Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, book 1, chapter 8

Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin

Book 1
Chapter 8

Calvin use God’s word to support his writing, 1 Corinthians 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”

In writing this, it means, that the Bible comes together with the demonstration of the Spirit and power.

The Bible is not a common book, not a powerless book, what Bible version did he referred? The LXX......

We wrote,"Another objection and answer. Of the wondrous Providence of God
in the preservation of the sacred books. The Greek Translation.
The carefulness of the Jews."


Calvin said there were people who were out of their mind, find fault with some Bible verse, they overdo in some Bible verses, the Bible is full with wonderful sentences, but one thing for sure, man ability is limited.

It means, that human ability in discerning and explaining the truth is limited, and they are still people around, who like to find faults! They are the extremist.

He said, Moses never create any God, he is only preaching the eternal God whom Israelites believed for generations. Moses wanted the Israelites to return to God, there is no other motive other than this.

In writing this, Calvin stressed that the Bible motivates us to return to God, and finding Him!

Calvin said there were people like to fight, and like to struggle, they fight against God’s truth to show people, that they are learned and they were cleverer. Those people said, Antiochus had ordered to burn the Manuscripts, so they doubting about those copies of Manuscripts, which Calvin was using, they asked where they came from?

You see even Calvin’s time there were people like today, like to argue about Manuscripts, doubting the authentication of the mss. One thing I sure of is that, Calvin never claimed that he had perfect BIBLE TEXT!

Calvin writes that we have to think carefully, God had preserved the Bible from the hands’ of the cruel emperors, like save out from the fire, there were people sees the Bible more precious than their life.

This means, Calvin believed fully by faith, that God had preserved the Bible, down from the ages.

Calvin wrote, there were people happily rejoiced, thinking that the Bible had been destroyed, but then, the Bible was resurfaced speedily, the Bible was given to generations, it the Bible was better than ever presented, Calvin asked the readers a question, “If we do not admit this is the work of God, then whose work is this?”

In writing this, Calvin is saying the Bible was presented better and better, and he said this is because God is working on this.

My dear friends, in saying this, Calvin did not disapprove any of those previous Bible translations, or any other translations to come, and did he disapprove any MSS?

There is no such a perfect Bible in his doctrines! This point of time there is no teaching of the VPP exists.

Did Calvin say there is only one Bible for the generations to come? No, he did not.

Did he say the Bible must be preserved in only one translation, even in one perfect TR?

No! Only one Bible? KJV only!

No!

But the fact turned to another ways! See what Calvin wrote.

He wrote here, LXX was famous in the world. And he said this is God’s work, God preserved His covenant, even through many calamities, Judah nearly destroyed, the Hebrew languages was despised, but God take care this Christian belief. One can sees that Calvin looked highly the Old Testament in Greek, the Septuagint, and LXX, a translation rather than the Hebrew Text.

Question is did he stress on that one Bible translation only?

Did he say the Septuagint is perfect?

Did the reformers go on to translate the Bible into other languages? Yes, they did!

Down to the age, did people revise their Bible translations, did they edit the translations?

If they did revisions on their Bible, it means, they did see that their Bible translations were not perfect!

Did the church being destroy in editing the translations? No.

Did God preserving the Bible down to the ages? Yes.

Augustine’s said the Jew is the Christian’s librarian, the Jew given us a Book they did not use.

Lastly, Calvin writes if the Bible is only depends on human efforts, how it is to survive all those attacks? No matter how the people fight The Bible, the Bible with its power, overcome all dangers, so this is proving the Bible is from God!

Calvin said, before that, there were a lot of saints, sacrifice even until to their blood to witness and holding fast the teaching of the Bible, how we should react about them? When those saints accepted the Bible, they became brave and strong, even decided to be a martyr, they were so firmed in giving the Bible to us, so Calvin said we must be firmed and faithfully to accept the Bible then!

And he continue to write in this chapter that the Bible is to received as without mistake, the Bible will make a person come to know God and then be saved.

THE BIBLE IS TO RECEIVED AS WITHOUT MISTAKE! This is by faith!

To end this chapter, CALVIN QOUTING AUGUSTINE, “If a man wanted to understand this mighty and great truth, he must has a devoted and quiet heart.”