Sárospataki Füzetek 13. (2009)

2009 / 4. szám - TANULMÁNYOK - I. John Hesselink: Kálvin a jelen és az eljövendő élethez való helyes viszonyulásról

Erik Alexander de Boer

one, in which languages were employed.’18 Thus, the interpretation or translation of the ‘language’ is the interpretation of prophecy.

What then is the character of prophesy after the time of the New Testament church? Calvin comments: T bracket revelation and prophesying together, and I think that prophesying is the servant of revelation.’ Teaching, however, is associated with knowledge: ‘Teaching is the way to pass on knowledge.’ Calvin’s definition of prophecy states: ‘prophesying does not consist in the simple and bare interpretation of Scripture, but also includes the knowledge of making it apply to the needs of the hour, and that can only be obtained by revelation and the special influence of God.’1'1 According to Calvin prophecy begins as interpretation of Scripture, but only rises to the level of New Testament prophecy in the inspired application to the situation of the church. In Calvin’s view of biblical prophecy the element of predicting future events is also an essential part. But this feature has reached its fulfilment in the coming of Christ who was the greatest prophet of God.20

Thus Calvin would stress ‘that teachers, in their interpretation of Scripture, should focus on the preservation of sound doctrine, while prophets have the task of applying Scripture to the present situation.’21 This may explain why in Geneva the phrase conférence des Escriptures was favored, and not la prophétie.22 Both the interpretation of Scripture and the formulation of doctrine were the focus of the congregation.

Can Zwingli’s Von dem Predigtamt have of 1525 been Calvin’s source? The latter did not know any German. In 1545, however, a Latin translation appeared from the hand of Zwinglui’s son-in-law Rudolph Gwalter, Huldrychi Zwinglii Ecclesiastes, id est, de ratione et officio condonandi liber (in the Opera Zwinglii, vol. II, Zurich: Fro- schauer). The title ‘Ecclesiastes’ was, of course, known from that biblical book in the Septuagint and Vulgate, translated by Martin Luther as ‘Prediger’. The translation of

18 CO 49: 528-529. Cf. Institutes, 4.1.12 on 1 Corinthians 14:30: ‘If a better revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first be silent.” From this it is clear that every member of the church is charged with the responsibility of public edification according to the measure of his grace, provided he perform it decently and in order’. Idem in Institutes, 4.8.9.

19 CO 49: 51920 Wulfert de Greef, ‘Calvin on Prophecy’, in Wilhelm H. Neuser, Herman J. Selderhuis ed., Ordentlich und fruchtbar. Festschrift Jur Willem van ’t Spijker (Leiden: Uitgeverij J.J. Groen en Zoon, 1997), 113-118 (111-128).

21 De Greef, ‘Calvin on Prophecy’, 123L Calvin’s exposition of the Old Testament texts, referring to “schools of prophets,” does not have any allusion to the congrégations either. In a congrégation on Isaiah 1, Calvin said: « Or les prophetes Iá ont eu don de reveler les choses advenir, comme il est assez notoire. Mais leur office n’estoit seulement de predire ce qui estoit incognu aux hommes, mais de c’estoit de l’applicquer ä l’instruction du peuple » (E.A. de Boer, « Jean Calvin et Ésa'ie 1 (1564). Édition d’un texte inconnu introduit par quelques observations sur la différence et les relations entre congrégation, cours et sermon», Revue d’Histoire et de Philosophie Religieuses 80 (2000), 382 (371-395)).

22 Herman Hubert Kuyer stated after quoting Comm.iCor. that no prophecy (as in Zurich by that name) can have existed in Geneva {De opleiding tot de dienst des Woords bij de gereformeerden (’s-Gravenhage, 1891), 124).