JEPTA 2009.2 I The Journal of the European Pentecostal Theological Association Vol.29. 2 (2009) Editor: William K Kay
JEPTA 2009.2
I
The Journal of
the European Pentecostal
Theological Association
Vol.29. 2 (2009)
Editor: William K Kay
JEPTA 2009.2
1 THE JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN PENTECOSTAL THEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
ISSN: 0774-6210
Vol. XXIX No. 2 (2009)
Copyright ©2009 EPTA
Editor Revd Dr William K Kay, Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies
Bangor University, Gwynnedd, Wales LL57 2DG, UK
Editorial board William K. Kay, Desmond Cartwright (ELIM archivist, UK) Andrew Davies
(Mattersey Hall, UK), Anne Dyer (Mattersey Hall), Hubert Jurgenson
(Theologisches Seminar Beroea, Germany), Richard Massey, David Petts,
Jean-Daniel Plьss (EPCRA), Carl Simpson (ETS Kniebis, Germany), Donald
Dean Smeeton, (Eastern Mennonite University), Cees van der Laan (Free
University, Amsterdam), Paul van der Laan (South Eastern University
Florida), Keith Warrington (Regents Theological College, UK), Matthias
Wenk (Institut Plus, Switzerland).
Editorial policy The Journal of the Pentecostal Theological Association (JEPTA) is a peer-
reviewed international journal which has a pedigree stretching back to 1981
when it began as the EPTA Bulletin. Despite its European origins JEPTA has
interests in Pentecostalism world-wide., It aims to promote and report
research and scholarship in Pentecostal and Charismatic studies especially
in relation to five fields of study:
Theology
Pentecostal / charismatic education
Pentecostal history
Charismatic history
Missiology
The journal welcomes interdisciplinary debate and dialogue.
Editorial Addresses
Editorial Correspondence should be addressed to the Editor above. Books
for review should also be sent to Dr Kay.
JEPTA 2009.2
14JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN PENTECOSTAL THEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
Calvin, Spirit, Communion and the Supper
Larry Daniel Siekawitch1
Abstract
John Calvin has been one of the most influential theologians in the history of
Christianity. Caricatures abound where he is portrayed as an intellectualist without
a heart, divisive and an antagonist toward evangelism – none of these are true. By
looking at his doctrine concerning the Lord’s Supper we will see a man with deep
affections and a great interest for unity in the body of Christ, someone whom
Pentecostals can glean from with profit.
His views regarding the Supper were not simply a compromise between Zwingli and
Luther, but rather reflect a conscious attempt to be both biblical and ecumenical. A
survey of the evolution of his thought will reveal the unique contribution to
Christianity he brought that did not change in substance, but rather in depth. After
looking at a survey of his writings on the subject of the Lord’s Supper we will look at
the importance of the Spirit in Calvin’s theology. The Spirit was Calvin’s solution
for how the benefits of the Supper were applied to the Christian without seeing the
elements themselves as magical. When the believer partakes in the Supper combined
with faith, the Spirit produces the benefits, especially communion with Christ.
Calvin’s presentation of the Supper in one sense can be seen as a compromise
between Zwingli and Luther as a marvellous attempt at bringing unity in the body
of Christ, but it is also a masterful endeavour to present the Biblical truth of the
place of the Spirit and communion in the Supper.
Introduction
In Pentecostal circles John Calvin has either been ignored or vilified by
many. It is the hope of the writer that some of the caricatures of Calvin
would be eliminated and a new appreciation for his contributions to
theology would ensue. Calvin has been called ‘the theologian of the Holy
1 Professor of Bible and Theology at Elim Bible Institute, 7245 College St., Lima, NY,
14485, 585-624-5277, [email protected]
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Spirit’2 and communion with God has been cited as the center or heart of his
theology.3 If these declarations are true then it can be seen why Pentecostals
may want to take a second look at Calvin. A study of his pneumatic element
in the Lord’s Supper reveals his ecumenicity, high view of the Spirit and
experiential faith. Some questions we will address include: Was Calvin’s
doctrine of the Supper an irenic compromise of Luther and Zwingli, an
original Biblical contribution, or both? What part did communion with God
play in his understanding of the Supper? Where does the Holy Spirit fit in?
First we will give an historical overview of the progression of Calvin’s view
of the Supper to see it in its historical context. Next we will look at Calvin’s
understanding of the Spirit. Finally the Holy Spirit, communion with Christ
and the Supper will be considered.
Historical Overview of Calvin’s View of the Supper
Martin Luther heavily influenced Calvin’s early teaching on the Supper. It
has been said that Calvin borrowed his ideas on union with Christ from
Luther’s Sermon Upon the True and Sacred Body of the Christ (1519),4 as well as
his rejection of transubstantiation from The Babylonian Captivity. But it
appears that even from the very beginning of Calvin’s writings on the
Supper he sought a middle ground between Luther and Ulrich Zwingli, as
Alexander Barclay said, ‘Calvin seemed destined to be a mediator.’5 Luther
rejected the Roman Catholic view of transubstantiation where the bread and
wine become the body and blood of Christ and are therefore considered a re-
sacrifice of Christ, but he maintained a real presence of the body and blood
of Jesus in, with and through the elements (consubstantiation). Zwingli, the
founding reformer in Zurich, denied both the Catholic transubstantiation
and the Lutheran consubstantiation, holding to the belief that the elements
2 Benjamin Warfield, ‘John Calvin the Theologian,’ in Calvin and Augustine, edited by
Samuel Craig (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1956), p. 484. 3 Willem van’t Spijker, Calvin and the Holy Spirit, edited by Peter De Klerk (Grand
Rapids: Calvin Studies Society, 1989), p. 44. It should be noted that by center of theology I am not referring to the concept of ‘central dogma’ popular among nineteenth century theologians, but rather that of central importance.
4 Francois Wendel, Calvin (Durham, NC: The Labyrinth Press, 1987), p. 330. 5 Alexander Barclay, The Protestant Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper (Glasgow: Jackson,
Wylie, and co., 1927), p. 113.
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of the Lord’s Supper were ‘figurative and symbolical.’6 Some want to rescue
Zwingli by saying he did not mean the Supper was a ‘bare’ sign and so they
claim he allowed for a spiritual presence in the Supper,7 but in all of his
writings on the subject he argues against any real presence, seeing the
Supper as a memorial and an avenue for giving thanks to God for what he
has done; he never refers to a communion or spiritual presence to be
experienced in the partaking of the bread and wine.8 Zwingli’s stance is
probably the most predominant position of most Baptists and Pentecostals
today. But in his reaction to the Catholics and Lutherans he may have
inadvertently truncated the meaning of the Supper.
