The Voice Of One Crying Out In Suburbia

Afternoon Seminar
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Mark Dever
John Calvin and the Protestant Reformation
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Very interesting talk from Dr. Dever on the role of John Calvin in the Protestant Reformation. I picked his talk and my friend Rick went to D.A. Carson's seminar on recent challenges to the authority of Scripture. I figured Dever's talk should be good and besides, Baptists gotta stick together!
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John Calvin and the Protestant Reformation

Mark Dever

A.D. 1536
John Calvin settle in Geneva. 27 years old Published First edition of his Institutes in November. Became public lecturer in religion along with Farrel (sp?) to teach Protestantism. Sought to excommunicate any who failed to reject Rome and was kicked out of Geneva.
The 21 articles of the Geneva Convention. Number one, the authority of the Word of God. “The Bible comes first”

Prior to this: Rome recognized the Bible as wholly true, as well as the deuterocanonical Apocrypha. The Vulgate, Latin, became the official Bible of the church. Laity was forbidden to read the Scripture. “Holy Scripture should be a secret in some places” Translation into the language of the people was forbidden in response to the Lollards. It was considered abuse to give people the Word in their own language.

Reformation: removal of Apocrypha, reestablish the authority of the Scripture, reject apostolic tradition as divine revelation.

Priests did not give Mass with teaching from the Scriptures. Studies focused on teachings of Anselm et al and priests often Biblically illiterate.

How was the Scripture related to the church?

Four sources of authority: Scripture, tradition, reason, experience.

Luther pitted the Scripture against tradition to cleanse the Scriptural authority. Calvin preached every Sunday morning, Sunday night, plus every weekday (not Saturday) That is the ministers God, to give the people God’s Word.

Five Reformation answers to Five Roman questions:
Which came first, the Bible or the church? Rome holds the church preceded the Bible. Calvin disagreed obviously. Scriptural authority is not granted to it by the church. God’s people have never made God’s Word, God’s Word has made God’s people.
Is the Bible enough? Sola Scripture. Calvin: The scriptures are the sole rule of perfect wisdom. The core understanding of Calvin and all of the Reformers. The Bible is clear in all means necessary for salvation. Sola Scriptura is not a Protestant belief, it is a Biblical belief.
What is the ministers job? Chiefly is a minister of the Word and the teaching of the understanding of the Word, the centrality of preaching. The sermon is the center of worship. Romans think they get God’s grace through their mouth, Protestants know we get God’s grace through our ears. Encourage your pastor, this is his main calling, the preaching of God’s Word.
What did the Bible teach? The Gospel! To offer and set forth Christ to us.
Who should understand the Bible? The perspicuity of Scripture. Calvin started out writing prefaces to Bible translations in the vulgar languages. Everyone can and should understand the Scriptures. Facilitating the reading of Scripture for those who are “humble and uneducated”. The reading of Scripture does not undermine the office of minister.
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Dever's strongest admonition: " Find a church where the Bible is regularly taught and join that church." Truer words have rarely been spoken.