Christology - Differences Between Calvinists and Lutherans
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MarieP
Puritan Board Senior
Calvin didn't start with Christ??? This is news to me....
And the gospel is about God's SOVEREIGN LOVE
God is the One who took the initiative in sending His Son, so that those believing in Him would not perish but have eternal life.
And when it came to preaching the Gospel, Calvin, as well as any Calvinist worth his tulips, believed in the free offer. Each time he put out the Institutes, he placed the doctrine of election further and further into the pages of the work. Not that he didn't see it as important, but that the unconverted have enough of their sin keeping them from obeying the Gospel that they don't need a wrong view of election to hinder them too.
"Therefore, forasmuch as no man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men; neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief. I speak of all unto whom God doth make himself manifest by the gospel. But like as those which call upon the name of the Lord are sure of salvation, so we must think that, without the same, we are thrice miserable and undone. And when as our salvation is placed in calling upon God, there is nothing in the mean season taken from faith, forasmuch as this invocation is grounded on faith alone" Calvin on Acts 2:21
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom36.ix.iii.html
And yet, with John 6:44, Calvin also says:
"To come to Christ being here used metaphorically for believing, the Evangelist, in order to carry out the metaphor in the apposite clause, says that those persons are drawn whose understandings God enlightens, and whose hearts he bends and forms to the obedience of Christ. The statement amounts to this, that we ought not to wonder if many refuse to embrace the Gospel; because no man will ever of himself be able to come to Christ, but God must first approach him by his Spirit; and hence it follows that all are not drawn, but that God bestows this grace on those whom he has elected. True, indeed, as to the kind of drawing, it is not violent, so as to compel men by external force; but still it is a powerful impulse of the Holy Spirit, which makes men willing who formerly were unwilling and reluctant. It is a false and profane assertion, therefore, that none are drawn but those who are willing to be drawn, as if man made himself obedient to God by his own efforts; for the willingness with which men follow God is what they already have from himself, who has formed their hearts to obey him."
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom34.xii.vii.html
And the gospel is about God's SOVEREIGN LOVE
God is the One who took the initiative in sending His Son, so that those believing in Him would not perish but have eternal life.And when it came to preaching the Gospel, Calvin, as well as any Calvinist worth his tulips, believed in the free offer. Each time he put out the Institutes, he placed the doctrine of election further and further into the pages of the work. Not that he didn't see it as important, but that the unconverted have enough of their sin keeping them from obeying the Gospel that they don't need a wrong view of election to hinder them too.
"Therefore, forasmuch as no man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men; neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief. I speak of all unto whom God doth make himself manifest by the gospel. But like as those which call upon the name of the Lord are sure of salvation, so we must think that, without the same, we are thrice miserable and undone. And when as our salvation is placed in calling upon God, there is nothing in the mean season taken from faith, forasmuch as this invocation is grounded on faith alone" Calvin on Acts 2:21
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom36.ix.iii.html
And yet, with John 6:44, Calvin also says:
"To come to Christ being here used metaphorically for believing, the Evangelist, in order to carry out the metaphor in the apposite clause, says that those persons are drawn whose understandings God enlightens, and whose hearts he bends and forms to the obedience of Christ. The statement amounts to this, that we ought not to wonder if many refuse to embrace the Gospel; because no man will ever of himself be able to come to Christ, but God must first approach him by his Spirit; and hence it follows that all are not drawn, but that God bestows this grace on those whom he has elected. True, indeed, as to the kind of drawing, it is not violent, so as to compel men by external force; but still it is a powerful impulse of the Holy Spirit, which makes men willing who formerly were unwilling and reluctant. It is a false and profane assertion, therefore, that none are drawn but those who are willing to be drawn, as if man made himself obedient to God by his own efforts; for the willingness with which men follow God is what they already have from himself, who has formed their hearts to obey him."
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom34.xii.vii.html
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jwright82
Puritan Board Professor
I think that the whole split between Lutherans and Calvinsts is more cousins throwing rocks at eachother than anything else. Now don't get me wrong there are very fundamental differences between these two traditions but I think we have much to offer eachother and that some, not all, of our differences are more misunderstandings on both sides.
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