A brief study of Calvin’s 1536 edition of the Institutes, his Short Treatise
on the Holy Supper of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1540), the Consensus
Tigurinus (1549), The Second Defense Against Westphall (1556), his 1559
edition of the Institutes and a short summary of his beliefs on the Supper
written at the end of his life called Best Method of Obtaining Concord will
help us see Calvin’s uniqueness and his conciliatory skills. In this brief
synopsis we will pay special attention to his mention of the Holy Spirit as
well as how he parallels and diverges from Luther and Zwingli.
1536 Institutes
Calvin was a remarkable man. Originally from France, he was forced to flee
for his life to Geneva because of his evangelical beliefs. He was converted
sometime between 1532 and 1533 and penned his first edition of the
Institutes in August 1535; this being the case, one would expect the first
edition to reveal a lack of preparation, but Ford Lewis Battles correctly notes
concerning his writing on the Supper that he ‘enters the debate not as a new
voice just beginning its labours, but as if Calvin had long been debating the
6 G.W. Bromiley, editor, Zwingli and Bullinger (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press,
1953), 199. 7 Bromiley., Zwingli and Bullinger 179. 8 In his lengthy treatise ‘On the Lord’s Supper’ he has ample opportunity to mention
communion and spiritual presence, but defers. In his discussion of 1 Corinthians 10:16 where communion is mentioned he argued that koinonia should be understood as the community of the believers rather than a personal fellowship with Christ. Bromiley, Zwingli and Bullinger., 236-237.
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points at issue.’9 As far as our study is concerned, though he elaborated
considerably on the Supper by the 1559 edition, all the emphases concerning
the Spirit are in place at this early date at least in embryonic form. These
emphases included: The Spirit nourishes the believer, especially by
strengthening his or her faith through the Supper; the Spirit connects the
believer to Christ rather than Christ coming down into the Supper; the Spirit
increases communion with Christ as the believer partakes in the Supper; the
Spirit inspires thanksgiving and praise as well as unity in the body as the
church takes the Supper in remembrance of what Christ did for her.
The 1536 Institutes are not very conciliatory and though it should be seen
as a median position between Zwingli and Luther, it attacked Luther,
rejecting the idea of ‘the real presence of the body’10 and the concept of
ubiquity.11 Calvin quoted Zwingli favorably for the most part, but unlike
Zwingli he spoke of the Supper as spiritual nourishment for the soul.12 Since
Jesus has gone up to heaven he is only present on earth spiritually. It is the
Spirit that imparts the benefits of Christ’s blood to us, which ‘strengthen,
refresh, and gladden’ us,13 so we are to seek Christ in the Supper to feed our
souls and ‘obtain him spiritually.’14 The Supper is an ongoing provision or
‘continual food on which Christ spiritually feeds the household of his
believers.’15 For Calvin, even at this early stage, the Spirit is highlighted in
regard to His responsibility for the distribution of the benefits of the Supper.
9 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1536 Edition translated and annotated by
Ford Lewis Battles, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), p. lii. It would be safe to say he had read Zwingli, Luther and Bucer by this time.
10 Calvin, Institutes, p. 110. 11 Calvin, Institutes, p. 106. Ubiquity is the idea that Christ’s glorified body is able to be
in more than one place at a time; his body can be everywhere. Battles points out that Calvin is referring to Luther’s statements in The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ Institutes,., p. 282 and Calvin goes so far as to call anyone holding this position a madman. Institutes, p. 106.
12 He calls the bread ‘spiritual food, sweet and delicate’ where our faith is fed. Calvin, Institutes, pp. 110 and 107, see also p. 93.
13 Calvin, Institutes, p. 103. 14 Calvin, Institutes, p. 104. 15 Calvin, Institutes, p. 120.
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Short Treatise on the Lord’s Supper of Our Lord Jesus Christ
In 1538 Calvin was forced out of Geneva by the Genevan Council and spent
three years in Strasbourg as a university lecturer and pastor of a
congregation of French refugees. These were some of the happiest years for
Calvin.16 At this time Calvin was greatly influenced by Martin Bucer, the
lead reformer of that city and a strong supporter of unity among Protestants.
Bucer magnified the importance of the Holy Spirit in his theology. At this
point it will be helpful to show Bucer’s beliefs about the Supper, especially
the place of the Holy Spirit in our communion with Christ when we
participate in the Supper.
Bucer wrote three important works on the Supper that reveal a
progression in thought as well as willingness to compromise for the sake of
unity. In 1526 he wrote ‘The Apology of Martin Bucer’ on the Eucharist in
response to accusations made by John Brenz who had devised the Lutheran
formula adopted by the Lutheran clergy meeting at Schwabisch-Hall in 1525.
In Bucer’s Apology representing the Strasbourg Preachers, he thoroughly
rejected any form of a physical presence of Christ in the Supper.17 He began
by stressing his distaste for disputes because of the division they cause.
Though he advocates unity he was not very conciliatory at this time. There
is little attempt to pacify Brenz, and the document is focused almost entirely
on rejecting the Lutheran belief in the real presence of Christ in the Supper.
In this writing the Supper is seen as a memorial only,18 and any idea of the
sacraments as confirming or strengthening faith is absent.19 Also there is no
16 Carter Lindberg, The European Reformations (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 1996),
p. 258. 17 One can see the similarity here with Calvin’s later position in the 1536 Institutes. 18 Bucer stated, ‘The Spirit seems to us to teaching [sic] nothing further than this. For in
those passages he has presented the Supper as being nothing more for us than the solemn commemoration of Christ’s death endured on our behalf.’ Martin Bucer, Common Places (Appleford, England: The Sutton Courtenay Press, 1972), p. 321. Here he is clear that the Supper means ‘nothing more’ than a commemoration.
19 He stated, ‘Wherefore those who teach that faith is confirmed by the use of the sacraments, or that just as herbs and certain other things are applied for the healing of the body, so the sacraments serve as instruments for the soul’s salvation to God, will be furnishing ready proof that someone other than the Holy Spirit is the author of their teaching. As faith is begotten by the operation of the Spirit, so it is increased and confirmed by the same, while the Spirit himself is granted and imparted by the Father by virtue of the merit of Christ and not in the least by virtue of the use of the sacraments.’ Bucer, Common Places, p. 320. Here he seemingly rejected the Supper even as a means of the Holy Spirit for strengthening faith.
