Think Wink.

Over at Theology for the Masses we are having a discussion on Original sin. As Honzo says in the post, “Original sin is a polyvalent term. It is used in many ways and with many meanings by many Christians.” What I want to do is to summarize and understand how Calvin understood original sin (referred to as OS from here on out) in his 1559 edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion (The edition that I personally use is the McNiell-Battles edition from Westminster John Knox Press 1960 which I’m not sure the above link uses). In the next few posts, I will follow Calvin’s thought in Institutes II.i.4-II.i.11 to give just a brief understanding of how Calvin views this doctrine and how he defines it. There is much much more that Calvin says about this subject. But I am hoping that this will be a starting point for those who don’t know what to think about OS or know what Calvin believed about it. I also hope that this will help further discussion at the Theology for the Masses blog (linked above) as well. Feel free to comment on either thread.

Calvin begins his discussion on man in relationship to Christ as Redeemer with his personal dislike for self-knowledge where as it is a grounds for pride and does not humble a man to give all honor and glory to God. He does not think that man is not an excellent creature, but rather is a corrupt creature and this self-knowledge does not honor God because of its inward delight. Calvin then launches in a discussion of Adam’s sin (this post will focus on this argument as found in ICR II.i.4; thus all quotes taken from Calvin come from this section) as he says,

Because what God so severely punished must have been no light sin but a detestable crime, we must consider what kind of sin there was in Adam’s desertion that enkindled God’s fearful vengeance against the whole of mankind.

Calvin describes the account in Genesis 3 as God’s proving Adam’s faith in God. Calvin writes, “Adam was denied the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to test his obedience and prove that he was willingly under God’s command. The very name of the tree shows the sole purpose of the precept was to keep him content with his lot and to prevent him from becoming puffed up with the wicked lust. But the promise by which he was bidden to hope for eternal life so long as he ate from the tree of life, and, conversely, the terrible threat of death once he tasted of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, served to prove and exercise his faith.” But pride or the being “puffed up with wicked lust” moved him to rise above the lot that God gave him, he failed to remain in his original state.

Calvin attributes Adam’s fall to two things as a result of “the serpent’s deceits” and ” Satan’s blandishments.” Calvin says, “Yet it is at the same time to be noted that the first man revolted from God’s authority, not only because he was seized by Satan’s blandishments, but also because, contemptuous of truth, he turned aside to falsehood. And surely, once we hold God’s word in contempt, we shake off all reverence for him. For, unless we listen attentively to him, his majesty will not dwell among us, nor his worship remain perfect.” Calvin says Adam was “contemptuous of truth” or “despising truth.” Adam did not believe God’s word, God’s truth–as you notice that Calvin parallels God’s Word and truth in this quote–and turned to Satan’s falsehood and lies. Calvin makes sure that we understand that nature of Adam’s unfaithfulness when he says, “Yet it was not simple apostasy, but was joined with vile reproaches against God. These assented to Satan’s slanders, which accused God of falsehood and envy and ill will.”

But Calvin goes on to understand this sin further, “Unfaithfulness, then, was the root of the Fall. But thereafter ambition and pride, together with ungratefulness, arose, because Adam by seeking more than was granted him shamefully spurned God’s great bounty, which had been lavished upon him.” Adam viewed God’s word with contempt and sought more than what was given to him. Thus unfaithfulness in the word is the root and self-centered pride is the stem that grows from that unfaithfulness. Calvin says of this root of faithlessness and pride/ambition, “Lastly, faithlessness opened the door to ambition and ambition was indeed the mother of obstinate disobedience; as a result, men, having cast off the fear of God, threw themselves wherever lust carried them.” Pride and ambition took mankind wherever they desired to go because they did not believe God when God warned of death when they ate of the forbidden fruit. Adam and Eve ascribed to godhead when they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Therefore Calvin views Adam’s sin as unbelief and unfaithfulness and infidelity to God’s word. He concludes this discussion of Adam’s sin in the following words that ring so true, “Adam would never have dared oppose God’s authority unless he had disbelieved God’s Word. Here, indeed, was the best bridle to control all passions: the thought that nothing is better than to practice the righteousness by obeying God’s commandments; then that the ultimate goal of the happy life is to be loved by him. Therefore Adam, carried away by the devil’s blasphemies, as as far as he was able extinguished the whole glory of God.”

Calvin and Original Sin: Part 7

Calvin and Original Sin: Part 2

Calvin and Original Sin: Part 6