Speak Evil of No One

So, there has been a comment recently over the man John Calvin and his manner of life. Now this blog is not to be a defense of Calvin, because frankly I do not care. But I just want us as a Church and as the Body of Christ to learn and grow in Christ through this.

What I would like to say is this: let us grow to love… Let us grow to display the glory of Christ and strive to be conformed to His image. Paul tells Titus in Titus 3:2-3 to remind the church, “… to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray…” While men are not perfect, and there are horrible wicked men out there, we should love and strive to speak evil of no one, whether it is John Calvin or Jacobus Arminius, John Wesley or Charles Spurgeon. Let us guard our tongues. Let us learn from our great Lord Jesus Christ, who was beaten and mocked by evil men yet did not say one word against them. Even Jude warns us not to bring a flippant charge against Satan himself, the evil one… When I look at our Church, I want to see us as loving and respectful men and women whose tongues have been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit…

Now, as far as Calvin goes, I think on the internet I have read some things against him that are the most outrageous things I have ever read. He is accused of murder, slander, hatred, and every manner of evil you can think of. He is generally portrayed as a mean, old man with no heart and no soul: a dictator of sorts who knew nothing of living in a holy or loving way… And, as far as I know, they could be true… I did not know Calvin personally and have no idea how he was in person. But what I would say is that the history on him that portrays this evil Calvin is not indisputable, and many of the sites I read that portrayed Calvin as evil did not have many, if any, sources. On the other hand, there are better views of Calvin, such as that from Tim Challies, who has a very thorough analysis of the accusation that he murdered Servetus (http://www.challies.com/archives/articles/reformed-theology/the-servetus-pr.php).

But my thoughts and ideas on Calvin do not come merely from what I have heard or read from other people, but rather what I have read from Calvin himself in his commentaries and his institutes. And, from what I have thus far read, Calvin did not seem mean or evil at all. In fact, even in his writings he seems humble and loving and Christ-like, eager to preach the Gospel to all creation and glorify the name of Christ in all that he did… The point is this: Let us be careful to condemn a murderer lest we ourselves be found out murderers by hating the man who murdered (Matthew 5)… Let us be careful to condemn a slanderer lest we ourselves be found out to be slanderers by not speaking truth or reading the man we are speaking against. Let us love all people. I don’t care if they are dead or alive and kicking. Let us strive to be like Christ. Let us humbly look at ourselves and realize that we all are horribly corrupt and sinful. There is no perfect man and we all desperately need the grace of God through Christ Jesus our Lord. “Let God be true though every one were a liar.” Romans 3. May Christ get the glory though every one of us fail miserably… May the Lord make us a loving and caring people focused on the cross and the Gospel and bound to truth. God bless you all…

In Christ,
Aaron M Addison