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mention of communion with Christ in the participation of the Supper. But
even at this early stage we see some hints of what Bucer and Calvin will
teach later. He said, ‘In this act of remembrance, if we believe, we truly but
spiritually eat and drink his body and blood, and are nourished for eternal
life.’20 This sounds like the Supper is supposed to be a means for spiritual
nourishment. Perhaps he embraced the concept of spiritual nourishment on
an ongoing basis for the strengthening of faith even at this time, but the
Apology is so polemic against the ‘carnal eating’ of Christ that he appears to
have contradicted himself in other places in the document. He made
reference to the ministry of the Spirit in ‘directing the minds of the believers
above’ signifying we are somehow taken up to the presence of God rather
than the flesh of Christ brought down to us in the elements;21 this idea will
be more fully developed in the writings of Calvin. For Bucer there is a
‘spiritual presence and eating’22 for the faithful of the ‘bodily body of Christ,
but spiritually and in a manner that conveys blessing.’23 These blessings in
the Supper are experienced by the work of the Spirit; Christ physically
remains in heaven, and the Spirit produces the results. Bucer only briefly
touched on these aspects of spiritual blessing at this time, but they will be
expounded upon as he sought amelioration between the Zwinglians and
Lutherans.24
Ten years later he wrote the Account of the Concord entered into in 1536
at Wittenberg between Luther and the Theologians of Upper Germany on
the issue of the Eucharist where he included the Articles or Formula of
Concord25 and expounded upon them. It appears Bucer took almost a 180-
degree turn from the previous document.26 He admitted to
20 Bucer, Common Places, p. 325. 21 Bucer, Common Places, pp. 325-326. 22 Bucer, Common Places, p. 336. 23 Bucer, Common Places, p. 338. 24 One cannot help but notice the early similarities with Bucer’s early writings and
Calvin’s 1536 Institutes. 25 An article seeking agreement between the Swiss and German churches that up to this
point were at odds with each other. The Catholic church was beginning to organize and so it was critical for the survival of the Reformation that they try to put aside their differences. The major point of contention was their differences on the Lord’s Supper.
26 W.P. Stephens notes, ‘The effect of this shift in emphasis and understanding is seen in the Gospels (1536). References that might offend are omitted and any idea that the bread and wine are bare signs of an absent Christ is rejected.’ W.P. Stephens, The Holy Spirit in the Theology of Martin Bucer (Cambridge: University Press, 1970), p. 254.
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misunderstanding Luther and so went out of his way to stress a ‘true
presence’ of Christ in the Supper. He wholly agreed to the statement in the
Concord, which said, ‘Accordingly they maintain and teach that with the
bread and the wine the body and blood of Christ are truly and substantially
present and presented and received.’27 So long as ‘substantially present’
doesn’t mean ‘presented as food for the stomach’ he had no qualms using
and teaching this phrase. He is clearly seeking unity by giving the benefit of
the doubt to the Lutherans,28 but he has also brought in a new emphasis on
his own part of a spiritual eating of Christ’s body where the sacraments are
‘channels of divine grace.’29 He said, ‘His true body and true blood are truly
presented, given and received with the visible signs of bread and wine.’30
The Supper is no longer simply a memorial for Bucer, but rather a means for
ongoing communion with Christ: ‘By receiving it [the sacrament] they might
have Christ living in them ever more and more, and might live in him and
worthily celebrate the benefit of his death.’31 In the first document there was
no mention of communion with Christ in the partaking of the Supper, but in
the 1536 document it becomes the centerpiece of the sacrament. He
continued to emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit in this communion who
‘brings about and increases in us faith and any goodness we possess’
through the partaking of the Supper.32 Two years later Calvin came to
Strasbourg, where Bucer significantly influenced him, as we shall see.
Like Bucer, Calvin saw a ‘true communication’ of Christ in the Supper.33
Christ’s body is presented to us in the Supper. It should be noted that he
does not say with the Concord of Wittenberg that Christ’s body is both present
and presented.34 Bucer probably had some difficulties with the language of
the body being present because the Lutherans clearly meant by present the
27 Martin Bucer, Common Places, p. 362. 28 Two points of contention that are never really solved are the questions ‘Is Christ bodily
present in the elements?’ and ‘Is the Supper efficacious to the unbeliever?’ 29 Bucer, Common Places, p. 358. 30 Bucer, Common Places, p. 359. 31 Bucer, Common Places, p. 365. 32 Bucer, Common Places, p. 357. 33 Calvin said, ‘To deny that a true communication of Jesus Christ is presented to us in
the Supper, is to render this holy sacrament frivolous and useless – an execrable blasphemy unfit to be listened to.’ Calvin, Selected Works, p. 161.
34 Bucer, Common Places, p. 362.
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body of Christ was present locally in the elements.35 How Christ’s body can
be presented without being in the elements is a mystery, but Calvin
indicated the solution: ‘In order to exclude all carnal fancies, we must raise
our hearts upwards to heaven, not thinking that our Lord Jesus is so
debased as to be enclosed under some corruptible elements.’36 Here we see
Calvin’s doctrine of sursum corda of which he will expound upon more
thoroughly as his view matures. The idea is that rather than Christ’s body
coming down to earth, the partaker of the Supper is spiritually raised to
heaven and spiritually feeds on the body of Christ.37 Colossians 3:1-3, 1
Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-26 and Ephesians 5:28-33 were critical texts in
support of this belief. Christ’s body is not brought down to us, but instead
we are raised spiritually with Christ and partake of his body spiritually
when we join in the Supper in faith. This mystical communion takes place
by the work of the Spirit: ‘A life-giving virtue from Christ’s flesh is poured
into us by the Spirit, though it is at a great distance from us, and is not
mixed with us.’38 This brings us to the next element Calvin had in common
with Bucer, the emphasis of the Spirit.
