Calvin on unity

Recently I reviewed Bruce Gordon's biography of John Calvin. This post is part six of a short series of snippets from the book.

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His great goal was to establish unity amongst the reforming church. To the Frankfurt community he wrote:

"Thus, my brethren, I beseech you in the name of God, increasingly to put in practice this lesson of Paul’s, ‘Let nothing be done from contention, nor from lust of victory’ as the word which he employs indicates. The moment each person backs his own quarrel people must of necessity come to a battle. Rather let each man admit his faults, and those who have been put to blame submit of their own accord…” (242-243).

Calvin’s minimalistic approach to requirements for unity and fellowship: “There was no one form of Christian community” (p.276).

References:

Bruce Gordon, Calvin (New Haven [Conn.] and London: Yale University Press, 2009).