Book 1, Chapter 1, Section 1 to Book 1, Chapter 5, Section 11

[Alex, Moderator]

As you will recall, the Institutes were written to be a brief and edifying summary of the Christian faith and is divided into four books: (1) The Knowledge of God the Creator; (2) The Knowledge of God the Redeemer in Christ; (3) The Way in Which We Receive the Grace of Christ; and (4) The External Means or Aids by Which God Invites Us into the Society of Christ.

We begin with book one. This book focuses on knowing God, particularly as our Creator. Chapters 1-4 address mankind’s natural awareness of God. Chapter 5 discusses the revelation of God in creation. Below, the large bolded headings correspond with each chapter; the bulleted items correspond with each section.

1. KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND THAT OF OURSELVES ARE CONNECTED

1. The first chapter begins with the famous opening, “Without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God. Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and or ourselves” (p. 35). Knowledge of ourselves leads us to knowledge of God. In particular, it is realization of our finite, frail, and feeble state that moves us to recognize an infinitely abundant and virtuous divine Being. “To this extent we are prompted by our own ills to contemplate the good things of God; and we cannot seriously aspire to [God] before we begin to become displeased with ourselves… Accordingly, the knowledge of ourselves not only arouses us to seek God, but also, as it were, leads us by the hand to find him” (pp. 36-37).

2. The reverse is also true. We cannot truly understand ourselves aright without also knowing God and how he relates to us. Only by knowing God can we appreciate our sinfulness. “It is certain that man never achieves a clear knowledge of himself unless he has first looked upon God’s face… For we always seem to ourselves righteous and upright and wise and holy — this pride is innate in all of us — unless by clear proofs we stand convinced of our own unrighteousness, foulness, folly, and impurity” (p. 37). Our reference point should be God, lest we compare ourselves by ourselves (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12). Calvin provides the following illustration as a visual aid: “For if in broad daylight we either look down upon the ground… we seem to ourselves endowed with the strongest and keenest sight; yet when we look up to the sun and gaze straight at it, that power of sight… is at once blunted and confused by a great brilliance, and thus we are compelled to admit that our keenness in looking upon things earthly is sheer dullness when it comes to the sun. So it happens in estimating our spiritual goods” (p. 38).

3. Those who encounter God in Scripture are always deeply aware of their sinfulness. “Scripture commonly represents the saints as stricken and overcome whenever they felt the presence of God… Man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God’s majesty” (pp. 38-39). Calvin provides numerous examples: Judges 13:22; Isaiah 6:5; Ezekiel 2:1; 1:28; Judges 6:22-23; etc. All creatures are laid low before God. “And what can man do, who is rottenness itself [Job 13:28] and a worm [Job 7:5; Psalm 22:6], when even the very cherubim must veil their faces out of fear [Isaiah 6:2]?” (p. 39).

2. WHAT IT IS TO KNOW GOD, AND TO WHAT PURPOSE THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM TENDS

1. Proper piety, defined by the joining of reverence and love for God, is the prerequisite to any true knowledge of God. “The gist of true piety does not consist in a fear which would gladly flee the judgment of God, but… rather in a pure and true zeal which loves God altogether as Father, and reveres him truly as Lord, embraces his justice and dreads to offend him more than to die” (p. 40; fn.1).

Calvin speaks of a twofold knowledge of God: knowing God as our Creator (which is the focus of book 1) and Redeemer (which will be covered in book 2). The knowledge of the first is accessible to all people, to a certain extent, through general revelation, but is augmented by special revelation. However, the knowledge of the latter is only possible through the benefit of special revelation. According to Calvin, the revelation of God in creation would have only been sufficient if Adam had remained upright. All people have a natural awareness of God, but this is distorted and corrupted by sin. “Because of sin no sound theology of this type is possible. Scripture is the only medium of knowing the Creator, and of apprehending his revelation in creation” (p. 40; fn. 2).