In discussing the idea of sursum corda Calvin goes on to explain: ‘On the
other hand, not to impair the efficacy of this holy ordinance, we must hold
that it is made effectual by the secret and miraculous power of God, and that
the Spirit of God is the bond of participation, this being the reason why it is
called spiritual.’39 Earlier he said Christ ‘operates in us inwardly by his Holy
Spirit, in order to give efficacy to his ordinance.’40 Both Calvin and Bucer
35 Bucer stated, ‘In the Supper by the ordinance and operation of the Lord, his true body
and true blood are truly (exactly as his words indicate) presented, given and received with the visible signs of bread and wine.’ Common Places, p. 359.
36 Calvin, Selected Works, pp. 185-186. 37 In the 1536 edition of the Institutes he briefly mentions the sursum corda concept but
instead of our hearts being raised as it is stated in the Short Treatise, he says our minds should be raised up to ‘seek him in heaven’ adoring him spiritually rather than carnally. 1536 Institutes, p. 108.
38 John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2005), 379. He went on to say, ‘For as to his communicating himself to us, that is effected through the secret virtue of his Holy Spirit, which can not merely bring together, but join in one, things that are separated by distance of place, and far remote.’ He then reminds us, ‘It is a secret and wonderful work of the Holy Spirit, which it were criminal to measure by the standard of our understanding.’ Ibid., 380.
39 1536 Institutes, p. 108. 40 1536 Institutes, p. 164.
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were not willing to embrace an ex opere operato understanding of the Supper
where the elements of the Supper imparted grace whether the participant
had faith or not, which seemed to be demanded if the body of Christ is
present in the elements.41 Their introduction of the work of the Spirit was
key to their maintaining that the Supper is not simply a memorial but rather
a true participation in the body of Christ, without being physically eaten by
the recipient. The real difference between the Swiss (Reformed) view and
the German (Lutheran) view of the Supper was the spiritual eating of the
body of Christ instead of the physical eating of the body of Christ; this will
later be expounded upon.
The Consensus Tigurinus
Attempts at unity in the body of Christ were very important to the
Reformers. The Catholic Church began to unify its ranks through the
Council of Trent and maintained a concerted effort to root out all the
‘heresy’ of the Reformation. The Reformers knew that a part of this attempt
at unification by the Catholics could mean warfare and so a united front was
necessary to withstand the onslaught, not to mention the detraction of God’s
glory bred by disunity. In all of the attempts of unity the Lord’s Supper was
at the forefront of disagreement. We have noted the endeavor for unity
between Zurich and Germany in the Concord of Wittenberg, with Bucer as
the chief instigator willing to compromise by giving extreme latitude to the
Lutherans in the use of the words ‘present’ and ‘presenting’ concerning the
substance of the Lord’s body in the sacrament. Calvin follows Bucer in his
appreciation for unity. Calvin and Bucer have amazing parallels: Bucer’s
Apologia was polemic and not very advanced, which was written in 1525.
Next came Calvin’s 1536 Institutes, which was also contentious in nature and
still in the infant stage of his development of the doctrine of the Lord’s
Supper. In 1536 Bucer wrote on his agreement with the Concord of
Wittenberg as it pertained to the Lord’s Supper and came across very irenic
with a fuller doctrine of the Supper especially concerning the place of the
Spirit and communion with Christ. Calvin then wrote the Short Treatise in
1540 while in Strasbourg with Bucer showing a more developed
41 The Lutherans historically denied this but the Roman Catholics make the point that if
the actual body of Christ is being eaten, supernatural grace would be automatically effected.
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understanding of the place of the Spirit and communion in the Supper and
also revealing a desire for unity between the opposing groups within the
Reformation.42 Calvin’s major attempt at unity with the churches in Zurich
can be seen in the Consensus Tigurinus of 1549 where intentionally vague
language is used in hopes to appease all groups without compromise;43 his
place for the Holy Spirit is key in this attempt for a middle ground between
the Lutherans and Zwinglians.44
In the Consensus Tigurinus Calvin is seeking unity with the Swiss
churches and therefore goes out of his way to stress the distinctness of the
sign and the thing signified without entirely separating them:
Wherefore, though we distinguish, as we ought, between the
signs and the things signified, yet we do not disjoin the reality
from the signs, but acknowledge that all who in faith embrace
the promises there offered receive Christ spiritually, with his
spiritual gifts, while those who had long been made partakers
of Christ continue and renew that communion.45
The emphasis here is on receiving Christ spiritually rather than bodily.
There is no mention of sursum Corda, which he seems to shy away from at
this time.46 Calvin made it clear that all the work done is by the Holy Spirit,
not the Sacraments, though the sacraments can be a means to accomplish his
work:
For it is God alone who acts by his Spirit. When he uses the
instrumentality of the sacraments, he neither infuses his own
42 Calvin was even willing to agree to the Augsburg Confession, probably because he
knew the intent of the author, Philip Melanchthon who held to a similar view of the Supper along with Bucer as well as John Bradford. Alexander Barclay, The Protestant Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, p. 138-139; 121. See also John Bradford, The Writings of John Bradford (Carlisle, Penn: Banner of Truth Trust, 1979), 1:82-110 and Philip Melanchthon, Loci Communes (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1992), pp. 145-153.
43 He denied the use of vague speech but does want to state the belief in such a way that all can agree without denying the importance of truth. Calvin, Selected Works, pp. 208-209.
44 Calvin explicitly stated he was seeking a middle ground in his explanation of the Consensus: ‘If a middle course has been observed by us, who will not call those obstinate enemies of the truth, who choose rather to carp maliciously at a holy consent, than either civilly embrace, or at least silently approve it?’ Selected Works, p. 210.
