Book 4/Chapter 4 Deacons (section 5) 1. What were the responsibilities of deacons in the early years? 2. What was the bishop’s responsibility? 3. How is the deacons’ office toward the poor described? 4. Where did archdeacons come from? Patrimony (section 6) 1. What were the church’s possessions considered to be? Fourfold division (section 7) …
Government in the Ancient Church
Book 4/Chapter 4 The ancient church (section 1) 1. How has Calvin discussed church government up to this point? 2. To what aspect of the discussion does he now turn? 3. What is his conclusion? The office of bishop (section 2) 1. What were all teachers in the ancient church called? 2. What did the …
Call to the Ministry
Book 4/Chapter 3 An orderly call (section 10) 1. What things should be done “decently and in order” in the church? 2. Are some things more important than others in this regard? The outer call (section 11) 1. What aspect of a man’s call to the ministry is Calvin treating? 2. Why does he pass …
Ministers and Governors
Book 4/Chapter 3 Apostles and prophets (section 6) 1. What should the heirs of the apostles do? 2. How should men regard ministers? 3. Why are ministers not set over the church? 4. Why are they set over the church? 5. In what do should pastors imitate the apostles? Focus (section 7) 1. What is …
Calvin as Wobbly Cessationist
Book 4/Chapter 3 Church order (section 1) 1. If the Lord alone is to have rule in the church, then why has He established a governmental order? 2. What is a useful exercise in humility? 3. How may we best evidence our piety and obedience? Significant ministry (section 2) 1. What is a “chief sinew” …
Vestiges of a True Church
Book 4/Chapter 2 A corrupt church (section 9) 1. According to Calvin, is the Roman church better or worse than Israel under Jeroboam? 2. What two things are demanded by the Romanists if Protestants are to come back into communion with Rome? 3. Did the prophets of the Old Testament set up pure sacrifices during …
Christ’s Scepter
My apologies for getting behind on Calvin. I was out of range for the Internet for a couple days, and what a harrowing experience that was! Thanks to a Starbucks by the road home, the kind of place Bilbo sang about, we should be completely caught up in just a few minutes. Book 4/Chapter 2 …
When a Church Must Tumble Down
Book 4/Chapter 2 The basic issue (section 1) 1. What sorts of errors are to be pardoned in a church? 2. What is it that causes the death of a church to follow? 3. When must a church tumble down? Claims of Rome (section 2) 1. What does Calvin conclude then about Rome? 2. What …
Calvin’s Fundamentalism
American fundamentalism made a series of strategic mistakes in its battles with liberalism in the early twentieth century. In the first rank of these mistakes was the retreat from a full-orbed world and life view, where everything is understood to be under the authority of Jesus Christ. They held to the fundamentals of the faith, …
The God of All Forgiveness
Book 4/Chapter 1 Lasting forgiveness (section 21) 1. Is forgiveness the basis for more than our entry into the church? Power of the keys (section 22) 1. What was the basic reason God gave the ministers of the church the power to absolve sins? 2. In what settings do ministers absolve sins? 3. What are …