Of all the theologians of the 20th Century, none was more influential
than Karl Barth. And yet listen to what Barth says about himself: “I could
gladly and profitably sit myself down and spend the rest of my life with
Calvin.”
Now he’s not talking about Calvin Coolidge. He’s not talking about spending
the rest of his life reading Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. He’s talking about
John Calvin, the great French Reformer who five years before his death put the
finishing touches on his Magnus Opus – his greatest literary work – The Institutes of the Christian Religion.
J.I. Packer, the Board of Governor’s Professor of Theology at Regent
College in Vancouver, British Columbia, has called The Institutes one of the great wonders of the world. And yet for
many, the name Calvin triggers only one thought – predestination. Perhaps no
figure in church history is more greatly associated with the doctrine of
predestination than John Calvin. It’s a little weird! The Apostle Paul was the
first churchman to use the term (though Jesus gives voice to the doctrine
throughout His ministry. See Mt. 11:27; Mt. 22:14; Mt. 22:14; Mt. 24:22, 24, 31;
Lk. 18:7; Jn. 6:44; Jn. 15:16; Jn. 17:9, 24, etc.) St. Augustine wrote of it,
as did Thomas Aquinas. Martin Luther taught it. Scores of orthodox theologians
and biblical expositors throughout the centuries have championed the doctrine
of predestination, and yet Calvin is the one at whose feet most place it.
Years ago I remember talking with a devout Christian I’ve known for
decades. He said, “If predestination is true, then I don’t want any part of
God.” Quickly I retorted, “If it isn’t, God wouldn’t want any part of you!”
Chuck Smith once famously said, “It’s a good thing God chose me before I was
born, because He certainly wouldn’t have chosen me afterwards.”
Now the reason I raise all of this about predestination is because the
common reaction to it. At first blush it is much like the common reaction to
giving. You’ve heard it, “All they do is ask for money.” It’s the reason many
stay away from churches. In my experience it’s rarely true that a church only
talks about money, but the perception is widespread.
So this week we come to the conclusion of our study of Joy through the
eyes of the Apostle Paul. We’ve been studying his letter to the Philippians
since January 11. There have been fifteen sermons so far, with the 16th this
Sunday. Guess what the topic is? Giving! The title of the message is “Joy in
Christ’s Riches”, from Philippians 4:14-23. Think of it. Paul ends this letter
of Joy with a final word about radical generosity. According to Paul, if we
want our joy to explode, if we want to grow in joy, peace, and contentment,
cultivating active generosity is necessary.
Now, back to Calvin. Did you know that The Institutes of the Christian Religion is really four books in
one? The first book, 18 chapters, is titled, “Knowledge of God, the Creator.”
The second book is 17 chapters entitled, “Knowledge of God, the Redeemer.” The
third book is, “The Ways of God’s Grace,” and it has 25 chapters. And the last
book is “The Means of Grace,” with 20 chapters. Now guess where Calvin places
his discussion of predestination? In Book One? No. In Book Two? No. He talks of
it in Book Three, chapter 21! He lays it out only after he’s devoted 900 pages to
all that’s necessary to understand predestination in its proper context.
Paul’s discussion of generous giving is much like that. Though he
references giving throughout this letter, and every one of his letters, it’s
not until the last sentences of Philippians that Paul puts a fine point on it.
Any discussion of joy that exempts the topic of giving is weak at best, and
misguided at worst. If we want our joy to explode, the fear of giving needs to
be conquered and Paul shows us how.
In preparation for Sunday, you may
wish to consider the following:
1. Read
our companion text, Malachi 3:6-10. What’s God’s point?
2. How
does Malachi 3:10 square with Deuteronomy 6:16 and Luke 4:12?
3. Is
greed the biggest impediment to generous giving? If not, what is?
4. What
does Paul mean when he says in verse 14, “…it was kind of you to share in my
troubles?” (Note: “Kind” is the same word Jesus uses in Mark 14:6.
5. What
does Paul mean in verse 17, “fruit that increases to your credit”? (Note: The
word “credit” is logos in Greek.)
6. How
is his description of their gift in verse 18 a sign of their gratitude to God?
7. Why
is verse 19 called perhaps the greatest promise of God in the Bible?
8. Why
does Paul end this letter with this promise?
9. How
do 1:6 and 4:19 relate?
10. Why
does Willie Nelson say, “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life
turned around?” Do you think Paul would agree?
See you Sunday!
