This entry is from the book, With Calvin in the Theater of God, see Mark Talbot’s chapter, “Bad Actors on a Broken Stage,” p. 60. The book is a 2010 publication from Crossway Books. Good Stuff.
…Calvin’s letters show that he took his faults very seriously…In fact, it was part of the Genevan pastors’ practice to take each other’s faults seriously....T. H. L. Parker highlights this in a passage describing Geneva’s Venerable Company of Pastors, which held a regular quarterly meeting “for mutual frank and loving self-criticism”:
“In the church, as Calvin conceived it, every man helped every other man. If in Christ Jesus all believers are united, then a private believer is a contradiction in terms. Not only are the blessings and the virtues given for the common good, but the faults and the weaknesses concern the other members of the body. There was to be no hypocrisy of pretending to be other than a sinner, no dissembling or cloaking of sins; but, just as God is completely honest with men, and men must be honest with God, so also believer with believer must be courageously honest and open. The quarterly meeting was a little day of judgement when, flattery and convention laid aside, each man saw himself through the eyes of his fellows and, if he were wise, harboured no resentment but knew the uniquely joyful release of voluntary humiliation.”
Dr. Talbot quotes from T.H.L. Parker’s biography of John Calvin, p. 115, Westminster/John Knox Press
G. Mark Sumpter
3 comments:
Mark,
I have to be honest, I think this "taking each other faults seriously" doesn't work unless we are grounded in the Holy Spirit with charity overflowing in our hearts for one another - experientially, not just theoretically. This can be rare at churches, to be real. However, where the "more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:31 leading to 1 Corinthians 13) of charity prevails, only then do we have a cushion for this foray and endeavor. If that is not present, I can see the spirit of the 'faulfinder' getting the upper hand here under the guise of "holiness". Just a caveat.
Matt
Honesty, well-taken, Matt. To my knowledge, in looking back on history, presbyterianism has understood a presbytery meeting as a church (usually more as a church court). Nonetheless, church more generally or church court, she is a body of men who shepherd (1 Pet 5:1-7). Shepherding can be tough love, pretty harsh, etc. But it will not be considered shepherding when there's an absence of T-I-M-E together. Peter says FELLOW-elder. When presbyterys meet only two, maybe three times a year, it's hard to see each other as fellow elders. I appreciate your points.
Mark
P.S. I read that biography of Calvin a few years back, the one you mention by T.H.L. Parker. It is pretty good. Back then in some academies they would be studying the works of Aristotle by the time they were 12, as Calvin did at school. While such a level of learning is NOT necessary to know God in word and spirit, you can see how the Lord really had His hand on young John to prepare him for the great theological undertaking in the years to come. Also, Calvin, by his own admission, struggled greatly with timidity and frailty (he was sickly a lot). This makes sense that God would use him to learn and teach others about God's sovereignty. God does work through our deficits. Luther was plagued by a sinful conscience and life, and as such he grasps and articulates justification by faith in Christ apart from our works. It really is amazing how God uses our weaknesses to show and articulate His strengths. Moses was "slow of speech and tongue", and he was used to articulate the law of the Lord to Israel and future believers. Paul was zealous for good works in his previous life, and God works through him to articulate the Gospel of salvation apart from our works. God really does use those who are weak to shame the strong. This is a theme I like to meditate on a lot - having MANY weaknesses myself. :-)God be praised. He is truly a redeemer through and through.
- Matt
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