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How many people know the name John Calvin—even know that he
played a major role in world and church history as a key figure of the second
wave of the Protestant Reformation—yet have never read anything by him! Every
Christian would benefit from his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion,
but few will take the time to read them. A giant among theological writings
past and present, they cogently present the Christian faith in a systematic way
that predated the Enlightenment. They demonstrate that Christianity is a
religion of the heart and mind. Calvin also wrote commentaries on all the books
of the Bible except two, Daniel and Revelation. Among the most famous are his
commentaries on the Psalms.
Heart Aflame contains 365 readings or daily
devotions. The compilers took great care not to effect the slightest change in
the exact meaning of Calvin’s teachings. As they say, “For the most part his
commentary has been copied verbatim, with an eye toward extracting only the
lessons in Christian faith, doctrinal remarks, and evangelical sentiment from
the larger, more technical discussions.” This volume leaves out the Hebrew
text, much of Calvin’s profound scholarly work, and his host of numerable
probable interpretations of the text. The scriptural translation has been
changed to the New International Version unless his comments demanded his
original version.
As Ferguson reminds us in the foreword, “Calvin vividly
described the Psalms as ‘an anatomy of all the parts of the soul.’” They touch
our every emotion, thought, and experience of life. Ferguson says Calvin had a
remarkable gift “akin to that of a brilliant medical diagnostician: and uncanny
knack of seeing the real issue—an unlearnable combination of understanding,
logic, sensitivity, and illumination.”
There are many examples of Calvin’s depth of spiritual and
intellectual insight and explanations of God’s book of praise in this book. For
example: the Psalmist exclaims in Psalm one, “but his delight is in the law of
the LORD.” Calvin comments, “The Psalmist does not simply pronounce those happy
who fear God, but designates godliness by the study of the law, teaching us that
God is only rightly served when his law is obeyed.” Or a passage from Psalm 139:
“Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.” Calvin says,
“The words admit a double meaning. They imply that God knows what we are about
to say before the words are formed on our tongue; and also, that though we speak
not a word, and try by silence to conceal our secret intentions, we cannot elude
his notice.”
I like to underline or highlight when I read, but with this
book I am tempted to highlight or underline every sentence. I like Ferguson’s
comment, “Calvin knew what he was talking about…He spoke of substance more than
form and style, for he had sat where David sat, and had experienced hurt where
David had hurt.” He further writes, “Modern scholars and preachers endeavor to
expound the message of the Bible, and preach on or about the
Bible. But Calvin seems to come to us from within the Bible, from inside
the reality described in the text. He had learned the meaning of the command to
love God ‘with all your mind.’”
What a tremendous way to read Calvin and glean from his
spiritual and intellectual genius. Buy this book quickly, and let it take you
to new depths in your journey to praise God in your daily life and bring every
thought captive to Him.
- Charles Dunahoo, CEP Coordinator
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