Yesterday while surfing the net I ran across an intriguing post title – “John Calvin’s “Arminian” Interpretation of Hebrews 10:26.” I just couldn’t help but take a look. The post quotes Calvin’s comments on Hebrews 10:26 regarding those who fall away from the Church – reprobates. The point of the author is not really that Calvin was actually “Arminian,” but rather that his Arminian sounding comments on Hebrews 10:26 are supportive of Federal Vision soteriology, which is a strange mix of Calvinism, Arminianism and Roman Catholicism. The author of this post makes additional “observations” in the combox. There was one comment in particular that I would like to highlight.
5) The condition of these apostates before their apostasy was not merely (as our opponents on the other side of the Reformed spectrum would argue) one of being a “reprobate” or completely foreign to the Church, God’s grace, and salvation in every sense. Gabe Martini -the franciscan mafia blog
Mr. Martini believes that Calvin supports the notion that reprobates receive salvation in some sense – albeit temporarily. Calvin says no such thing. As a matter of fact, if you take what Calvin says as a whole it’s impossible to come to such a conclusion. If Mr Martini would have taken the time to merely look at Calvin’s comments on the verses following his proof-text he would have found what Calvin really thinks about the salvific status of the apostate. Here are Calvin’s comment on Hebrews 10:30:
. . . Nevertheless he who weighs well all things will find that this passage is fitly and suitably adduced here; for God cannot govern the Church without purifying it, and without restoring to order the confusion that may be in it. Therefore this governing ought justly to be dreaded by hypocrites, who will then be punished for usurping a place among the faithful, and for perfidiously using the sacred name of God, when the master of the family undertakes himself the care of setting in order his own house. It is in this sense that God is said to arise to judge his people, that is, when he separates the truly godly from hypocrites, (Psalm 1:4;) and in Psalm 125:5, where the prophet speaks of exterminating hypocrites, that they might no more dare to boast that they were of the Church, because God bore with them; he promises peace to Israel after having executed his judgment.
It was not then unreasonably that the apostle reminded them that God presided over his Church and omitted nothing necessary for its rightful government, in order that they might all learn carefully to keep themselves under his power, and remember that they had to render an account to their judge . . .
John Calvin – Hebrews 10:30
Calvin couldn’t be more clear on his view of apostates. He calls them, “hypocrites, who will then be punished for usurping a place among the faithful.” He calls them, “hypocrites, that they might no more dare to boast that they were of the Church, because God bore with them . . .”
How can it be said that hypocrites, usurpers, and those who will no more boast that they were “of the Church” were ever saved – even temporarily? I’ll let Calvin’s comments speak for themselves.
Visit, please, our Calvinistic site, TheAmericanView.com.
Comment by John Lofton, Recovering Republican — January 22, 2008 @ 10:40 am
Hey there. I agree with all of Calvin’s comments, not just the portion I quoted. Of course these people are reprobates and hypocrites. The point of the matter is that they have “willfully renounced fellowship with the Church,” and that those who have “once been received into the Church” ought not to “forsake it.”
I’m sorry my nuances here aren’t as clear as you’d like them to be. It would probably be more helpful for you to have asked me directly about this issue on my blog rather than do what you did, in order to more clearly understand what I was getting at, but no harm done. Love covers all offenses.
Peace,
Gabe M.
Comment by Gabe Martini — January 22, 2008 @ 11:04 am
No offense has been perpetrated here Gabe. I’m not really sure how to respond though, seeing that you chose not to affirm nor deny the contention of my post. Allow me to quote myself.
Again, at least in Calvin’s view, (which is the point here), the reprobate are hypocrites who “usurp” their place among the faithful. A “hypocrite” is one who wears a mask or plays a part pretending to be something they are not. To “usurp” anything means to forcefully take something that doesn’t belong to you. Calvin goes on to say that when God judges His people they will, “no more dare to boast that they were of the Church, because God bore with them.”
Look very carefully, not just at what Calvin says here, but what he says at other places in his writings as well. Calvin simply soes not believe that the reprobate are or were ever saved in any sense.
Comment by Machaira — January 22, 2008 @ 2:29 pm
Are you saved?
Yes, in some sense. If we presume upon a number of things, “objectively.”
But you haven’t “been saved” in the full sense of the word yet. You are still living, and the resurrection has not occured. You’re not saved yet, and still you are “saved” in some sense.
Comment by Gabe Martini — January 22, 2008 @ 3:48 pm
That’s what I thought Gabe. Thanks for saving me wasted time and revealing your true colors so early in this conversation.
Comment by Machaira — January 22, 2008 @ 3:52 pm
Well that’s a disappointing response.
Comment by Gabe Martini — January 22, 2008 @ 6:10 pm
No Gabe, what’s disappointing is the way you continue to evade the point.
Comment by Machaira — January 23, 2008 @ 7:37 am