"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." - Jerome

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Calvin on the Rapture


I speak not of a eschatological ejection of the elect from earth, but the weekly reality of worship. Compare the two main means of grace in corporate worship and Calvin's way of describing what occurs in each:


On the Lord's Supper: “there is no absurdity in saying, that Christ, while remaining in heaven, is received by us. 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. But, in order that we may be capable of this participation, we must rise heavenward.” [John Calvin on 1 Cor 10:16]

On the presence of Christ in preaching: “As if it were not in God's power somehow to come down to us, in order to be near us, yet without changing place or confining us to earthly means; but rather by these to bear us up as if in chariots to his heavenly glory, a glory that fills all things with its immeasurableness and even surpasses the heavens in height!” [John Calvin. Institutes 4.1.5]

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