Calvin on the Blessed Trinity

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Calvin had to face those who employed faux piety to denounce the Trinity by objecting to words not found in the Bible (a term, I like to point out to them, not found in the Scriptures).

"Now, although the heretics rail at the word 'person,' or certain squeamish men cry out against admitting a term fashioned by the human mind, they cannot shake our conviction that three are spoken of, each of which is entirely God, yet that there is not more than one God. What wickedness, then, it is to disapprove of words that explain nothing else than what is attested and sealed by Scripture!
". . . we ought to seek from Scripture a sure rule for both thinking and speaking, to which both the thoughts of our minds and the words of our mouths should be conformed. But what prevents us from explaining in clearer words those matters in Scripture which perplex and hinder our understanding, yet which conscientiously and faithfully serve the truth of Scripture itself, and are made use of sparingly and modestly and on due occasion? There are quite enough examples of this sort of thing. What is to be said, moreover, when it has been proved that the church is utterly compelled to make use of the words 'Trinity' and 'Persons'? If anyone, then, finds fault with the novelty of the words, does he not deserve to be judged as bearing the light of truth unworthily, since he is finding fault only with what renders the truth plain and clear?"
Institutes, 1.13.3

Calvin on Scripture

"Just as old or bleary-eyed men and those with weak vision, if you thrust before them a most beautiful volume, even if they recognize it to be some sort of writing, yet can scarcely construe two words, but with the aid of spectacles will begin to read distinctly; so Scripture, gathering up the otherwise confused knowledge of God in our minds, having dispersed our dullness, clearly shows us the true God. This, therefore, is a special gift, where God, to instruct the church, not merely uses mute teachers but also opens His own most hallowed lips. Not only does He teach the elect to look upon a god, but also shows Himself as the God upon whom they are to look. He has from the beginning maintained this plan for His Church, so that besides these common proofs He also put forth His Word, which is a more direct and more certain mark whereby He is to be recognized." Institutes, 1.6.1

Boom or Fizzle?

Since this book was written for kids, I want to present two perspectives: mine as an adult reader and parent; and then my kids'.

This book takes me back to my childhood. Specifically, to the part where my mother says, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Sorry, Mom, but this book was just dreadful.

This book just didn't work for me. In fact, I was almost ready to pack it in by the end of the first chapter. A plot twist on page 1 of chapter 2 pulled me back in, but the plot developments--mostly implausible and jarring to the narrative--weren't enough to sustain any real interest. The book never really seemed to decide on a voice: was this Andy Griffith or Lemony Snicket? Mark Twain or Roald Dahl? The nostalgia is so delightful that the comic fantasy doesn't fit. For me, the humor misses more than it hits.

A couple of theological elements bothered me, although they were incidental to the plot. The biggest problem I found was a plug for ecumenism on p. 67: ". . . in Boomtown one's religious affiliation never interfered with the more important duty of working closely with fellow citizens."

With that said, I want to be fair: this book wasn't written for me; it was written for my kids. So, I had my two oldest boys (both avid readers) read the book and prepare their firt book reviews a la book reports. In short, my boys loved this book as much as I hated it.

My thirteen-year-old wrote:

"It is very funny, especially the story about the church's twenty-four pastors, one of whom fell into an open case of nitroglycerine [Note from dad: should I be worried here?] The town founder, Chang, made hand grenades. Also, the Stickville Slugs with their forty-year losing streak -- that was also funny. This is a good book to read."

My ten-year-old wrote:

"Welcome to Boomtown, Washington, with barbers that you don't want to make mad, and a church where the search committee is on their 25th pastor. The last 24 died in accidents including snake bites, nitroglycerine cases, and flash floods. I think this book is hilarious!!"

So, there you have it. Boomtown: kid-tested, daddy disapproved. Maybe I need to unclench; maybe my kids need to spend more time reading Dickens and Hawthorne. Here's a preview of the book. You decide.

The Other Side of God

For my daily Bible currently I am reading in Genesis, Psalms, Proverbs, and Matthew. This morning, that produced an interesting effect. In Genesis I read about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Then, in Psalms, I read:

5 You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
their cities you rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.
7 But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
8 and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness. (Psalm 9:5-8, ESV)

We must never tell of God's love in isolation from His righteousness. We must never slip into a half-gospel that knows nothing of sin, judgment, and the need for the bowed knee of repentance.

Another Evidence for God

Reading through Calvin's Institutes this year, and came across this:

"The miserable ruin, into which the rebellion of the first man cast us, especially compels us to look upward. Thus, not only will we, in fasting and hungering, seek thence what we lack; but, in being aroused by fear, we shall learn humility. or, as a veritable world of miseries is to be found in mankind, and we are thereby despoiled of divine raiment, our shameful nakedness exposes a teeming horde of infamies. Each of us must, then, be so stung by the consciousness of his own unhappiness as to attain at least some knowledge of God. "Thus, from the feeling of our own ignorance, vanity, poverty, infirmity, and-what is more-depravity and corruption, we recognize that the true light of wisdom, sound virtue, full abundance of every good, and purity of righteousness rest in the Lord alone."

Whenever lost man recognizes in himself some lack, some defect, is this not evidence of their innate knowledge of God -- of Romans 1 in action! Against whom (Whom!) are they making the comparison when they recognize the lack?

Your OTHER Reading Plan for 2009

With 2009 being the 500th birthday of John Calvin, I thought it would be a great idea to read through the Institutes again. Lo and behold, Princeton has obliged with an online plan to read through this masterpiece systematically in one year. Here's the link to the program. I would particularly recommend this to those who have bought into any of the silly caricatures of Calvinism that are circulating today. If Dave Hunt had actually, um, read Calvin's Institutes beyond searching for quotes that could be yanked out of context, What Love is This would never have been written.

Here's a sample from today's reading. How relevant is this?

"For ungodly men have so far prevailed that Christ's truth, even if it is not driven away scattered and destroyed, still lies hidden, buried and inglorious. The poor little church has either been wasted with cruel slaughter or banished into exile, or so overwhelmed by threats and fears that it dare not even open its mouth. And yet, with their usual rage and madness, the ungodly continue to batter a wall already toppling and to complete the ruin toward which they have been striving. Meanwhile no one comes forward to defend the church against such furies. But any who wish to appear as greatly favoring truth feel that they should pardon the error and imprudence of ignorant men. For so speak moderate men, calling error and imprudence what they know is the most certain truth of God; calling untutored men those whose intelligence was not so despicable to Christ as to prevent him for bestowing upon them the mysteries of his heavenly wisdom! So ashamed are they all of the gospel!"

Happy reading!