John Calvin and Baptismal Regeneration

Many evangelicals have been given the impression that John Calvin taught baptismal regeneration, not least because of the zealous pseudo-scholarship of certain Fundamental Baptists. Through their persistent quote mining of passages where Calvin places a metaphorical gloss over his sacramental doctrines, such propagandists have succeeded in convincing people that when Calvin says baptism is "a true and effectual sealing of the promise", he literally means that baptism effects regeneration in the soul.

However, a *comprehensive* and *honest* reading of Calvin's works will reveal that he *frequently* expressed his disdain for anyone who teaches that baptism effects anything further than reassuring the believer that he is, in fact, a child of God who has had his conscience cleansed of sin. I submit to you just one of many examples:

"We must not suppose that there is some latent virtue inherent in the sacraments by which they, in themselves, confer the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon us in the same way in which wine is drunk out of a cup, since the only office divinely assigned to them is to attest and ratify the benevolence of the Lord toward us..." (Institutes, IV.xiv.17)

When, therefore, Calvin emphasizes that the sacrament of baptism is "not dead, [for] God truly performs and effects by baptism what he figures", what Calvin *means* to say is that baptism reinforces our already-existing saving faith by showing to us in a physical picture just what we have placed our faith in.

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[lunabranwen]

dont follow Calvin. only follow Christ

[mothcorrupteth]

@lunabranwen "Be imitators of me [Paul], as I am of Christ" (1Cor. 11:1). We are commanded in this place to follow Paul. In another place (Heb. 6:12), we are told to imitate every faithful saint. Calvinists do not give any religious significance to Calvin. We merely point to him as a faithful teacher of the faith once delivered to the saints: "And he gave... the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11-12).

[tgillspy2]

@mothcorrupteth Calvin was a murderer....

[mothcorrupteth]

@tgillspy2 Servetus was an incorrigible anti-Trinitarian. Under the judicial law, blasphemers were to be stoned, and according to Mt. 5:18, "not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law" until heaven and earth pass away. Had Geneva NOT executed Servetus, they would have been guilty of public injustice, no less than if they'd failed to execute an axe murderer. Calling *them* murderers for it is as absurd as calling capital punishment murder.

[mothcorrupteth]

@tgillspy2 Besides which, your comment in no way addresses the arguments I made in the video, so I have to conclude you only made it to try to get a rise out of me, or because you're too immature to contain your emotional outbursts. If you want to try arguing from what you think is the moral high ground, try showing a little class first.

[TheOringinalBRad]

Calvanism isn't of Christ.

[mothcorrupteth]

@TheOringinalBRad Neither is trolling.

[bygracethrufaith119]

Really like your video, but you said that Calvin called baptism a "sign and symbol," when what he really said was that it is a "sign and a SEAL." Like the seal on a diploma, it seals the promises of God to us....this is what Calvin states in book 4, chapter 14 (on the sacraments) and chapter 16, his chapter on paedobaptism. That said, really enjoyed your video. Good job breaking down this down and addressing those who teach the error that Calvin taught baptismal regeneration.

[boltingpuppies]

@mothcorrupteth Exactly, not one jot or tiddle has passed from *either* the law *or* the prophets. What does God want from us? Humility, a contrite heart, mercy, compassion.

You are placing to much emphasis on what you believe is 'logic' and not looking enough at the actual life of Christ.

Baptizing an infant is not required in God's biblical law--it was required by Calvin.

[boltingpuppies]

@mothcorrupteth "It doesn't matter whether baptizing infants is in the law."

Really? Then why did you bring the 'law' into this discussion?

You are skirting the issue. Calvin had a mother killed for not having her child baptized. Calvin made the children of this mother orphans. Calvin considered not having a child baptized a *crime worthy of death*.

Support Calvin or don't--but justifying his actions in this matter and his other murders is not worthy of Christ followers.