Calvin's Little Book, Week #17 - Making Scriptural Connections

This week we conclude Calvin’s Ch 4 of his Little Book (Beveridge translation of Calvin’s Institutes, Book 3, Chapter 9) beginning with Sec. 5 and concluding with Sec. 6.

Calvin’s Heading

The Beveridge translation gives us his translation of Calvin’s headings for 4.5 and 4.6 of Chapter 4 “Of Meditating on the Future Life:”

5. Christians should not tremble at the fear of death.
Two reasons. Objection. Answer. Other reasons.
6. Reasons continued. Conclusion.
Calvin, J., & Beveridge, H. (1845). Institutes of the Christian religion (Vol. 2, p. 285). Edinburgh: The Calvin Translation Society.

Verses Cited by Calvin

Calvin’s Theme / Summary

Calvin is a very organized thinker and succinct writer. As a rule the opening sentence or brief collection of sentences, together with the closing sentence or two encapsulates his observations of each Section. So, an excellent way to see the big picture before reading is to examine these ‘bookend’ sentences before reading the Section and then after reading to go back and review the same.

For Calvin 4.5, The Theme and Conclusion is as Follows (Beveridge)

Theme:

5. But, most strange to say, many who boast of being Christians, instead of thus longing for death, are so afraid of it that they tremble at the very mention of it as a thing ominous and dreadful
Ibid., opening sentence of Calvin 4.5

Conclusion:

Therefore, let us come to a sounder mind, and how repugnant so ever the blind and stupid longing of the flesh may be, let us doubt not to desire the advent of the Lord not in wish only, but with earnest sighs, as the most propitious of all events. He will come as a Redeemer to deliver us from an immense abyss of evil and misery, and lead us to the blessed inheritance of his life and glory.
ibid., ending two sentence of Calvin 4.5

For Calvin 4.6, the Theme and Conclusion are as below:

Theme

6. Thus, indeed, it is; the whole body of the faithful, so long as they live on the earth, must be like sheep for the slaughter, in order that they may be conformed to Christ their head, (Rom. 8:36.) Most deplorable, therefore, would their situation be did they not, by raising their mind to heaven, become superior to all that is in the world, and rise above the present aspect of affairs, (1 Cor. 15:19.)
Ibid., opening two sentences of Calvin 4.6

Conclusion

To conclude in one word, the cross of Christ then only triumphs in the breasts of believers over the devil and the flesh, sin and sinners, when their eyes are directed to the power of his resurrection.
Ibid., closing sentence of Calvin 4.6, and of Calvin’s Chapter 4, “Of Meditating on the Future Life”

Desire to Preserve Existence

Calvin begins 4.5 discussing our natural desire for continuing our existence in spacetime. Except for extreme situations of physical or emotional pain whereby end-of-existence, or non-existence, may appear the better option, we all by nature cling to the life and circumstances of it that we now have.

But Scripture’s call is to another life, after this one. But it is indeed difficult to give up the one life we have here for an unknown yet-to-come, especially if plagued by the uncertainty of God’s final judgment upon us.

Calvin reminds us, using the phrase of D&P, that as true believing Christian by our piety be one who “conquers and suppresses fear by a stronger feeling of consolation.” This is one great test of true belief and proper understanding of Scripture.

Death is to be something different than the mere resignation of inevitability, though inevitable it is. A Christian testimony to oneself and all others at that finality of physical life is a truly unique opportunity to reveal true faith.

The Consolation that Surpasses any Fear

Let us look at a key sentence fragment from Calvin’s original Latin (which I have highlight to match to the English translation):

lumen, quod maiori consolatione qualemcunque illum timorem superet ac supprimat.
light, which by greater consolation surpasses and suppresses that fear of any kind.
Calvin, J. (1834). Institutio Christianae religionis (Vol. 1, p. 462). Berolini: Gustavum Eichler.

Surpassing Consolation

As highlighted above in bold, Calvin uses the Latin word from which we directly get the English “consolation.” However, to our ear, and mind, “consolation” sounds like a poor, even losing substitute for something that could have been good, or even wonderful. When we speak of a “consolation prize” (a phrase first used in 1853, 300 years after Calvin) everyone understands that is what’s given to someone who did not ‘win’ the ‘real’ prize. Or when we are “consoling” someone we are helping them to process the disappointment of some actual result in contrast for a hoped for result to aid them in coming to acceptance, and only that.

The key here is the word “surpassing.” This word is in reference to something that is greater, or beyond, that which it is being used to make comparison.

Our issue, then, is what makes life to come, in heaven with God, “greater” (in comparison, and surpassingly so) and how do we know?

