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John Calvin
John Calvin (1509–1564). Born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor, and reformer whose teachings shaped Protestantism. Initially studying law at the University of Orléans, he embraced Reformation ideas by 1533, fleeing Catholic France after a crackdown. In 1536, he published Institutes of the Christian Religion, a seminal work articulating Reformed theology, emphasizing God’s sovereignty and predestination. Settling in Geneva, he became a preacher at St. Pierre Cathedral, implementing church reforms, though he was exiled in 1538 over disputes, only to return in 1541. Calvin’s sermons, often expository, drew thousands, and he founded the Geneva Academy in 1559 to train pastors. His writings, including commentaries on nearly every Bible book, influenced global Protestantism. Married to Idelette de Bure in 1540, he had no surviving children and was widowed in 1549. He died on May 27, 1564, in Geneva, saying, “Scripture is the school of the Holy Spirit.”
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John Calvin preaches about the importance of gratitude in prosperity, patience in adversity, and trust in God's provision for the future. He emphasizes attributing all blessings to God, whether received through people or nature, and recognizing God's hand in every aspect of life. Calvin encourages a mindset of thankfulness and reliance on God's sovereignty in both good and challenging times.
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And Said, Naked Came I Out of My Mother's Womb
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. —Job 1:21 The necessary consequences of this knowledge are, gratitude in prosperity, patience in adversity, and a wonderful security respecting the future. Every prosperous and pleasing event, therefore, the pious man will ascribe entirely to God, whether his generosity be received through the ministry of men, or by the assistance of inanimate creatures. For this will be the reflection of his mind, "It is certainly the Lord that has inclined their hearts to favor me, that has united them to me to be the instruments of his kindness towards me." In an abundance of the fruits of the earth, he will consider, that it is the Lord who regards the heaven, that the heaven may regard the earth, that the earth, also, may regard its own productions; in other things he will not doubt that it is the divine benediction alone which is the cause of all prosperity; nor will he bear to be ungrateful after so many admonitions. If any adversity befall him, in this case also he will immediately lift up his heart to God, whose hand is most capable of impressing us with patience and placid moderation of mind. —Institutes, I, xvii, vii
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John Calvin (1509–1564). Born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor, and reformer whose teachings shaped Protestantism. Initially studying law at the University of Orléans, he embraced Reformation ideas by 1533, fleeing Catholic France after a crackdown. In 1536, he published Institutes of the Christian Religion, a seminal work articulating Reformed theology, emphasizing God’s sovereignty and predestination. Settling in Geneva, he became a preacher at St. Pierre Cathedral, implementing church reforms, though he was exiled in 1538 over disputes, only to return in 1541. Calvin’s sermons, often expository, drew thousands, and he founded the Geneva Academy in 1559 to train pastors. His writings, including commentaries on nearly every Bible book, influenced global Protestantism. Married to Idelette de Bure in 1540, he had no surviving children and was widowed in 1549. He died on May 27, 1564, in Geneva, saying, “Scripture is the school of the Holy Spirit.”