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Calvin the Man
Recovering the True Portrait of John Calvin
Originally preached Dec. 26, 1964
Sermon Description
In this address from the 1964 Westminster Puritan Conference, Mr. O.R. Johnston examines the actual historical evidence of Calvin's character, demonstrating that the familiar stereotype of Calvin as a cold, austere, and morose character bears little resemblance to the man who emerged from the sources. Johnston traces Calvin's early years in France, his sudden conversion, and his reluctant call to Geneva through the thundering adjuration of Guillaume Farel—revealing a man who was by nature timid and scholarly, yet who was sovereignly mastered by God and thrust into the arena of public ministry.
Far from the harsh dictator of popular imagination, Calvin emerges in this address as a man of deep pastoral sensitivity, genuine humility, and remarkable tolerance on non-essential matters. Johnston highlights Calvin's extensive correspondence with prisoners facing martyrdom, his appreciation for beauty in nature and the arts, his capacity for lasting friendship, and his deathbed confession that "all I have done has been worth nothing." This careful biographical study invites listeners to see Calvin afresh—not as the author of a theological system, but as a man who lived out the very doctrines of grace he proclaimed, finding himself tamed and enslaved by the hand of God for the work of Reformation.
Sermon Breakdown
- Calvin's early years and his academic brilliance at Paris brought him into contact with Reformation ideas, though he remained "stubbornly addicted to the superstitions of the papacy" until his sudden conversion
- The nature of Calvin's conversion reflects the very doctrines he would teach—a sovereign work of God subduing a stubborn heart and making it docile, illuminating both mind and heart by the Holy Spirit through Scripture
- Guillaume Farel's "fearsome adjuration" at Geneva in 1536 compelled the reluctant scholar out of his desired life of quiet study and into nearly thirty years of public ministry
- Despite the popular notion of Calvin as a dictator, he used only lawful means, lived modestly, claimed no political office, and did not become a citizen of Geneva until 1559
- Calvin's physical ailments—migraines, asthma, arthritis, and eventually tuberculosis—must be factored into any assessment of occasional irritability in his later years
- The reformer's letters to prisoners facing martyrdom reveal a man of deep compassion who identified with the suffering of believers and provided them comfort in their final hours
- Calvin's appreciation for beauty in nature and art, his enjoyment of music and games, and his capacity for lifelong friendships reveal a whole man rather than a mere theological mind
- His passion for evangelical unity led him to seek reconciliation among Reformed churches.
- Calvin's deathbed confession—"all I have done has been worth nothing"—and his unmarked grave testify to a genuine humility that wished only for Christ to be remembered
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers
What evidence challenges the popular stereotype of Calvin as a cold and harsh personality?
Mr. Johnston presents multiple lines of evidence: Calvin's many lifelong friendships (he rarely severed a friendship), his warm reception of refugees and visitors, his tender letters to prisoners facing martyrdom, his appreciation for natural beauty and the arts, and testimonies from contemporaries figures who knew him as a man of deep pastoral concern.
How did Calvin understand his own conversion experience?
Calvin described his conversion as a sovereign act of God's free grace that arrested him on the path to ruin. He spoke of God subduing his stubborn heart and making it docile and teachable.
What was Calvin's view of unity among Protestant churches?
Calvin had a remarkable passion for evangelical ecumenicity among Reformed and Protestant churches. He favored liberal intercommunion even where minor divergences existed, worked tirelessly to reconcile Lutherans and Reformed believers, and said he would "willingly cross ten seas" to attend a conference promoting unity. However, this unity was always grounded in shared doctrinal essentials, not compromise with Rome or denial of the gospel.
How should we understand Calvin's strong language in controversy?
Johnston argues that Calvin's polemical language must be judged by the standards of his age, where such robust expression was common in religious and academic debate. Unlike modern controversy which often uses innuendo and insinuation, Calvin spoke plainly and directly. His strong words reflected the seriousness with which he viewed threats to scriptural doctrine, not personal malice.
What does Calvin's deathbed testimony reveal about his character?
Calvin's final words to the Geneva elders expressed genuine humility: "I have had much infirmity with which you have had to bear... all I have done has been worth nothing, and I am a miserable creature." He asked for no monument, his grave was left unmarked, and he wished to be forgotten so that Christ alone would be remembered—a testimony consistent with the doctrines of grace he preached throughout his life.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust's collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.