In God's Custody (eBook)

Frederik A.V. Harms, Ph.D., ist Kaplan in Ripon, Californien.

Cover 1
Title Page 
4 
Copyright 
5 
Table of Contents 
6 
Body 
10 
Acknowledgements 10
Introduction 12
1.1 Statement of the Thesis 12
1.2 Current State of Calvin Scholarship 13
1.3 Methodology and Outline 15
Part One: Calvin in Context: 1555– 2
Part One: Calvin in Context: 1555–1559 18
1. The Historical Context of Calvin’s Exegesis 20
1.1 Bridging Biblical Text and Contemporary Situation 20
1.2 Important Events 22
1.2.1 Geneva: Victory and Consolidation 22
1.2.2 Contributing Factors 23
1.2.3 Peace of Augsburg (1555) 25
1.2.4 Treaty with Bern Renewed (1558) 27
1.2.5 Câteau-Cambrésis Treaty (1559) 28
1.3 Church in Germany 29
1.4 Church in France 30
1.4.1 Dispatch Ministers to France 31
1.4.2 Letters to Women Imprisoned in France 31
1.4.3 French Refugee Church: Frankfort 32
1.5 Personal Issues 33
1.5.1 Health History 33
1.5.2 Minor Prophets Lectures 35
1.6 Education 38
1.6.1 Ecclesiastical Ordinances (1541) 38
1.6.2 Influences 40
1.6.3 Opening of the Academy (1559) 41
1.7 Conclusion 42
Part Two: Calvin’s Ecclesiology in his Minor Prophets Commentary 44
2. Scripture 46
2.1 Introduction 46
2.2 The Bible as Foundation 47
2.3 God as Author and Authority of Scripture 49
2.4 Unity of Scripture 52
2.5 Revelation and Accommodation 55
2.6 Inspiration of Scripture 60
2.7 Sufficiency of Scripture 66
2.8 Conclusion 67
3. Election 68
3.1 Introduction 68
3.2 Eternal Election 68
3.3 Divine and Human Will 71
3.4 General and Special Election 74
3.5 Double Predestination 76
3.6 Election as Unchanging 80
3.7 Election a Mystery 82
3.8 Assurance: Certainty of Faith and Salvation 83
3.9 Conclusion 88
4. Covenant 89
4.1 Introduction 89
4.2 Place and Relationship to Election 89
4.3 One Covenant 91
4.4 Christ as Mediator 93
4.5 Mixed Membership 95
4.6 Israel and Church 97
4.7 Law and Covenant 101
4.8 New Covenant: Stability 103
4.9 Conclusion 108
5. Church and Kingdom 110
5.1 Introduction 110
5.2 False Assurance 110
5.3 Church and Kingdom Restoration 112
5.4 Spiritual Nature of the Kingdom 113
5.5 Davidic Kingdom 115
5.6 Kingdom of Christ 117
5.7 War in the Kingdom 120
5.8 Kingdom and Church: Schism and Reunion 125
5.9 Conclusion 129
6. Church Office and Administration 131
6.1 Introduction 131
6.2 Church Government: Spiritual 132
6.3 Order of the Church 135
6.4 Authority and Limitation of Church Office 138
6.5 Accountability of Office-Bearers 143
6.6 Office of the Pastor 146
6.7 Divine Discipline 151
6.7.1 Necessity: Church is Weak 152
6.7.2 Character of Discipline: Paternal 154
6.7.3 Motive: Divine Protection 155
6.7.4 Purpose: Remedial 156
6.7.5 Method: Gradual 158
6.8 Conclusion 161
7. Worship 163
7.1 Introduction 163
7.2 True Worship 163
7.3 Rule for Worship 165
7.4 Worship is Spiritual 168
7.5 Piety 173
7.6 The Holy Spirit 177
7.7 Character of Worship 178
7.7.1 New Priesthood 178
7.7.2 Prayer 179
7.7.3 Certainty of Faith 180
7.7.4 Preaching and Sacraments as Aids 182
7.7.5 Baptism 185
7.7.6 Lord’s Supper 186
7.7.7 Good Works 189
7.8 Conclusion 192
Part Three: Calvin’s Ecclesiology in Light of the History of Exegesis on the Minor Prophets 194
8. Ecclesiology in Early and Medieval Exegesis on the Minor Prophets 196
8.1 Introduction 196
8.2 Early Church (Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyr, Jerome, Cyril of Alexandria, Didymus the Blind) 196
8.3 Medieval Church (Rupert of Deutz, Nic. Of Lyra, Denis the Carthusian) 200
9. Sixteenth Century Exegetes on the Minor Prophets 205
9.1 Calvin’s Principles and Practice in the Interpretation of Scripture 205
9.1.1 Introduction 205
9.1.2 Preface to the Minor Prophets Commentaries: a brief comparison 207
9.1.3 Calvin’s Principles and Practice in his exegesis of the Minor Prophets 211
9.1.4 Conclusion 215
9.2 First and Second Generation Exegetes (Luther, Bucer, Zwingli, Melanchthon) 216
9.3 Third Generation Exegetes (Pareus, Piscator, Daneus) 219
9.4 Conclusion 221
Conclusion 223
Bibliography 230
Primary Sources 230
Translations 231
Secondary Sources 232
Index 243
Back Cover 
250