45 John Calvin, Selected Works, p. 202. 46 He will return to the idea of sursum corda in the 1559 Institutes.
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virtue into them nor derogates in any respect from the effectual
working of his Spirit, but, in adaptation to our weakness, uses
them as helps; in such manner, however, that the whole power
of acting remains with him alone.47
The Holy Spirit advances, nourishes, confirms and increases our faith and
feeds our souls through the sacraments,48 accomplishing their chief end,
which is communion with Christ.49
The Second Defense Against Westphall (1556)
By 1556 it is clear that Calvin and Bucer have taken a different tone toward
the Lutherans. Hope for unity has been lost and congenial speech has been
replaced with pejorative accusations.50 Calvin wrote his Second Defense to
oppose the Lutheran Joachim Westphall who attacked the Consensus
Tigurinus. In this writing Calvin demonstrated no tolerance for the idea that
‘Christ is sensibly chewed by the teeth,’51 which he described as ‘dragging
the body [of Jesus] down from heaven.’52 He disagreed with Westphall in
three major areas:
First, he insists that the bread of the Supper is substantially the
body of Christ. Secondly, in order that Christ may exhibit
himself present to believers, he insists that his body is
immense, and exists everywhere without place. Thirdly, he
insists that no figure is to be admitted in the words of Christ,
whatever agreement there may be as to the thing.53
Though Calvin is very polemical in this writing it should not be
considered a reaction because he doesn’t pendulum swing away from his
47 Calvin, Selected Works, p. 203. 48 Calvin, Selected Works, pp. 204-206. 49 He states, ‘The end for which the sacraments were instituted…is to bring us to
communion with Christ.’ Calvin, Selected Works, p. 209. 50 Bucer spoke of the ‘utterly detestable bread-worship of the antichrists;’ not exactly
conducive for unity building. He was probably referring to the Catholics but he does not differentiate between the Catholics and Lutherans in this particular discussion. Bucer, Common Places, p. 392.
51 Calvin, Selected Works, p. 244. 52 Calvin, Selected Works, p. 268. 53 Calvin, Selected Works, p. 232.
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previously held understanding; instead he refined his beliefs. He
maintained his emphasis on communion with God as well as the Spirit
playing the major role in the benefits obtained from the Supper. The chief
contribution of the Second Defense toward Calvin’s understanding of the
Supper is the development of the idea of sursum corda.
In stating that he abhorred the idea of a local presence of the body of
Christ in the Supper, calling it ‘gross fiction,’ he presented his own view:
For I hold that Christ is not present in the Supper in any other
way than this because the minds of believers (this being an
heavenly act) are raised by faith above the world, and Christ,
by the agency of his Spirit, removing the obstacle which
distance of space might occasion, conjoins us with his
members.54
Here we see the idea of the mind or heart of the believer being raised up
spiritually to Christ in heaven where he or she spiritually feeds on the
physical body of Christ, what some have affectionately called the ‘beam me
up Scotty’ view.55 He said that a ‘true and real communion, which consists
in our ascent to heaven, and requires no other descent in Christ than that of
spiritual grace’ takes place by faith, where Christ infuses ‘his vivifying virtue
in us’ without moving his body from heaven.56 It is a ‘true and real
communion’ but not a bodily presence in the bread.57 The Spirit solves the
problem of space so that we can remain on earth physically and Christ can
remain in heaven as far as his human nature is concerned; there is no need
for the invention of ubiquity, but rather mystery is employed.58 The
Lutheran understanding of ubiquity maintained that Christ’s glorified body
could be everywhere at once, but for Calvin this confused the human and
divine natures of Christ. In his divinity Christ is everywhere (Matthew
28:20), but in his humanity he remains in heaven until his second coming
(Acts 1:11). By the ‘secret influence of the Spirit’ we truly partake in the
54 Calvin, Selected Works, p. 262. 55 Lecture on the Institutes at RTS by Dr. Richard Gamble. 56 Calvin, Selected Works, p. 262. 57 Calvin has referred to the Supper as a ‘true presence’ and a ‘real communion’ but he
has never specifically called it a ‘real presence’ which is the Lutheran position. 58 He stated, ‘Christ, by the incomprehensible agency of his Spirit, perfectly unites things
disjoined by space, and thus feeds our souls with his flesh, though his flesh does not leave heaven, and we keep creeping on the earth.’ Calvin, Selected Works, p. 278.
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flesh of Christ, experiencing the benefits of that flesh in the Supper without
physically eating that flesh.59 This idea of sursum corda was in its infant stage
prior to the contention with Westphall, but is now fully developed.60 Christ
remains physically in heaven and the believer stays on earth, but the Spirit
affects communion between Christ and the believer through the means of
the Supper, and communicates the benefits of the body of Christ to the
believer spiritually when faith is displayed.
1559 Institutes
The 1559 Institutes is the most thorough of Calvin’s treatments on the Lord’s
Supper and the most mature. He first discussed the sacraments in general
and then the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper in particular and in both places
his central focus was on the Holy Spirit’s work to achieve intimate
communion between Christ and the believer, especially through the means
of the Lord’s Supper. First we will look at the place of the Spirit in the 1559
Institutes, then the place of communion as pertaining to the Supper.
For Calvin nothing of spiritual significance can take place apart from the
Spirit. Without His illumination we are blind, stupid and have ‘no relish for
spiritual things.’61 The Spirit ‘opens up an entrance to our hearts for the
word and sacraments’ which he uses to ‘sustain, nourish, confirm, and
increase faith.’62 The Spirit gives faith and then increases and nourishes that
faith through the sacraments; in other words, ‘faith is the proper and entire
work of the Holy Spirit.’63 There is nothing magical about the sacraments;
59 He says, ‘I acknowledge, however, that by the virtue, of his Spirit and his own divine
essence, he not only fills heaven and earth, but also miraculously unites us with himself in one body, so that that flesh, although it remain in heaven, is our food. Thus I teach that Christ, though absent in body, is nevertheless not only present with us by his divine energy, which is everywhere diffused, but also makes his flesh give life to us. For seeing he penetrates to us by the secret influence of his Spirit, it is not necessary, as we have elsewhere said, that he should descend bodily.’ Calvin, Selected Works, p. 266.
60 It is interesting that Bucer never speaks of this concept in detail. He mentions the idea in passing in his early writing The Apology, but never elaborates, whereas Calvin expounds on it more and more throughout his career. Calvin is a beneficiary of Bucer’s ideas on the Supper as has been shown in the progression of their writings, but this idea of sursum corda appears to be unique with Calvin.
61 Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) translated by Henry Beveridge, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989), 4. 14,8.
62 Calvin, Institutes, 4.14,8 63 Calvin, Institutes, 4.14,8
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there is no ‘secret efficacy perpetually inherent in them.’64 But the Holy
Spirit uses the sacraments as a means to the end of increasing faith.65 This
understanding of the necessity of the Spirit fits well with his definition of a
sacrament:
It is an external sign, by which the Lord seals on our
consciences his promises of good-will toward us, in order to
sustain the weakness of our faith, and we in our turn testify
our piety towards him, both before himself, and before angels
as well as men.66
The Holy Spirit seals his promises in our hearts and strengthens our faith
through the sacraments.
