The life of John Calvin

1. John Calvin Systematic Writer of the Reformed Faith

2. Three Big Names There are three “Big Names” in Reformed Theology that everyone should know about: Augustine Luther Calvin

3. Calvin’s Life

5. Calvin is Loved and Hated “He (Calvin) the most Christian man of his age.” Ernst Renan, French Historian “Calvin has, I believe, caused untold millions of souls to be damned…” Jimmy Swaggart, “If Calvin ever wrote anything in favor of religious liberty, it was a typographical error.” Roland Bainton, Yale Church Historian

6. Loved and Hated [Calvin was] the “cruel” and “the unopposed dictator of Geneva.” Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church “Calvin is the man who, next to St. Paul, has done most good to mankind.” William Cunningham, Scottish Theologian “The longer I live the clearer does it appear that John Calvin’s system is the nearest to perfection.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon,

7. Early Life and Conversion Calvin was born July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, when Martin Luther was 25 years old and had just begun to teach the Bible in Wittenberg. We know little of his conversion Calvin’s father wanted him to study law rather than theology. He began to study theology at age 21 and immersed himself in Dunn and Occam.

8. Later Life When persecution arose in Paris where he had returned to teach in one of the colleges, he was forced into hiding now here, now there, in France. At last, he had to leave the country altogether. He sought refuge in Basel. In that city, 450 years ago, he published the first edition book with which his name was always to be associated—“Calvin’s Institutes.”

9. Calvin in Geneva With his brother and sister Calvin moved toward the free city of Strasbourg. As it was, because of soldiers, he had to go round two sides of a triangle, into what we now call Switzerland. They got to Geneva, a safe town for them, since it had declared for the Reformation a month or two earlier. Here they put up at an inn for the night, intending to resume their journey in the morning.

10. Geneva Straight to the inn went William Farel, who needed help in Geneva. Calvin, however, was obdurate. He was a scholar, a writer, not a pastor or administrator. Farel would have to find someone else. Calvin was headed for Strasbourg in the morning. At last Farel, baffled and frustrated, swore a great oath that God would curse all Calvin’s studies unless he stayed in Geneva.

11. Geneva During this time, after having had many try to “set him up” he married Idelette whose first husband had died.

13. Geneva Through all that followed, this belief that God had called him to work here, and not somewhere else, never wavered. This belief was challenged only once, when he and Farel were banished from Geneva eighteen months later in 1538. He returned to Geneva in 1541 and began preaching from the very text that he had left off at three years earlier

15. Calvin’s Work He preached twice every Sunday He lectured every day in alternate weeks at the school. He was Old Testament professor. He was on a number of committees and was constantly be asked for advice.

16. Drawing of Calvin by one of his students

17. Calvin’s Suffering He suffered from Migraines. He had gout (as did Spurgeon). He was at times incapacitated by lung hemorrhages. He often had to be carried in a chair to the church to preach because he couldn’t walk. When he could not get to school he brought the students to his bedroom for lectures.

18. Calvin’s Health He suffered from kidney stones in a day when there was little pain relief. In 1559 Calvin, during a period of ill health, finished the fourth edition of the “Institutes” He continued to preach and lecture as best he could until 1564 until he became very ill in February, and went to be with the Lord three months later.

19. Lessons from Calvin He could be a kind man: Once when Calvin was sending a letter to his close friend Pierre Viret by one of a pair of students, he noticed that the other was a little jealous at not being the messenger. Calvin quickly dashed off another letter to Viret. The letter contained only the request that Viretpretend it was a valuable letter.

20. Lessons He was a hard worker for the Kingdom: We have a great deal of writing that has been preserved from Calvin In addition to the Institutes, there are commentaries on nearly every book of the Bible as well as many, many books of sermons

22. Lessons He was a hard worker: Calvin did not like to waste a minute of his time. Even on his death-bed, his friends pleaded with him to refrain from his labors. He replied: “What! Would you have the Lord find me idle when he comes?”

23. Lessons He was a man who loved the Scripture. One cannot read any of his works without the clear realization that Calvin was determined to be Biblical regardless of what it cost him either in life, liberty, or popularity.

24. Lessons He was a humble man: Nearing his journey’s end, Calvin gave strict instructions that he be buried in the common cemetery with no tombstone. He wished to give no encouragement to those who might make it a Protestant shrine. Today, his grave site is unknown for certain.

25. Lessons The so-called “five points of Calvinism are the most famous part of Calvin’s legacy: T total depravity U unconditional election L limited atonement I irresistible grace P perseverance of the saints

26. To Learn More Christian History Magazine, Vol. 12 John Piper’s Biographical Sermon (DesiringGod.org/resourcelibrary) John Calvin: His Life and Influence by Robert Reymond The Institutes of Christian Religion by John Calvin

27. “I labored at the task [writing The Institutes] . . ., for I saw that many were hungering and thirsting after Christ and yet that only a few had any real knowledge of him.”