the text of 1 Cor. 8:11, and what does it say? "œAnd through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?" A very forceful interrogation by the apostle Paul indeed, one which is fitted to cause alarm that ever Christians should be a means of stumbling to their brethren; but it is an interrogative nonetheless, not a declarative statement. It makes no claim concerning an ill destiny for those who have been redeemed by Christ. And this is exactly the way Calvin understood Paul´s words in his commentary upon this text: "œI read, however, the sentence interrogatively." And the sense of this searching question he gives as follows:
"œThere is, however, still greater force in what follows "“ that even those that are ignorant or weak have been redeemed with the blood of Christ; for nothing were more unseemly than this, that while Christ did not hesitate to die, in order that the weak might not perish, we, on the other hand, reckon as nothing the salvation of those who have been redeemed with so great a price. A memorable saying, by which we are taught how precious the salvation of our brethren ought to be in our esteem, and not merely that of all, but of each individual in particular, inasmuch as the blood of Christ was poured out for each individual."
In other words, the purpose of the question is to place Christian brethren on their guard against acting carelessly with those for whom Christ has paid the ultimate price. By so doing he is addressing the cause of an hypothetical perishing, not the possibility of actually perishing.
This same vein is to be found in a number of extracts from Calvin´s sermonic pieces, which have been quoted by David Ponter in order to show that Calvin held to a redemption of those who shall ultimately perish. Each of these extracts teach nothing more than that it is the duty of Christians not to lay stumbling-blocks in their brethren´s way seeing Christ has died for them, according to the judgment of charity.
[Edited on 8-29-2006 by armourbearer]