Foundation for Reformed Theology

Greetings!

Let us consider what John Calvin wrote about church councils. Of the "ancient councils," the general ones, Calvin professes, "I venerate them from my heart, and I desire that they be honored by all" (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book IV, Chapter 9, section 1).

And yet, he is willing to be "rather severe" with them. "Here the norm is that nothing of course detract from Christ. Now it is Christ's right to preside over all councils and to have no man share his dignity. But I say that he presides only when the whole assembly is governed by his word and Spirit" (IV.9.1). That is to say, any teaching even of a general council falls under, and is overruled by, the higher authority of the Scriptures. And while the authority of councils rests in Christ's promise of his presence where two or three are gathered in his name, this qualifier of "his name" disqualifies all councils which take it upon themselves either to add to, or to take away from, his Word (IV.9.2).

Calvin elaborates for some pages on the problem of councils consisting of evil pastors, and he concludes from this that we certainly must not make the mistake of thinking that the church consists of its councils (IV.9.2-7). And while Calvin willingly embraces and reverences as holy some of the ancient and general councils, such as Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus I, and Chalcedon, "for they contain nothing but the pure and genuine exposition of Scripture" (IV.9.8), he goes on to show how subsequent councils have contradicted each other and were marred by serious human failings--even Nicaea suffered from accusations and "foul recriminations" flying back and forth among its participants and presented in writing to Emperor Constantine--so that Calvin finally infers this: "The Holy Spirit so governed the otherwise godly and holy councils as to allow something human to happen to them, lest we should put too much confidence in men" (IV.9.11).

This critique of general councils leads to Calvin's observation about provincial councils: "There is now no need to make separate mention of provincial councils, since it is easy to estimate from general councils how much authority they ought to have to frame articles of faith and to receive whatever doctrine pleases them" (IV.9.11). This is downright dismissive! And while it would be anachronistic to ask Calvin questions of denominations as a way of structuring the life of the church, his lack of regard for provincial councils provides a point of entry to explore the question.

If church denominations--typically defined by geography as well as by confessions and often limited by language, race, and class--if church denominations can be understood to be part of the church of Jesus Christ but not the whole of the church of Jesus Christ, should we not be as cautious of their status and of their decisions as was Calvin of that of provincial councils in his day? What the church as a whole did poorly acting through its representative general councils, provincial churches did even more poorly acting through their provincial councils.

Those who insist today that the denomination is the true church, as if leaving the denomination would be leaving the true church, miss the mark most widely. Indeed, those who would most laud the wisdom and authority of denominational so-called "general" assemblies, which are merely provincial councils of provincial churches, may be the least Calvinist of all.

Dr. James C. Goodloe IV
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Grace and Peace,

Dr. James C. Goodloe IV, Executive
    Director

Foundation for Reformed Theology

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