John Calvin – Who Gave The Bible Its Authority?

14 Nov

It is utterly vain, then, to pretend that the power of judging Scripture so lies with the church that its certainty depends upon churchly assent. Thus, while the church receives and gives its seal of approval to the Scriptures, it does not thereby render authentic what is otherwise doubtful or controversial. But because the church recognizes Scripture to be the truth of its own God, as a pious duty it unhesitatingly venerates Scripture. As to their question—How can we be assured that this has sprung from God unless we have recourse to the decree of the church?—it is as if someone asked: Whence will we learn to distinguish light from darkness, white from black, sweet from bitter? Indeed, Scripture exhibits fully as clear evidence of its own truth as white and black things do of their color, or sweet and bitter things do of their taste.

~John Calvin~






Institutes of the Christian Religion, Volumes 1 & 2, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, The Library of Christian Classics (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011) Vol. 1.7.2. p. 76.

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3 Responses to “John Calvin – Who Gave The Bible Its Authority?”

  1. irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert November 14, 2013 at 10:33 am #

    Surely a presuppositional statement by Calvin!

  2. mydelightandmycounsellors November 14, 2013 at 10:41 am #

    Reblogged this on My Delight and My Counsellors.

  3. doulos tou Theou November 14, 2013 at 11:41 am #

    Reblogged this on A Glorious Revolution.

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