Institutes Book Four: Of the Holy Catholic Church

[Papa Smurf]

Excerpt for discussion: Calvin's view of necessity of the visible church. Institutes, Book 4/Part 1/Section 4a.

4. As it is now our purpose to discourse of the visible Church, let us learn, from her single title of Mother, how useful, nay, how necessary the knowledge of her is, since there is no other means of entering into life unless she conceive us in the womb and give us birth, unless she nourish us at her breasts, and, in short, keep us under her charge and government, until, divested of mortal flesh, we become like the angels, (Matthew 22:30) For our weakness does not permit us to leave the school until we have spent our whole lives as scholars. Moreover, beyond the pale of the Church no forgiveness of sins, no salvation, can be hoped for, as Isaiah and Joel testify, (Isaiah 37:32; Joel 2:32)​

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~Calvin, J., & Beveridge, H. (1845). Institutes of the Christian Religion, 4/1/4​

Thoughts?

--Papa Smurf
p.s. - for clarity's sake, by "Holy Catholic Church", Calvin is ~not~ referring to the Roman Catholic Church.

 

[donadams]

Then why did he reject Christ and his church and start a new one?

 

[Arial]

Then why did he reject Christ and his church and start a new one?

This is not the Catholicism board, so can you address the post without making it about Catholic dogma?

 

[Papa Smurf]

Then why did he reject Christ and his church and start a new one?

Hello again Don, the Reformers rejected neither Christ, nor His church (if they rejected anything it was the Roman Catholic Church which is ~NOT~ "the" church, though I believe that some of its members are part of "the" church).

Now, as someone who also believes that the RCC has become, at best, heretical in many of its beliefs (since 1960), I find it interesting that you do not recognize the connection that you have to the Reformers, and for that matter, to the EOC, as well.

The start of the Reformation is officially dated as October 31, 1517 AD. However, like the EOC in 1054 AD, that's hardly the moment that the problems began and the RCC started to head south. Rather, according to Luther, the news was already pretty bad by the early 1200's (I read something of his once where he mentioned that the Reformation would not have been necessary/would never have happened if the RCC had remained the church that it had been prior to 1200 AD).

God bless you!!

--David (Papa Smurf)

 

[donadams]

Church is not corrupted!

What happened to your faith in Christ and His eternal words? Matt 24:35

Matt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jn 8:32 (to His Apostles) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Jn 16:13 (to His Apostles) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

(((Not delivered to the saints and then rediscovered by the heretics)))

The following refer to heretics, infidels, and those in rebellion against Jesus Christ, His true church (the pillar of truth) and His revealed truth!

1 Tim 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (sola’s)




1 Tim 3:15 But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is THE CHURCH of the living God, the PILLAR AND FOUNDATION OF [THE] TRUTH

Eph 3:10 so that the manifold WISDOM of God might now be made known THROUGH the CHURCH to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.

Lk 10:16 Whoever listens to you listens to ME. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.


How can you receive Christ if you reject the apostolic church He established to teach and sanctify all men unto eternal salvation? Matt 28:19



Christ established a church to teach the truth; not a publishing house.

Christ and His church are one inseparable unity! Acts 9:4 Jn 15:5 acts 1:8 eph 5:24 eph 5:32

To reject the apostolic church and divine revelation is to reject Christ who founded the church and revealed the truth!

Only Christ has authority to establish the church! Matt 16:18-19
One church! Jn 10:16 All others are sects “full of errors” “the tradition of men”! The new covenant Church is the eternal city of God! Household of faith! The pillar and ground of TRUTH! 1 Tim 3:15 Founded by Christ alone! Matt 16:18 on Peter and the apostles! Eph 2:20

The church is of divine origin and cannot be corrupted or reformed by the tradition of men! Truth is immutable!

The church possesses all the graces and merits of Christ, all the mysteries of God and the scripture, which are the testimony of the church about Christ.

The church the only ark of salvation, the household of faith and is not spiritual to the exclusion of the physical or invisible to the exclusion of the visible but, visible, invisible, spiritual, physical, and supernatural of divine origin and therefore divine preservation! Matt 16:18-19 Jn 8:32 Jn 16:13 Jn 10:16

The church is founded by Christ and the sacraments are instituted by Christ for the salvation of all men!

The church and the sacraments are the necessary for and the means of salvation and the life of grace!

Christ is the source of all grace and truth! Jn 1:16-17

The sufficiency of Christ provides the means salvation to all men!
Jn 1:29