Sárospataki Füzetek 13. (2009)
2009 / 4. szám - TANULMÁNYOK
I. John Hesselink At the same time, Calvin balances off this ‘sense’ or ‘foretaste’ of the heavenly life that we experience now with a longing for the full realization of the life to come when we shall be with our risen Lord. “It is for us to hunger for, seek, look to, learn and study Christ alone until that great day dawns when the Lord will fully manifest the glory of his kingdom [1 Cor. 15:24] and will show himself for as to see him as he is [1 John 3:2]” {Inst. IV.18.20). Thus the “meditatio vitae faturae is for Calvin more than mere reflection, meditation, or contemplation of eternity and beyond; it is “the orientation of the whole man and his whole temporal life towards the future goal which can best be represented by the biblical idea of endeavor. ”23 III. Chapter 10. “Hoiv We Must Use the Present Life” A. A question of balance The problem, which Calvin recognizes, is how to live a balanced life, that is, one which is very much involved in the challenges and problems of this world and at the same time lives in the light of eternity. On the one hand, there is the danger of a “perverse love of this life” {Inst. III.9.4); on the other, an unhealthy longing for heaven whereby the concerns of this world are ignored (typified by a chorus that was popular in youth circles when I was young: “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through. If heaven’s not my home, O Lord what shall I do?”) Some of the balance is already in Chapter IX—“On the meditation of the Future Life”—where Calvin refers to “the gifts of divine generosity” and the gratitude we owe God for all his blessings {Inst. III.9.3). Even so, taken by itself this chapter would give a one-sided portrayal of Calvin’s theology. This is why it is fortunate that he closes this “Golden Booklet” section of the Institutes with a chapter (X) that emphasizes the goodness of creation and how we should enjoy it. B. The main principle: use God’s gifts aright This chapter—“How We Must Use the Present Life and Its Helps”—is the shortest of the five chapters that make up this section on the Christian life, but it is extremely important in order to get a balanced understanding of the person of Calvin and his theology. Unfortunately, unlike Chapter IX, this chapter has gotten very little attention by Calvin scholars and in some cases has been totally ignored. In the outstanding study of Calvin’s life and theology * 23 Elsewhere Calvin points out that with the resurrection and ascension of Christ and the sending of the Spirit, believers are given “a taste (gustandam) of the newness of the heavenly life,” Comm. Matthew 16:28. Earlier, in his comment on the previous verse (Matt. 16:27) Calvin says “we must be deeply touched by a sense {sensu) of the heavenly life.” 23 Heinrich Quistorp, Calvin’s Doctrine of the Last Things (London: Lutterworth Press, 1955), 40-1. This is a translation from the original German text. The last word ‘endeavor’ reflects Otto Weber’s translation of meditatio as Trachten, endeavor or strive after.
