Calvinism was widely rejected for its strict, rigorous practices. When this sermon was given, he was banned from Paris in 1533 and 8 years later relocated to Geneva. If I were him, having been exiled would make me a bit more bitter and more determined to continue with my cause. This comes through in his open and determined tone, as explained later in the post.
As opposition to Calvinism grew, he felt the need to write this sermon on suffering persecution. This is just a sermon, it’s not a specific type of genre because it is just Calvin’s own thoughts. Calvin’s ethos was very straightforward and stern. He was fearless in advocating his beliefs…I imagine a more extreme take on what Paul said about being “unashamed in the Gospel of Christ.”
This reflects in his bold tone through the questions he asks, such as, "Are we so delicate to be unwilling to endure anything?” and “Since we know that unbeliever are blind, ought we not to have better eyes than they?” Words like “blind” and “so” (describing delicate) display his fearlessness to obey God at all costs. His intentions are to help followers feel the motivation and strength they need to continue true to their faith despite the persecutions they suffer. The main idea of the sermon is to help fellow Calvinists learn from the fearless Apostles of the Bible and see that they too were “counted worthy to suffer infamy and reproach” for the Christian cause.
Calvin begins the sermon with a short introduction and a couple examples of how the Apostles also suffered, and then Calvin brings the focus to his audience. He shifts to use “us” and “our” more often so as to help the audience feel united in their cause. This in turn helps Calvin’s appeal to the audience’s emotion. By hearing this sermon, they are able to feel his confidence in their ability to live vigilantly for God. He also appeals to their emotion of guilt when he says, “If we act otherwise, our ingratitude is insupportable.” In other words, their disobedience is an act of ingratitude.
With the examples he uses and the unity he instills in his audience, Calvin’s sermon is a persuasive appeal to motivate his followers to continue strong in their faith as obedient and faithful Calvinists.
I definitely see the relevance of a fixation on "suffering" for sermons in that day. For Christians who had recently embraced the phrase "only faith," it would be easy to view suffering and persecution as part of that level of "faith" that would ensure their salvation.
ReplyDelete