The place of communion is central to Calvin’s thinking in all of his
theology and especially in his understanding of the Supper. The cross
attained the forgiveness of sins so that a person could be united with Christ.
The Supper is a means of grace where this union is remembered as well as
experienced. Calvin considered the Supper a sign and a seal. As a sign it is
a memorial for the Christian to often remember what Christ has done for
him or her. As a seal there is a blessing of grace received. The word and
sacraments are God’s means of our appropriating God’s promises, chief of
which is our communion with Christ. In this life we never arrive at full
communion with God so the Supper is an instrument God uses to further
this union until its completion when we arrive in heaven: ‘It [the sacrament]
is a help by which we may be ingrafted into the body of Christ, or, already
ingrafted, may be more and more united to him, until the union is
completed in heaven.’67 As we shall see later, it is the Spirit who brings
about the experience of communion for the believer through the Supper.
The Best Method of Obtaining Concord
Toward the end of his life Calvin made one final attempt to bring unity
between the opposing groups in a brief work called The Best Method of
64 Calvin, Institutes, 4. 14,9. 65 He states, ‘They confer nothing, and avail nothing, if not received in faith, just as wine
and oil, or any other liquor, however large the quantity which you pour out, will run away and perish unless there be an open vessel to receive it.’ Calvin, Institutes, 14,17.
66 Calvin, Institutes, 4. 14,1. 67 Calvin, Institutes, 3. 17,33.
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Obtaining Concord.68 Nothing new is found in this writing, but Calvin’s
mature position is still fully represented.69 He began by defining the two
polar positions: ‘What produced the greatest hatred was the allegation by
one party that the grace of the Spirit was tied down to external elements;
and, by the other, that only bare and empty figures resembling theatrical
shows were left.’70 He then claimed that these disagreements had already
been settled by the median position he presented in the past and restated in
this writing. He declared that the Lutherans should be satisfied because he
does not see the elements of the Supper as bare symbols, but rather through
the Spirit the believer is truly nourished by the body and blood of Jesus. He
does not agree with any carnal eating of Christ (the physical eating of the
body of Christ), but the flesh of Christ is consumed spiritually. He
explained that using the word spiritual does not turn the Supper into a mere
phantom, but rather adheres to the clear teaching of Scripture and the early
writings of the Church. He also believed that his rejecting the carnal eating
of Christ should satisfy the Zwinglians and therefore everyone should be
able to be in a state of concord.
Once again his solution to the problem of disunity is the Spirit. Rather
than resorting to unbiblical notions of eating Jesus with one’s teeth or the
idea of ubiquity (that a physical body can be in more than one place at a
time) he embraces mystery – that somehow the Spirit is able to unite things
separated by space. He finishes his writing retelling briefly the idea of
sursum corda saying:
This definition answers the question, What is it to receive the
body of Christ in the Supper by faith? Some are suspicious of
the term faith, as if it overthrew the reality and the effect. But
we ought to view it far otherwise, viz., That the only way in
which we are conjoined to Christ is by raising our minds above
the world. Accordingly, the bond of our union with Christ is
faith, which raises us upwards, and casts its anchor in heaven,
so that instead of subjecting Christ to the figments of our
reason: we seek him above in his glory.71
68 This was published in January of 1561 against Tilemann Hesshuss. 69 Barclay says of this document: ‘It is the essence of his thought.’ Alexander Barclay, The
Protestant Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, p. 226. 70 Calvin, Selected Writings, p. 518. 71 Calvin, Selected Writings, p. 523.
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The Spirit raises our minds to Christ in heaven where we then experience
the benefits of the body and blood of Christ as we partake in the elements of
the Supper. A true communion takes place by the Spirit through faith.
Calvin’s Understanding of the Spirit
At this point it will help to discuss briefly Calvin’s understanding of the
Spirit and his central role in the life of the believer before he or she gets to
heaven. Though Calvin always sought to remain Biblical and preferred to
‘act’ rather than ‘react’ to situations, he was caught in between two
opponents, both of which he saw as dangerous: the Roman Catholic
Church’s captivity of the Scriptures and the Radical Reformers over-
subjectivity of the Spirit.72 In the midst of this battle he forged his doctrine of
word and Spirit.73 The Roman Catholic Church believed that the laity were
not able to correctly interpret Scripture, which seemed to shackle the Spirit
to a few select people,74 but many of the Radical Reformers bypassed the
Scriptures opting for direct new revelations to all believers.75 Calvin alleged
that the Spirit speaks through the Word and Sacraments. ‘Not that the Spirit
was restricted to the preaching of the Word and to the sacraments, but that
he could not be dissociated from either of them.’76 The Scriptures and the
sacraments are not magical and are useless apart from the Spirit as far as
bringing communion is concerned,77 but they are means the Spirit uses to
reveal his truths. The Spirit wrote the Scriptures, inspires the preacher of the
Word and gives an internal witness to the hearer that the Scriptures are from
God.78 The Spirit is absolutely necessary because of the depravity of
humans. This is also true with the Supper. The Spirit uses it as a means to
72 Willem Balke says, ‘Calvin, the theologian of the Holy Spirit, wanted to guard against
Fanaticism without curtailing the freedom of the Holy Spirit in any way.’ Willem Balke, Calvin and the Anabaptist Radicals (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981), p. 326.
73 See Augustus Lopez, ‘Calvin, Theologian of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit and the Word of God’ in Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology (1997), 15:40.
74 See Calvin, Institutes 1.7. Calvin says this is an insult to the Holy Spirit. 1.7,1. 75 See Calvin, Institutes 1.9. 76 Augustus Lopez, ‘Calvin, Theologian of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit and the Word
of God’ p. 44. 77 Both the Scriptures and the Sacraments will bring judgment on the unbeliever (John
5:39-47; 1 Corinthians 11:27-29). 78 Calvin, Institutes, 1. 7,5.
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communicate to the believer and has chosen this means to bring about
communion in a special way to the believer, but is not bound to the Supper
in an automatic sense. What Lopes says about the Word is also true of the
Supper and reveals the preeminence of the Spirit: ‘The Word is not like a
talisman, which liberates its magical powers when called upon to do so, at
the whims of its possessor. The efficacy of the Word, on the contrary, is
totally dependent on the sovereignty of the Spirit.’79 For Calvin communion
can only take place by the work of the Spirit who uses the means of the
Word and the sacraments to accomplish intimate communion.
