The reformer

The reformer

The man who was drived away three years ago. is back in Geneva. For the Lord nothing is impossible, When Calvin started to read from the Bible for the people he continued where he stopped when he was banished in 1538. He started again with the fight against the wickedness in the city.

The new Church Order

Calvin set up a new Church Order, from now on the church council had the leading over the church. In this church council were the ministers and elders. They kept ecclesiastical supervision on the people in the church. And if required, the adapted the Church Discipline. And when this does not help, the church council asks for help to the city council. The chruch council also made some laws as: denying the truth, dishonoring parents and dancing and other heavy sins. Offenders were badly punished. 

 

Calvin's influence on the church

  1. His books, especially his Institutes and his commentaries on nearly all the books of the Bible. They are still used today!
  2. The Academy (founded in 1559)
  3. His correspondence with theologians all over Europe

On the picture you can see how the teachings of Calvin have spread over Europe (click on the picture to enlarge it)

The theology of Calvin

For Calvin, church and state had to be seperate. Each of them has his own task. They should not dominate each other. Both were to advance the kingdom of God. According to Calvin the only way to come to the Lord is throught Jesus Christ. There is nothing people can do with this. Calvin believed that God have already elected what is going to happen to people, the predestination. This teaching is based on the thing that  God is great and that people are very small in comparison with God. The people are not reigned by the fate, so we are always responsible for everything we do.