November 2007 - Protestant Reformed Churches in America

Book Reviews
ture on the basis of the original Calvin preached no fewer than
text. His commentaries are 4,000 sermons. Significantly, at
filled with references to the least 2,000 sermons were on the
original Hebrew and Greek. In Old Testament. Fully half of his
his commentaries Calvin works preaching was preaching on the
with the original text by way of Old Testament Scriptures. In
extensive word studies, as well this regard, too, Calvin is a
as grammatical and syntactical model to Reformed preachers.
analysis. The commentaries are Calvin’s sermons were expository—explanations
of the
replete with examples of grammatical
insights and fruits of text of Scripture. He preached
etymological research. without notes. He objected to
Calvin’s main calling was read sermons. Calvin’s commitment
to extempore preaching
lecturer in the Academy of
Geneva. Ordinarily his lectures did not mean that he came into
were on books of the Bible. As the pulpit unprepared. His extant
sermons show clearly the
was the custom of the day, he
taught theology in connection extent of his careful preparation
with instruction on specific before mounting the pulpit. But
books of the Old and New Testaments.
His method was in-
his Bible in hand, that is, his He-
he came to the pulpit with only
variably to read the text of his brew Old Testament or Greek
lecture in Hebrew or Greek, offer
a very literal translation into mons exhibit his wrestling with
New Testament. And the ser-
Latin, after which he would often
also provide a smoother, his understanding of the mean-
the original text in arriving at
more colloquial translation, followed
by his comments on the His preaching clearly “… deming
and appropriate application.
passage. Calvin’s practice was onstrates his considerable ability
to work with the original
to sight-read the text, whether
Hebrew or Greek, without any texts” (p. 28).
linguistic aids. Such was the The book ends with a
Reformer’s mastery of the biblical
languages.
Currid lambastes the seminaries
plea—a timely and urgent plea.
Besides being a professor in today that are deemphasizing
Geneva’s Academy, Calvin was and even abandoning biblical
also the senior minister in language requirements. “Many
Geneva. It is estimated that Protestant and Evangelical
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