Choose the Difficult Path

John Calvin calls for a unique, inner type of reform in his speech on suffering persecution. He was not a particularly popular preacher because of his religious zeal; however, he was a strong reformer and was brought back to Geneva, France after being banished. This sermon is a great example of his boldness. He does not seem worried about how his speech will be received; he just proclaims the need for change. The topic of this speech also runs parallel to his character. He suffered persecution for his beliefs but continued to defend them while denouncing "laid back" discipleship.

The main support for his arguments are the scriptures. Calvin begins with the quote, "Let us go forth from the city after the Lord Jesus, bearing his reproach." The idea of ad fontes is very prevalent as he looks to the examples of Paul and other Bible figures. Other scriptures are carefully chosen and woven into the progression of the speech to convince the audience to embrace the opportunity of suffering for one's God. He also appeals to logos by probing the listener to question the price of salvation. Surely a prize so great demands a high cost.

Along with logical statements, Calvin uses some emotionally charged statements. He defines ignominy and dignity as opposites between the view of the world and God's perspective and challenges the audience to decide on which side they stand. Although his tone is very direct and strong like Luther, there is no sarcasm. Calvin sticks to a seriousness for his purpose of truly motivating directional change in ideology. For him, discipleship is a serious matter that was never meant to be easy and he shows that with how he presents his sermon.