THE PROVENANCE OF JOHN CALVIN'S EMPHASIS ON THE ...

y which under bread and wine he represents (represente) the true spiritual communion
which we have in his body and blood." 139 Noteworthy here is the fact that the Supper,
taken as a whole, is a sign, as opposed to its elements, bread and wine, being signs.
Also, inasmuch as it "represents" "the true spiritual communion which we have" in
Christ's body and blood, the sign "represents" the general reality of believers' perpetual
union with Christ. Furthermore, aside from this passing, indirect reference in the phrase
"spiritual communion," no particular mention of the Holy Spirit is made in this article.
Here "spiritual" could—and indeed should—be taken to mean "not carnal," or "non-
corporeal." For his part, however, Calvin is inclined to speak of the bread and wine as
signs, signs that "present" the communion of Christ's body and blood; and, as already
demonstrated at Lausanne, he specifically and carefully explicates his understanding of
"spiritual communion," qualifying "spiritual" with specific reference to the Holy Spirit
in saying that the communion is accomplished par le lien de son esprit. 140
In early 1537 Calvin wrote and published a short catechism for the church of
Geneva, the Instruction et confession de foy dont on use en l'église de Genève. 141 First
published in French, in March 1538 he published the catechism in Latin, 142 which may
139 Calvin: Theological Treatises, 26-31. "La cene de nostre Seigneur est ung signe par lequel
soubz le pain et le vin il nous represente la vraye communication spirituelle que nous avons en son corps
et son sang" (CO 22:91).
140 This analysis is perhaps further evidence that Calvin is not to be taken as the principal author
of this confession. On Calvin's qualifying his use of spiritual, see also Jean Cadier, Le Doctrine
Calviniste de la Saint Cène, Études théologiques et religieuses, vol. 26 (Montpellier: Faculté De
Théologie Protestante De Montpellier, 1951), 53.
141 CO 22:33-74. See Instruction in Faith (1537), trans. and ed. Paul T. Fuhrmann (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 1992). See discussion above regarding its relation to the Confession de la
foy 1536, which is taken to have been written by Farel.
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