Tag: Scripture

As a Nursing Mother Stammers

“For if our Lord spoke only of things that are obscure and beyond our reach, we might have cause to complain that we were wasting time on speculations which required much hard work, which in the end did us no good and left us no wiser than before. In that case it would be right for us to feel annoyed. When, however, our Lord condescends to our ignorance and teaches us in so intimate a way, as a father instructs his children or as a nursing mother stammers to her immature infant so that he will understand—when, I say, God treats us so graciously and makes sure that there is nothing superfluous in his word—nothing which does not yield good fruit for our salvation—when we see that, must we not be mad and naturally wilful if we fail to profit by it?”

—John Calvin, trans. Robert White, Sermons on Titus (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2015), 269-270. Calvin said this while preaching on Titus 3:8-15.

Feed Souls With the Bread of Heaven

“If a man chooses someone to manage his household, he assigns him duties. What duties, then, has God assigned to us, if not to impart to his people the food of life, that is, his word? Without that, does the title ‘pastor’ mean anything at all? Someone who claimed to be the shepherd of a flock of sheep or the keeper of a herd of cows, but who lets the poor beasts starve to death, would surely deserve to be stoned. Yet we are shepherds, not of brute beasts but of God’s children! Our task is to feed, not bodies with food that perishes, but souls with the bread of heaven. If we do not have what is needed to fulfil our office, do we not mock God by usurping so noble a title when the reality is otherwise?

Observe, then, that to be a pastor, overseer, minister, presbyter and ruler of the church is to be one whose teaching edifies God’s people.”

—John Calvin, trans. Robert White, Sermons on Titus (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2015), 88. Calvin said this while preaching on Titus 1:9-10.