Home at Last (2 Cor. 5:8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. ESV)
The Beatific Vision: The Sight that makes truly happy. (1 Cor. 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. ESV)
[Thomas Aquinas “Even as we hold by faith that the last end of man’s life is to see God, so the philosophers maintained that man’s ultimate happiness is to understand immaterial substances according to their being.” which even present desire drives our quests.]
[The notion of vision stresses the intellectual component of salvation, though it encompasses the whole of human experience of joy, happiness coming from seeing God finally face to face and not imperfectly through faith. Wikipedia]
The Satisfaction of Perfect “Rest” (contra endless restlessness) (Ps 17:15 I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake. ESV. The true “Rest In Peace,” R.I.P., not the carcass lying beneath a gravestone)
Eternal Being / Existence (no ‘specter of death’ & its finality) (2 Tim. 1:10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces…” ESV)
A body (instantiation of being) made specifically by God for heaven for eternity, the restoration (John 14:3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 2 Cor. 5:2-4 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. ESV)
No longing, inclination, desire for sin: non posse peccare instead of
posse non peccare while at the same time non posse non peccare
Knowing, as in ever knowing, God face-to-face (Job 19:26 “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God.” ESV)
Joy of Glorifying God, the Highest Good, the Greatest Beauty (Ps 86:12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever. ESV)
Every deepest need met (Rev. 17:16-17 “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” ESV)
Creative work to do: God is the Greatest Creative Being. The parable of the the 5 Talents (Matt. 25:14) and 10 Minas (Luke 19:13ff) has as the result, more Talents and more Minas for yet more investment.

Cyprian on Mortality

Calvin in Sec. 4.5, p. 103 (D&P) cites Cyprian’s book On Mortality for further reading on the matter of fearing death.

Cyprian lived in Carthage, a famous city and former city-empire, near present day Tunis in Tunisia on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. Carthage was the leading city of the Mediterranean before the rise of Rome, It was ultimately destroyed by Rome in about 150 B.C. after a series of wars known as the Punic Wars. It was later rebuilt by the Romans as one of their leading trading ports. Cyprian (210 – 258 A.D.) was a Christian leader in Carthage during this second era of its history.

The book Calvin cited was written in A.D. 251/252 based on a series of messages Cyprian gave to the church (churches) in Carthage. The particular context was the prevalence, and horror, of death by some form of pestilence / virus that had swept over much of the Roman Empire. It has become known as the Cyprian Plague not because Cyprian was the cause of it but from Cyprian’s writing of its effects. This is timely for our time (2020 / 2021) as we are experiencing a worldwide plague from a virus named COVID.

Many people of Cyprian’s day suffered horrible physical deaths with of course very limited medical technologies and medicines. The not-yet-death suffered greatly as well both from the death of family and friends but also from the terror of knowing the fragility of their own mortality, and helplessness in the face of the invisible but real plague.

Cyprian’s book admonished and comforted Christians by reminding them of their true, eternal life, that whatever it is of this world is passing and not their true home. From the perspective of Calvin, who was writing his Institutes (and our Little Book) 1300 years later, and from ours nearly 1800 years later, we can see that an earlier-than-expected death from the plague is little different from however long a hoped-for physical existence might then have been. We all liver here for a very very short time, plague or not, “early” death or “late.” The important points of Cyprian is that our eyes belong outside this world regardless of how many or few days they will be physically present in time.

Cyprian’s life and the cited book are worthy of consideration for several reasons:

His perspectives on eternal / heavenly life contrasted with the present mortality.

His writing in the early years (251 /252) of what was to be a ca 15-year plague (250 – 265) anticipates the dramatic adverse effect it had on the Roman Empire itself both in terms of population devastation but also military and economic fortitude.

Cyprian’s life becomes a demonstration of the innate hatred of The Political Industry (TPI) of its time, the Roman Empire, toward any people or group who does not give in, TPI, its primary, even sole, even soul, obeisance. During the date of his writing On Mortality coincided with the beginning persecution of the then Roman Emperor Decius (the “Decian Persecution). A few years after writing On Mortality, in A.D. 258, Cyprian was confronted with the demand of TPI, and an Emperor who succeeded Decius, to offer sacrifices to the Roman Emperor (or “for” the Roman Emperor), to be attested and certified by a document, something like a ‘passport’ permitting him to live. He declined and was beheaded for doing so. Having then survived the plague of the biological virus, he (and others) were exterminated by the plague of the virus of TPI. But God has His Own Providence at work: Decius was Emperor for just two years, 251 -252, as he was killed in battle, along with his son, fighting the ‘barbarians’ infringing the Empire’s borders, enemies who were attacking Rome’s claims of sovereign territorial rule, and so becoming the first Emperor in Roman history to die in battle by the and of its enemies. Decius along with massive losses of Roman Legions perished trapped, surrounded in a swamp; his body was not found, nor gathered up for some glorious internment in the Forum of Rome.

The Cyprian Plague was a turning point in the history of the Roman Empire. The Second Century A.D. is known as Pax Romana, the Law of Rome. This designated a century-plus period that rule, law, and order existed through the vast Roman territories. This greatly facilitated the spread of the Gospel. Beginning in the Third Century a long slide from prominence began from which the Western half of the Empire was doomed to fall in the Fifty Century.

Finally, in Cyprian’s book we see numerous quotations of the Bible. This is a significant example of the prevalence of Scripture, and the faithful correspondence of the text to our translations today. Cyprian quotes from multiple books of the NT and even from the OT. He must have had access to number mss, some or all of which may have been first generation copies of the Autographs of the NT. In the 1920s an important manuscript known as the Beatty Manuscript, or P46, was found. It’s date is estimated as 150 to 250 A.D., with a working estimate of 200 A.D., predating Cyprian’s writing. Could Cyprian have known about P46? Seen it? Used it?

Below are two pdfs relating to Cyprian. The first is a general introduction of Cyprian and his time, and of Carthage itself. The second is Cyprian’s book On Mortality, which I have highlight two ways: the yellow highlights are of key points on the subject of the book, the blue or green highlights are of quotations Cyprian gives from the Bible.

Calvin’s Little Book, Week #17