Protestant Reformers: Apostles or Not?

John Calvin distinguishes between ordinary and extraordinary church offices, asserting that Pastors and Teachers are permanent, while Apostles, Prophets, and Evangelists were temporary. He argues that while the latter were essential for the church’s foundation, God may still raise them up in special circumstances, emphasizing the Reformers’ roles in restoring purity during crises, analogous to the Apostolic mission.… Read More Protestant Reformers: Apostles or Not?

John Calvin on the Shroud of Turin

John Calvin criticizes the proliferation of relics associated with Jesus, highlighting inconsistencies and contradictions. He questions the validity of multiple alleged face cloths and the absence of scriptural support for the Veil of Veronica and the Shroud of Turin. Calvin denounces the superstition and idolatry surrounding relics, emphasizing the need to seek and honor Christ in spirit and truth, rather than through material objects and idols.… Read More John Calvin on the Shroud of Turin

Cessation of the Miraculous Gifts | John Calvin

Miracles were promised only for a time, in order to give luster to the gospel, while it was new and in a state of obscurity… The true design for which miracles were appointed was, that nothing which was necessary for proving the doctrine of the gospel should be wanting at its commencement. And certainly we see that the use of them ceased not long afterwards. … Read More Cessation of the Miraculous Gifts | John Calvin

Antichrist: One Or Many?

1 John 2:18 distinguishes between a singular antichrist that will come in the future and the many antichrists that were then already at work: “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” John is aware that his audience had already heard that this antichrist will come, and he does not treat this as a misunderstanding of theirs that he needed to correct. John’s readers heard about the coming of the great Antichrist from the Apostles and prophets (2 Thess. 2:3-10; Dan. 7:8, 20).… Read More Antichrist: One Or Many?

The Consensus of Zürich on the Sacraments

Consensus Tigurinus, or the Consensus of Zürich, was written by John Calvin and Heinrich Bullinger as a response to the renewed opposition that Martin Luther had made to the Reformed understanding of the Sacraments. These 26 articles on Reformed Sacramentology were presented by both of them to Zürich and Geneva as a Reformed consensus, and they were adopted by both churches.… Read More The Consensus of Zürich on the Sacraments