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JOHN CALVIN ON CHRISTIAN UNITY,

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Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 10, 1859

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 13, No. 16.

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JOHN CALVIN ON CHRISTIAN UNITY,

TRANSLATED FROM HIS COMMENTARIES.
"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling." Eph. iv, 3, 4.
"The apostle expresses clearly how perfect ought to be the unity of Christians. It should be in every respect so complete that we may grow into one body and one spirit; by which words he designates the whole man, as if he had said, wholly should webe united, body and soul, and not merely in part. And this he confirms by a valid argument, namely, that we are all called into one inheritance and one life. Hence it follows that we cannot obtain eternal life otherwise than by living in harmony together in this world. God calls us all with one calling in order that, being united together in the same harmony of faith, we may study mutually to assist each other.
"O that this thought did but fully possess our minds. Did we but remember that the law of the Christian life is such that the children of God can no more be at variance among themselves than the kingdom of heaven can be divided, how much more careful should we be in cultivating a spirit of brotherly love. What a horror of all contentions should we have, if we did but realize as we ought that all who separate themselves from their brethren do also alienate themselves from the kingdom of God. How can we confidently vaunt ourselves to be the children of God, and yet be forgetful of our common brotherhood? Let us learn from Paul that those can be by no means partakers of the same inheritance, who are not one body and one spirit."
Again, on verses 15, 16, "That we may grow up into him in all things, which is the head even Christ," he says, "Note, 1. That whatever vitality and healthy growth is in the members, is derived from the head. 2. That the members, on account of the limited supply afforded to each, are mutually dependent on each other. 3. That the body cannot be in a sound and healthy state, unless the members be bound together by mutual love."—Am. Messenger.