Calvin, the Spirit and Communion
Willem Van’t Spijker has rightly noted ‘Communion with Christ [is] the
heart of Calvin’s theology.’80 In our survey we saw the close connection of
the Spirit, communion with Christ and the Supper. It will be helpful to
review some of the aspects of this connection as well as some implications of
his emphases.
First Calvin recognized an element of mystery in the concept of how we
are fed by a distant Christ. The two extremes of a mere sign and the actual
eating of Christ’s flesh with our teeth were both unacceptable. A true
feeding of Christ’s body does take place in the Supper but the question of
how must be relegated to mystery. He said, ‘It were, therefore, extreme
infatuation not to acknowledge the communion of believers with the body
and blood of the Lord, a communion which the apostle declares to be so
great, that he chooses rather to marvel at it than to explain it.’81 When asked
to explain how communion takes place in the Lord’s Supper, he replied: ‘I
am overwhelmed by the depth of this mystery, and am not ashamed to join
Paul in acknowledging at once my ignorance and my admiration…. Let us
therefore labour more to feel Christ living in us, than to discover the nature
79 Augustus Lopez, ‘Calvin, Theologian of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit and the Word
of God’ p. 46. Balke says, ‘Calvin insisted on a close tie between Word and Spirit. This tie was not to be taken in a magical, causal, or automatic sense. The connection is promised by God and also ascribed to the proper proclamation of the Word.’ Willem Balke, Calvin and the Anabaptist Radicals, p. 325.
80 Peter De Klerk, editor, Calvin and the Holy Spirit, p. 44. 81 Calvin, Institutes, 4. 17,9.
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of that intercourse.’82 He then attempted to elucidate the unexplainable by
resorting to ‘the secret virtue of the Holy Spirit.’83 He acknowledged, ‘The
Spirit truly unites things separated by space.’84 This mysterious work is
referred to as sursum corda. Ronald Wallace gives a good, succinct
explanation of sursum corda: ‘Communion with the body of Christ is effected
through the descent of the Holy Spirit, by whom our souls are lifted up to
heaven, there to partake of the life transfused into us from the flesh of
Christ.’85
A second aspect in the connection between the Spirit, communion and
the Supper for Calvin is the place of faith. Two false doctrines must be
guarded against: the idea that there is something magical in the elements
and the notion that there is something good in humans. Calvin’s solution
was the necessity of faith. The elements were useless apart from faith and
faith was a gift from the Holy Spirit. Wilhelm Niesel explains:
If the Holy Spirit accomplishes His work, the receptive faculty
of faith is created and strengthened in us: for we ourselves are
intrinsically incapable of receiving Jesus Christ into ourselves.
Neither our soul nor our physical lips are capable of receiving
the Lord who died and rose again for us. Christ Himself must
by His Spirit open our hearts to His coming. This accessibility
to Himself which He creates is called faith.86
The Holy Spirit creates and strengthens faith in us through the Word and
sacraments.87 Faith is necessary for the Word and sacraments to be affective
and the Spirit gives the faith as well as strengthens the faith through the
Word and sacraments by imparting Christ to us.88
82 John Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians (Grand
Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2005), 325. 83 Calvin, Institutes, 4. 17,10. 84 Calvin, Institutes, 4. 17,10 85 Ronald Wallace, Calvin’s Doctrine of the Word and Sacrament (Eugene, OR: Wipf and
Stock Publishers, 1982), p. 206. 86 Wilhelm Niesel, The Theology of Calvin (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1956), p.
227. 87 Calvin said, ‘Our Lord has instituted them [the sacraments] for the express purpose of
helping to establish and increase our faith,’ Institutes, 4. 14,9. 88 Calvin stated, ‘I admit, indeed, that faith is the proper and entire work of the Holy
Spirit, enlightened by whom we recognize God and the treasures of his grace, and without whose illumination our mind is so blind that it can see nothing, so stupid that
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Finally the benefits the Spirit brings by means of the Supper must be
mentioned. Calvin said, ‘We expect salvation from him – not because he
stands aloof from us, but because ingrafting us into his body he not only
makes us partakers of all his benefits, but also of himself.’89 Through our
union with Christ we experience his benefits and through ever-increasing
communion we experience those benefits more and more.90 The Supper is
an aid to this communion and experience of Christ’s benefits when received
in faith ‘by the means of the Holy Spirit.’91 First let’s notice the experiential
nature of our encounter with Christ and his benefits then let’s observe the
specific blessing of sanctification.
For Calvin the sacraments, when ‘accompanied by the Spirit, the internal
Master, whose energy alone penetrates the heart, stirs up the affections.’92
Though Calvin should not be considered a mystic, he definitely saw
Christianity affecting the whole person. Our minds are transformed and our
affections are stirred as well as our wills changed. True knowledge of God is
increased through the instrumentality of the sacraments ‘so as to possess
him [Christ] more fully, and enjoy him in all his richness’ (emphasis mine).93
Calvin asserted that we are to ‘feel within ourselves the efficacy of that one
sacrifice’ through the Supper.94 Like the Puritans after him he used
it has no relish for spiritual things. But for the one Divine blessing which they proclaim we count three. For, first, the Lord teaches and trains us by his word; next, he confirms us by his sacraments; lastly, he illumines our mind by the light of his Holy Spirit, and opens up an entrance into our hearts for his word and sacraments, which would otherwise only strike our ears, and fall upon our sight, but by no means affect us inwardly.’ Calvin, Institutes, 4. 14,8.
89 Calvin, Institutes, 3. 2,24. 90 He went on to say, ‘Christ is not external to us, but dwells in us; and not only unites us
to himself by an undivided bond of fellowship, but by a wondrous communion brings us daily into closer connection, until he becomes altogether one with us.’ Calvin, Institutes.
91 Calvin, Institutes, 4. 14,17, 16. 92 Calvin, Institutes, 4. 14,9. 93 Calvin, Institutes, 4. 14,16. 94 Calvin, Institutes, 4. 17,1. see also 4. 17,11 where he claimed that through the ‘mystery
of the Supper…. First we might become one body with him; and, secondly, that being made partakers of his substance, we might feel the result of this fact in the participation of all his blessings’ (emphasis mine). In describing the mystery of the Supper he said, ‘I rather feel than understand it’ (emphasis mine). Calvin, Institutes, 4. 17,32.
