John Calvin-Life,Legacy and Theology

JOHN CALVIN : LIFE, LEGACY AND THEOLOGY -
PROF. M. M. NINAN
Such is the arrangement of the Institutes which may be thus summed up: Man being at first
created upright, but afterwards being not partially but totally ruined, finds his entire salvation out of
himself in Christ, to whom being united by the Holy Spirit freely given without any foresight of future
works, he thereby obtains a double blessing, viz., full imputation of righteousness, which goes along
with us even to the grave, and the commencement of sanctification, which daily advances till at length
it is perfected in the day of regeneration or resurrection of the body, and this, in order that the great
mercy of God may be celebrated in the heavenly mansions, throughout eternity.
You can read it in pdf form at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.pdf?url=
“Published first in 1536, the Institutes of the Christian Religion is Jonn Calvin's magnum opus.
Extremely important for the Protestant Reformation, the Institutes has remained important for
Protestant theology for almost five centuries. Written to "aid those who desire to be instructed in the
doctrine of salvation," the Institutes, which follows the ordering ot the Apostle's Creed, has tour
parts.The first part examines God the Father; the second part, the Son; the third part, the Holy Spirit;
and the fourth part, the Church. Through these tour parts, it explores both "knowledge ot God" and
"knowledge of ourselves" with profound theological insight, challenging and informing all the while.
Thus, tor either the recent convert or the long-time believer, for the inquisitive beginner or the serious
scholar, John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion won is a rewarding book worthy of study.”
Further editions
The 1539 edition comprised seventeen chapters in a quite different order. The first chapters dealt with
God, and Man. Whereas Luther’s mind was focused on Jesus Christ, Calvin’s was on God. The Latin
expression “soli deo gloria” (glory to God alone) summed up his opinion. The following chapters dealt
respectively with faith, confession of faith, penitence,
justification through faith, the relation between the Old
Testament and the New Testament, and
predestination-providence.
The predestination doctrine is definitely linked to Calvin.
However he did not invent it, but found it in Saint Augustin’s
texts. It cannot be separated from the notion of free salvation.
For Calvin if God alone controls salvation, he must be the
one who chooses the elect and the rejected. Calvin says that
predestination is a logical consequence of free salvation. It
exemplifies the priority of divine initiative.
The subsequent chapters dealt with the sacraments. The
Eucharist was controversial not only with the Catholics, but
among reformers. Luther and Zwingli had violent arguments
even though they both refused the catholic dogma of
transubstantiation.
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