Sárospataki Füzetek 13. (2009)
2009 / 4. szám - TANULMÁNYOK - I. John Hesselink: Kálvin a jelen és az eljövendő élethez való helyes viszonyulásról
The Gifts of Prophecy... gorized as primarily either academic, ministerial or democratic.28 The Prophezei in Zurich is the best example of an academic form of Bible study, intended as a school for the ministry to the Word. The democratic form was advocated by Jean de Morély in France, aiming at including the lay members in the discussion of Scripture. The Puritan prophesyings are an example of this model. In between is the ministerial form, as in the Genevan congréga- tions, where only those in the ministry present their exposition and partake in the debate, while the lay members were only there to listen and pose a question. How can we understand that for the Genevans preaching and prophecy seem to be synonyms? Was it strange that Calvin as preacher or expositor could identify with the Old Testament prophets? Was it overestimation that Zwingli regarded himself as prophet?2? In the first place, the Scriptures in the original languages and the treasured knowledge of these languages were regarded as the recent greatest gift of God to his church. Secondly, the Holy Spirit was seen as active in the exposition and preaching of the Scriptures. Thirdly, the adjective ministerial should be varied as collegiate of fráternél. The appeal to l Corinthians 14, especially verses 27-33, point to the necessity for the evaluation of prophetic speech. The word of a prophet is weighed by others. In the Bible studies in Geneva a collegiate responsibility for the office of preaching was feld. There the ministers as colleagues invited each other to participate in the discussion following the exposition by one of them. In his preface to the Plusieurs sermons (1558) Badius described the congregation as ‘a certain assembly of the Church which takes place on one of the weekdays, where each one of the ministers, in turn, explains some passage of Scripture, more by way of a lecture than a sermon. This being done, if there is one of the other ministers to whom the Spirit of God has revealed something which contributes to the understanding and clarification of what had been set forth, he is free to speak.’3° The line ‘to whom the Spirit of God has revealed something’ is corroborated by the surviving transcripts of the congrégations. Calvin could end his own exposition by stating: ‘This is what God has given me on this passage’.»1 In recognition of God’s gifts, his own shortcomings, and as invitation to re28 Cf. Philippe Denis, ‘La prophétie dans les Églises de la Réforme’, Revue d’Histoire ecclésiastique 72 (1977), 289-316. 2? Cf. Fritz Biisser, ‘Der Prophet - Gedanken zu Zwingli’s Theologie’, id., Wurzeln der Reformation in Zürich, 49-59). 3° Jean Calvin, Plusieurs sermons, preceded by the publication of Calvin’s introductory exposition to the Gospel of John: Or par ce mot de Congregation j’enten une certaine assemblée de l’Eglise qui se fait un des jours de la sepmaine, oú un chacun des Ministres en son ordre expose quelque passage d’Escriture, plus par forme de legon que de predication; et cela fait, s’il y a quelqu’un des autres ä qui l’Esprit de Dieu ait reveié quelque chose faisant á Vintelligence et esclairissement de ce qui a esté proposé, il luy est lihre de parier (CO 35: 591t). 31 Ms.fr. 40a, f. i22r (congrégation on Joshua 11). 49