2. Knowledge of God leads us to fear him, to seek every good from him, and to thanksgiving to him. “The pious mind does not dream up for itself any god it pleases, but contemplates the one and only true God… Because it is persuaded that [God] is good and merciful, it reposes in him with perfect trust... Because it acknowledges him as Lord and Father, the pious mind also deems it meet and right to observe his authority in all things, reverence his majesty, take care to advance his glory, and obey his commandments… Besides, this mind restrains itself from sinning, not out of dread of punishment alone; but, because it loves and reveres God as Father, it worships and adores him as Lord. Even if there were no hell, it would still shudder at offending him alone” (pp. 42-43). This very knowledge of God produces true religion. “Here indeed is pure and real religion: faith so joined with an earnest fear of God that this fear also embraces willing reverence, and carries with it such legitimate worship as is prescribed in the law” (p.43).

3. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD HAS BEEN NATURALLY IMPLANTED IN THE MINDS OF MEN

1. Even though the human mind is corrupted by sin, all people have retained a natural awareness of God. “There are two principal parts of the light which still remains in corrupt nature: first, the seed of religion is planted in all men; next, the distinction between good and evil is engraved on their consciences” (p. 43; fn. 2). Because the awareness of God is universal, all men are left without excuse for their sin. “Since, therefore, men one and all perceive that there is a God and that he is their Maker, they are condemned by their own testimony because they have failed to honor him and to consecrate their lives to his will… [There is] no nation so barbarous, no people so savage, that they have not a deep-seated conviction that there is a God” (p. 44; cf. Romans 1:20-21). Even mankind’s tendency towards pagan idolatry can be considered as proof of a universal awareness of God and the existence of a “seed of religion” embedded within all of us.

2. While it is true that religion has been used to manipulate people, this would not have been possible if humans did not already possess a natural awareness of God. “In order to hold men’s minds in greater subjection, clever men have devised very many things in [false] religion by which to inspire the common folk with reverence and to strike them with terror. But they would never have achieved this if men’s minds had not already been imbued with a firm conviction about God, from which the inclination toward religion springs as from a seed” (pp. 44-45).

3. The natural awareness of God cannot be completely eradicated. “A sense of divinity which can never be effaced is engraved upon men’s minds” (p. 45). True atheism is impossible. Still, the world “tries as far as it is able to cast away all knowledge of God, and by every means to corrupt the worship of him” (p. 46).

4. THIS KNOWLEDGE IS EITHER SMOTHERED OR CORRUPTED, PARTLY BY IGNORANCE, PARTLY BY MALICE

1. True knowledge of God is perverted because of our impious minds. “God has sown a seed of religion in all men. But scarcely one man in a hundred is met with who fosters it, once received, in his heart… And so it happens that no real piety remains in the world” (p. 47). Although unregenerate humanity is blind, they are not excused. Unregenerate men devise for themselves false notions of God and “imagine him as they have fashioned him in their own presumption” (p. 47). “Indeed, whatever they afterward attempt by way of worship or service of God, they cannot bring as tribute to him, for they are worshiping not God but a figment and a dream of their own heart” (p. 48).

2. Practical rejection of God leads to wrong beliefs about him. “Accordingly, we see that many, after they have become hardened in insolent and habitual sinning, furiously repel all remembrance of God” (p. 48). Practical atheism gives rise to theoretical atheism. “David’s statement that ungodly men and fools feel in their hearts that there is no God [Psalm 14:1; 53:1] must… be limited to those who, by extinguishing the light of nature, deliberately befuddle themselves… And David is the best interpreter of his thought when in another place he says that ‘the fear of God is not before the eyes of the ungodly’ [Psalm 36:1]. Likewise, because they persuade themselves that God does not see, they proudly applaud their own wrongdoing [Psalm 10:11]. Even though they are compelled to recognize some god, they strip him of glory by taking away his power” (pp. 48-49).

3. Zeal without knowledge is no good. “Thus is overthrown that vain defense... For they think that any zeal for religion, however preposterous, is sufficient. But they do not realize that true religion ought to be conformed to God’s will as to a universal rule” (p. 49). It is not good enough to merely affirm any type of theism (i.e., merely acknowledging that some sort of god exists). A false god is no god at all. Calvin quotes the Apostle Paul: “When you did not know God, you were in bondage to beings that by nature were no gods” [Galatians 4:8].”

