This post is part of my year long study of Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. To facilitate this course of study, I am following along with Princeton University's "A Year with the Institutes", which also includes an audio reading of the text.
I have been involved with my study of John Calvin's Institutes for 28 days now. In just that short amount of time, I become uneasy with a certain reverence prescribed to Calvin, by some, that borders on worship, or at the very least, giving Calvin's words preference over the holy Scriptures.
I have also recently come across those who, it would seem, give more reverence to their doctrines, creeds, catechisms, and other imaginations of man.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing inherently wrong with these things. Where it becomes a problem, in my opinion, is when more time is allotted to, and more of ones life is fashioned by these words of man.
Nothing should replace, or come anywhere near replacing the holy scriptures, the Holy Spirit's work in helping us understand the scriptures, along with understandings of learned men like John Calvin.
When push comes to shove, however, I am going to side with the Scriptures over anything devised by man.
Calvin was not a perfect being. Therefore, it is entirely likely that he missed the boat somewhere in his exhaustive Christian Institutes.
Let us all keep that in mind.
