Section 7: The Deity of the Word.
Starting here and going to section 13, Calvin gives evidence that Jesus Christ, the Son of God is God himself. In this section, Calvin speaks of the Word, showing that it is divine.
"Certainly, when God's word is set before us in Scripture it would be the height of absurdity to imagine a merely fleeting and vanishing utterance, which, cast forth into the air, projects itself outside of God; and that both the oracles announced to the patriarchs and all prophecies were of this sort. Rather, 'Word' means the everlasting Wisdom, residing with God, from which both all oracles and all prophecies go forth."
Even in creation, Calvin says, this word is shown to be something more than just simple speech, but is in fact an intermediary. This is made more certain when we take into consideration also Hebrews 1:2-3, "but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."
"Therefore, inasmuch as all divinely uttered revelations are correctly designated by the term 'word of God,' so this substantial Word is properly placed at the highest level, as the wellspring of all oracles. Unchangeable, the Word abides everlastingly one and the same with God, and is God himself."
Section 8: The Eternity of the Word.
But even if the Word is divine, does that necessarily mean that it is also eternal? Calvin here shows that it does indeed mean this. If the Word is not eternal, then that would mean that God, in creating the Word, or uttering the Word, had changed. But God does not change, as we know from passages such as James 1:17, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." Therefore "the Word existed long before God said 'Let there be light.'" Even Christ himself shows his eternity when in his High Priestly prayer he says "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."
"Therefore we again state that the Word, conceived beyond the beginning of time by God, has perpetually resided with him. By this, his eternity, his true essence, and his divinity are proved."
Section 9: The Deity of Christ in the Old Testament.
This, however, is not only a New Testament doctrine, but can be seen throughout the Old Testament as well. Some of the passages which Calvin brings up are rather unclear, perhaps being interpreted differently in the 16th century than they are now. Calvin points to Ps. 45:6 "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever" as proof of Christ's divinity, but that is unclear at best as to how it pertains to Christ and not God the Father.
Other texts, however, are much more clear. Calvin points to Isaiah 9:6-7 which clearly speaks not of God but of someone else who is much more than simply man, but not God the Father. Jeremiah 23:5-6 is also brought up, which speaks about someone other than God, but who cannot be a mere man.
Section 10: The "Angel of the Eternal God."
Here Calvin gets into a discussion of the "Angel of the Lord" passages in the Old Testament. That this angel is actually the second Person of the Trinity before he became man was the common interpretation in the Reformation. However this can be argued otherwise since we have come to understand more about the Ancient Near Eastern world and how things worked.
However, Calvin points to the fact that this "Angel of the Lord" allows sacrifices to be made to him, and in other places takes on the name of the Eternal God. In this way, Calvin says, the Second Person of the Divine Trinity already began to work as a Mediator, just not in his full capacity as he did as a true man.
Section 11: The Divinity of Christ in the New Testament: Witness of the Apostles.
Once we get into the New Testament, the proofs for the Divinity of Christ are more numerous and more clear. The apostles take Old Testament texts and apply them to Christ, even those texts that were speaking of God himself.
Section 12: The Divinity of Christ is Demonstrated in His Works.
When we look at the works which Jesus Christ performed, we see this even clearly. Jesus claims for himself the authority and power to forgive sins, which is the work of God alone. He governs the universe, and even makes himself equal with God. Jesus Christ himself clearly states that he is eternal God.
Section 13: The Divinity of Christ is Demonstrated By His Miracles.
Jesus Christ showed his own Divine power in his miracles, and even by giving such power to his disciples he shows that it was his to command. He is so much more than a mere creature.
"Moreover, if apart from God there is no salvation, no righteousness, no life, yet Christ contains all these in himself, God is certainly revealed. And let no one object to me that life and salvation have been infused into Christ by God, for Christ is not said to have received salvation, but to be salvation itself. And if no one but God is good, how could a mere man be--I do not say good and just--but goodness and justice itself?"
________________________________
Reflection: Here Calvin gets into some abstract and heady stuff. What is quite interesting is how often in these sections he refers to people who would object to such a doctrine, that the Son of God is eternal God. He shows how such passages as he brings up could be twisted to say something else or could be objected to and interpreted differently. This, of course, ties in with his earlier point that without the Spirit of God, we cannot see the truth which God reveals, either in his creation or in his revealed word.
But this section also shows how difficult it is to understand such a doctrine as the Trinity. We cannot really speak about it without realizing the limitations of our words and our thoughts. We are too small to comprehend something so vast. It is easy, then, to see how people can misunderstand. However, we cannot then ignore such a teaching or deny it, but we must in all things submit to Scripture and understand it as best as we can. To say that God must submit to our understanding and our reasoning is the utmost in impiety.
No comments:
Post a Comment