4. No one naturally seeks after God. People “never consider God at all unless compelled to; and they do not come nigh until they are dragged there despite their resistance” (p. 50). By nature, we are at enmity with God. “Those who are of a mind alien to God’s righteousness know that his judgment seat stands ready to punish transgressions against him, yet they greatly desire its overthrow. Feeling so, they wage war against the Lord, who cannot be without judgment. But while they know that his inescapable power hangs over them because they can neither do away with it nor flee from it, they recoil from it in dread. And so, lest they should everywhere seem to despise him whose majesty weighs upon them, they perform some semblance of religion” (p. 50). Thus, people fabricate for themselves some form of religion to appease their consciences out of a slavish fear. Man-made religion prompts men to “trump up frivolous trifles and worthless little observances with which to win [God’s] favor… [to] perform their duty toward [God] by ridiculous acts of expiation” (p. 51).

[Alex, Moderator]

5. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD SHINES FORTH IN THE FASHIONING OF THE UNIVERSE AND THE CONTINUING GOVERNMENT OF IT

1. This chapter is about how God is revealed in creation. God is revealed in the universe in general, but especially in humanity and in providence. But, general revelation is of limited value because sinful humanity distorts it. Nature is sufficient only to render us inexcusable before God. In this way, although general revelation was initially given as a blessing, it has turned into a curse of sorts. “Because of human sin, the effect of this revelation in creation is to deepen man’s guilt” (p. 52; fn. 2).

There exists both an internal and external witness of divinity. Internally, we have a “seed of religion.” Externally, God has revealed himself through creation. Indeed, God has “not only sowed in men’s minds that seed of religion of which we have spoken but revealed himself and daily discloses himself in the whole workmanship of the universe. As a consequence, men cannot open their eyes without being compelled to see him… [It is] so clear and so prominent that even [uneducated] and stupid folk cannot plead the excuse of ignorance… Wherever you cast your eyes, there is no spot in the universe wherein you cannot discern at least some sparks of his glory” (p.52).

2. The sciences and arts point us towards God. Calvin uses examples from astronomy, medicine, natural sciences, and liberal arts. “There are innumerable evidences both in heaven and on earth that declare his wonderful wisdom… Even the common folk and the most untutored, who have been taught only by the aid of the eyes, cannot be unaware of the excellence of divine art, for it reveals itself in this innumerable and yet distinct and well ordered variety of the heavenly host. It is, accordingly, clear that there is no one to whom the Lord does not abundantly show his wisdom” (p. 53).

3. God is especially revealed in humanity. It is possible to call “man a microcosm because he is a rare example of God’s power, goodness, and wisdom, and contains within himself enough miracles to occupy our minds… Indeed, if there is no need to go outside ourselves to comprehend God, what pardon will the indolence of that man deserve who is loath to descend within himself to find God?” (p. 54).

4. Unfortunately, humanity suppresses this internal witness. “They feel in many wonderful ways that God works in them... They are compelled to know… that these are the signs of divinity... Indeed, there is no need to go outside themselves, provided they do not, by claiming for themselves what has been given them from heaven, bury in the earth that which enlightens their minds to see God clearly” (p. 55). Commonly, people ascribe the works of God to natural, materialistic processes. “Yet they set God aside, the while using ‘nature,’ which for them is the artificer [skilled inventor] of all things, as a cloak. They see such exquisite workmanship in their individual members, from mouth and eyes even to their very toenails. Here also they substitute nature for God” (p. 56).

6. It is foolish to overlook God when given so much evidence through general revelation. “Let us therefore remember, whenever each of us contemplates his own nature, that there is one God who so governs all natures that he would have us look unto him, direct our faith to him, and worship and call upon him. For nothing is more preposterous than to enjoy the very remarkable gifts that attest the divine nature within us, yet to overlook the Author who gives them to us at our asking” (pp. 58-59). Humanity suppresses the knowledge of God which is amply made known through all of creation. “There is no creature, as the prophet declares, upon whom God’s mercy has not been poured out [Psalm 145:9; cf. Ecclesiasticus 18:11; 18:9, Vg.]” (p. 59).

