Fun to read Calvin defending his views on the Lord's Supper against the literalists (4.17.22 ff) who accused Calvin of being loose with Scripture. Calvin extols the need for interpretation rather than an impossible literal reading of "this is my body," etc.. Interesting in light of debate today on GLBT ordination. Calvin expresses his weariness in the attacks on his faithfulness and his scholarship. But literalists always accuse those who engage in thoughtful interpretation of faithlessness. Calvin notes: there is a certain comfort in literalism, but it ultimately asks us to believe a contradiction - specifically, Christ cannot be present physically to us in the Sacrament because he is in heaven, with the constraints of the flesh. He is present to us spiritually by the Holy Spirit. His careful interpretation was rejected by the literalists. They opted for the easy answer. I'm glad Calvin didn't! Beware the easy answer, especially when the answer shuts the door and bolts it tight against "those who don't belong."
Set as favorite
Email This
Hits: 1077
Trackback(0)
TrackBack URI for this entry
Your Responses (1)
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Response from Steven Frazier,
December 17, 2009
Lufkin, Texas
Lufkin, Texas
Thank you for protecting us from those silly and unfaithful Lutherans who insist on taking John's christology seriously and who argue for the ubiquity of Christ. They couldn't possibly be right. How could it ever be possible that Calvin and Luther are making one essential point regarding the Lord's Supper: Christ is present in the celebration of the sacrament. Again, many thanks for straining at gnats and missing the Good News in the process.
Write a Response
