From Faith to Faith

Abstract To explore how Calvin’s commentaries on New Testament texts not from the hand of Paul reflect both his Pauline assumptions and his reinterpretation of Pauline themes, I will consider his treatment of selected biblical passages in his commentaries on Hebrews {1549), James {1551), 1 John {1551), and the Gospel of John (1553). Not only does each of these biblical writings have faith as one of its prominent themes, but also Calvin treats passages from each of them in his discussion of faith in the Institutes. Most important, however, these commentaries provide instructive examples of how the view of faith that Calvin brings to expression in his Pauline commentaries functions as a guide and norm for reading other biblical texts about this topic. Calvin’s Pauline assumptions underlie his interpretation and contribute to the resolution of exegetical or polemical difficulties these texts present. Often his Pauline understanding functions as a lens for reading and correcting other statements about faith. Sometimes, however, a particular text leads him to expand his view of faith and thus to reinterpret Paul in this new light. The discussion will trace some of these developments and show which texts Calvin finds problematic and which texts allow him to explore the theme of faith from different perspectives.