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experiential language to describe the affects of the Supper when combined
with faith and the Spirit.95 He was not satisfied with a mere notional faith.96
Not only does the Supper arouse our affections, it conforms our wills to
Christ when combined with faith and the Spirit. Though the gospel reveals
our justification should be sought extra nos (outside of us), through the Spirit
Christ becomes in nobis (in us) and actually makes a difference in our lives.97
For Calvin the Spirit was not only the solution to the problem of the bodily
absence of Christ, but the synthesis of justification and sanctification as well.
In fear of stereotyping it might be said that for the Lutheran camp of the
Reformation an attempt was made to separate justification from
sanctification as far apart as possible; the Reformed branch endeavored to
keep them as close as possible without losing their distinction;98 for Calvin
communion with God was the solution. In communion the Spirit transforms
the believer, gradually making him or her more like Christ.99 We possess the
benefits of Christ’s death through communion with Christ, which the Spirit
accomplishes.100 This appropriation is through faith, but faith itself comes
from the Spirit.101 The Supper is a means of grace by which we experience
communion with God afresh and thus appropriate the benefits of Christ’s
death, one of which is our sanctification.102
95 He commented, ‘Moreover, as we see that this sacred bread of the Lord’s Supper is
spiritual food, is sweet and savoury, not less than salutary, to the pious worshippers of God, on tasting which they feel that Christ is their life, are disposed to give thanks, and exhorted to mutual love; so, on the other hand, it is converted into the most noxious poison to all whom it does not nourish and confirm in the faith, nor urge to thanksgiving and charity.’ Calvin, Institutes, 4. 17,40.
96 He says, ‘He is offered by the promises, not that we may stop short at the sight or mere knowledge of him, but that we may enjoy true communion with him.’ Calvin, Institutes, 4. 17,11.
97 Peter De Klerk [ed], Calvin and the Holy Spirit, p. 44. 98 J. Calvin, Commentary on the first Epistle to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 1:30. Also
Calvin, Institutes,, 3. 2,8. 99 Calvin, Institutes,, 3. 1,1-5. 100 He says, ‘The Holy Spirit is the bond by which Christ effectually binds us to himself.’
Calvin, Institutes, 3. 1,1. 101 He says, ‘Faith itself is produced only by the Spirit.’ 3. 1,4 102 Calvin, Institutes, 4. 17,11.
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Conclusion
It is evident that the Holy Spirit played a chief role in Calvin’s doctrine in
general and specifically in his doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. It is also clear
that communion with God was at least a central focus in his understanding
of the purpose of the Supper and perhaps his entire system of theology.
Was his interest in the Spirit, communion and the Supper lost to the next
generation of reformers and beyond? It would be a worthwhile study to see
how Calvin has influenced the church even to this day in his particular
emphasis of the Spirit, communion and the Supper. It is apparent he at least
influenced heavily the Puritans. In the early seventeenth century Richard
Sibbes wrote extensively on the Holy Spirit and in the later part of the
seventeenth century John Owen also covered the doctrine of the Spirit in a
comprehensive manner. Both of these Puritans also heavily emphasized the
place of communion with God, especially as it is experienced in the Supper.
Sibbes stated:
Fifthly, and especially, when the soul is touched with the Spirit of God
working faith, stirring up dependence, confidence, and trust on God.
Hence ariseth sweet communion. The soul is never at rest till it rests on
him. Then it is afraid to break with him or to displease him. But it
groweth zealous and resolute, and hot in love, stiff in good cases; resolute
against his enemies. And yet this is not all, for God will have also the
outward man, so as the whole man must present itself before God in
word, in sacraments; speak of him and to him with reverence, and yet
with strength of affection mounting up in prayer, as in a fiery chariot;
hear him speak to us; consulting with his oracles; fetching comforts
against distresses, directions against maladies.103
Notice that Sibbes understanding of the Holy Spirit, communion and the
sacraments are identical to Calvin’s teaching. He went on to encourage the
believer to seek his or her happiness by seeking the Holy Spirit who will
bring communion to the saint, especially through the sacraments.104
103 Richard Sibbes, The Works of Richard Sibbes 7 Volumes (London: Tho. Cotes, 1637), 7:69. 104 Sibbes, The Works., 7:71-73. The Westminster Confession also revealed dependency on
Calvin in its doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. In paragraph one of Chapter 29 it stated: ‘Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein He was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of His body and blood, called the Lord’s Supper, to be observed in His Church, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of Himself in His death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto
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Calvin brings a rich but balanced understanding of the Supper with his
emphases on the Spirit and communion with God. He avoids the absurd,
but does not simply turn the institution to a mere memorial. His influence
has continued to the present, blessing multitudes of Christians. We concur
with the comments of I. John Hesselink in his article ‘Calvin, The Holy
Spirit, and Mystical Union’:
My hope is that this survey of a few aspects of Calvin’s
doctrine of the Spirit does indeed confirm the thesis that Calvin
is a theologian of the Holy Spirit. Focusing on this dimension
of his theology reveals a personal, dynamic, and experiential
side of the Genevan reformer often overlooked. This is also a
dimension in our own faith and work that is often missing.
Hence we can well emulate Calvin – and above all, God’s
Word – in seeking to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led servants of
Jesus Christ.105
Calvin could not be considered a Pentecostal, but his experiential
doctrine of the Supper should be seen as a resource for further encounter
with the Spirit. Pentecostal churches have excelled in highlighting the work
of the Spirit in experiential encounter with Christ in the worship service,
especially during the singing of praises and practice of the spiritual gifts.
Promoting another avenue for intimate communion with Christ as
experienced in the Lord’s Supper would seem to be a natural fit for the
Pentecostal movement. Though the Pentecostal might not agree with
everything Calvin taught, his theology should still be recognized as a
valuable resource for experiential contact with Christ.
Him; and, to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him, and with each other, as members of His mystical body.’ And then in paragraph seven it stated: ‘Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements, in this sacrament, do then also, inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally but spiritually, receive and feed upon, Christ crucified, and all benefits of His death: the body and blood of Christ being then, not corporally or carnally, in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet, as really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses‘ , M.H. Smith, Westminster Confession of Faith. Index created by Christian Classics Foundation; Published in electronic form by Christian Classics Foundation, (Greenville, SC: Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Press, 1996).
105 I. John Hesselink, ‘Calvin, the Holy Spirit, and Mystical Union’ in Perspectives (1998): Vol. 13, 1:18.