Calvin's commentary on Romans 1 continues in the longest chapter so far, in which he deals with the fact of natural evidence for God, as well as the nature of it. God has made Himself known in myriads of ways, such as His providence and sovereignty, and in the creation of man himself. As a result of this, though learned men may see more of that revelation, the simplest of men can see enough, so that all men are without excuse.
Once again, I'm stunned by Calvin's timelessness. I read statements such as the following...
"How detestable, I ask you, is this madness: that man, finding God in his body and soul a hundred times, on this very pretense of excellence denies that there is a God?"
...and the faces of Dawkins and Hitchens and the like appear in my mind.
Or this,
"As if the universe, which was founded as a spectacle of God's glory, were its own creator!"
He even anticipates the language of modern day secularists and that of eastern philosophies.
"See, of what value to beget and nourish godliness in men's hearts is that jejune speculation about the universal mind which animates and quickens the world!"
I was disappointed, however, to find in a footnote on p. 59, that the editors, still don't really get Calvin when it comes to his view of Scripture and Scriptures influence upon him. In fact, they get it precisely backwards.
"This comment by Calvin on his method, which was added to the Institutes in 1559, makes clear that he is here arguing solely on the basis of human reason, and that such Biblical allusions as he makes are comparative and confirmatory, not constitutive of his argument."
I fail to see how they arrive at this conclusion from the statement to which they attach this footnote. What they editors fail to see is that everything Calvin has said is using Scripture as the foundation and authority of his argument. As I've said before, this entire section concerning General Revelation is no more than an exposition of Romans 1. That they miss this speaks more of their own presuppositions than it does Calvin's.
Perhaps the high point of this chapter for me, was Calvin's discussion of the purpose for which we seek the knowledge of God, which is, if I can paraphrase, not to grasp Him, as if that was an end in itself, but to adore him.
I'll mention just one last thing, for now, that struck me here in chapter 5. In section 12, in which he speaks of men's superstitions as a means of their suppression of the truth, he likens man's mind to a labyrinth, saying "that it is no wonder that individual nations were drawn aside into various falsehoods..."
I find it interesting that Calvin uses the labyrinth imagery in this negative way, when in our day, the labyrinth is being utilized in the "worship" of some churches in the "Emergent" movement. Strange, indeed.
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Pastor Jim wrote, “Once again, I'm stunned by Calvin's timelessness.”
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Pastor. He seems to anticipate contemporary atheistic arguments and answer them. Notice what he says in Chap 5 sec 2…”The same is true in regard to the structure of the human frame. To determine the connection of its parts, its symmetry and beauty, with the skill of a Galen, (Lib. De Usu Partium,) requires singular acuteness; and yet all men acknowledge that the human body bears on its face such proofs of ingenious contrivance as are sufficient to proclaim the admirable wisdom of its Maker.”(Beveridge translation) It seems as if Calvin is alluding to the Teleological Argument for God’s existence and the current argument of Intelligent Design used against evolution. However Calvin doesn’t point to creation as an argument for God’s existence. He presupposes that it is ludicrous not see God in the design of the human body. He states that “even the most common folk and the most untutored, who have been taught only by the aid of eyes, cannot be unaware of the excellence of the divine art…” In other words one has to be blind not to see God in creation. So much for the intelligence of Hitchens & Dawkins. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools… (Romans 1:22)