7. God is manifest in his ongoing providential rule over the universe. He rules over all human society and government. “For in administering human society he so tempers his providence that, although kindly and beneficent toward all… he still by open and daily indications declares his clemency to the godly and his severity to the wicked and criminal” (p. 60). It is an ordinary expectation that God protects the innocent and administers justice against the wicked. “Thus he clearly shows himself the protector and vindicator of innocence, while he prospers the life of good men with his blessing, relieves their need, soothes and mitigates their pain, and alleviates their calamities; and in all these things he provides for their salvation” (p. 60). Still, there are times when it seems that God allows the innocent to suffer and the wicked to prosper. We can observe that God “frequently allows the wicked and malefactors to exult unpunished for some time, while he permits the upright and deserving to be tossed about by many adversities, and even to be oppressed by the malice and iniquity of the impious” (p. 60). This is in order to deliver delayed judgment, which is itself an act of mercy! “When he leaves many sins unpunished, there will be another judgment to which have been deferred the sins yet to be punished. Similarly, what great occasion he gives us to contemplate his mercy when he often pursues miserable sinners with unwearied kindness, until he shatters their wickedness by imparting benefits and by recalling them to him with more than fatherly kindness!” (p. 60).

8. God rules over the lives of men and preserves us from all sorts of harm. “Those wandering through the desert he protects from wild beasts and at last guides them back to the way [Psalm 107:4-7]; to the needy and hungry he supplies food [v. 9]; the prisoners he frees from loathsome dungeons and iron bands [vs. 10-16]; the shipwrecked he leads back to port unharmed [vs. 23-30]; the half dead he cures of disease [vs. 17-20]... By setting forth examples of this sort, the [psalmist] shows that what are thought to be chance occurrences are just so many proofs of heavenly providence, especially of fatherly kindness” (p. 60). It takes wisdom to see God’s providence. “But because most people, immersed in their own errors, are struck blind in such a dazzling theater, he exclaims that to weigh these works of God wisely is a matter of rare and singular wisdom [v. 43]” (p. 61). Notably, Calvin frequently refers to the heavens and earth as a theater in which we may behold God’s glory.

9. The way to find God is not to speculate, but rather to contemplate him in his works. “Consequently, we know the most perfect way of seeking God… is not for us to attempt with bold curiosity to penetrate to the investigation of his essence… but for us to contemplate him in his works whereby he renders himself near and familiar to us, and in some manner communicates himself” (p. 62). This is the way in which we begin our pursuit of God. “David, having first confessed [God’s] unspeakable greatness [Psalm 145:3], afterward proceeds to mention his works and professes that he will declare his greatness [Psalm 145:5-6; cf. Psalm 40:5]… And as Augustine teaches elsewhere, because, disheartened by his greatness, we cannot grasp him, we ought to gaze upon his works” (p. 62).

10. The inequity we see and experience in this life makes us anticipate the future life. “Since we see the pious laden with afflictions by the impious, stricken with unjust acts, overwhelmed with slanders, wounded with abuses and reproaches; while the wicked on the contrary flourish, are prosperous, obtain repose with dignity and that without punishment — we must straightway conclude that there will be another life in which iniquity is to have its punishment, and righteousness is to be given its reward… Indeed, Augustine’s remark is well known: ‘If now every sin were to suffer open punishment, it would seem that nothing is reserved for the final judgment. Again, if God were now to punish no sin openly, one would believe that there is no providence’” (pp. 62-63).

11. The evidence God furnishes us through creation is unprofitable because humanity suppresses it. God teaches us about himself according to his works but we do not appreciate it. “But although the Lord represents both himself and his everlasting Kingdom in the mirror of his works with very great clarity, such is our stupidity that we grow increasingly dull toward so manifest testimonies, and they flow away without profiting us” (p. 63). All men tend to ignore God. This is the greatest disease of all to inflict mankind. “Yet we are very much alike in that, one and all, we forsake the one true God for prodigious trifles. Not only the common folk and dull-witted men, but also the most excellent and those otherwise endowed with keen discernment, are infected with this disease” (p. 64).