Dr. Michael Haykin: Calvin and Missions for the 21st Century

Dr. Haykin is Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lousiville, Ky.

It is very interesting going through the most recent Calvin handbook, I couldn’t find any express article that dealt with missions and Calvin. This reflects the common view that the Reformers were not interested in missions. This leads to the mistaken idea that these men rediscovered the apostolic gospel but they had no vision to spread that Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Robert Bellarmine, a Catholic theologian, propogated this mistaken notion that the reformers had no missiology. This characterization is very far from the truth.

The Reformation was about re-Christianizing Europe. They did not see in their mind large centers of Christianity. What they saw was a sea of paganism, realizing that their first goal was to plant gospel churches. They considered that what past for Christianity in late medieval Europe was sub-Christian at best, pagan at worst.

The charge that the reformers didn’t have a missionary passion is wrong. Before they could think of takingt he gospel to othe rlands, the gospel first had to be re-planted in Europe. Additionally, there was no access to the sea from the Reformed areas, so how could they initially think about taking the gospel to other lands. On the other hand, the Roman Catholic church had sea access. What the the Roman church thought of as missions really had nothing to do with the Reformers understanding of the gospel.

An answer to the charge that the Reformers had no passion for the rest of the world.

I. Calvin’s Thought that the Gospel and the Kingdom of Christ will victorously advance.

II. What did Calvin view as the means of evangelism and missions

III. What is to motivate us in engaging in missions and sharing the gospel personally

IV. Geneva as a missionary center

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I. The Victorious Advance of the Kingdom of Christ

Calvin’s view is rooted in the sovereignty of God. Haykin cites the Introduction to the Institutes: “God has appointed that Christ will rule from sea to sea.” The HOly Spirit came down in Acts 2 says Calvin “to reach all the ends and extremities of the world.”

Calvin would not have understood the vastness of the world as we understand it today. But there is in Calvin this great sense that the gospel is not just for Europeans. It is to go to the ends of the earth. “God has commanded that his gospel be preached to all his creatures.” There is this sense of the global significance of the gospel.

At the heart of the reformation is men who have imbided deeply Calvin’s view of the sovereignty of God and that the gospel is for the world.

II. The Means of Missions

a. It is God’s work, not our work. “It is not by human means but by heavenly power that the Lord will gather his church.” Calvin had a rich sense of the providential outworking of the gospel – God opening ddors. It is God’s love for the lost that sent his son, his spirit and his people. This does not mean that we can sit back and think that God is going to save the lost without our effort. “It is our duty to proclaim the goodness of God to every nation. Nothing can be more absurd than a lazy slothful man exciting others to believe God.”

b. Prayer. The largest section of the Institutes is on prayer. We fail to follow Calvin as being a people of prayer as he and many in his church were. “God bids us to pray for the salvation of all believers.” You hear Calvin’s longing that the grace he’s been talkin about would reach all the world. “May it please God that this saving grace which has come to us might go to all the people and the nations of the earth.”

This is not only a spur to evangelism, but an encouragement not to be discouraged because of this rich sense of the sovereignty of God. We take such a short view of time. If it’s not done in our day, it must have failed! Fulfillment takes place in God’s time and in his way.

c. We must use our strength to bring the gospel to others.

Specifically, by our words. The word of God is the means by which the gospel is going to win the lost. Martin Luther on how the Reformation worked: “I preached the word. Then I slept. I also drank Wittenburg beer!” His point? It is the Word that does the work of regeneration.

Geneva became the print capital of the Protestant world. 34 printing houses established while Calvin ministered there. These houses are printing the Scriptures in a variety of languages. Also other Christian literature. The word of God is absolutely central.

By our deeds. Calvin would have no truck with those who shared his name but would promote an antinomian position. One of the means for evangelism is the martyrdom of God’s people.

Calvin had a rich sense of discipleship. He knew that once a person embraced the gospel he was at odds with the world, and that it ofen resulted in martyrdom.

To be a Christian is to be despised by the world. Too many evangelicals in the 21st Century want to be recognized by the world, especially in academia. I fear that sometimes we have drawn back  and we want the acclaim of the world.

Here we learn from Calvin that the cross and suffering for Christ and the shame that this world casts upon us is the path of discipleship.

Evangelism of Christian rulers and magistrates. Calvin cultivated relationships with influential people. God in his providence does put men and women in significant political positions where they can use their influence for the spread of the gospel.

III. The Motivations for Missions

a. The glory of God. Calvin’s theology rests on the sovereignty of God and the glory of God. “When we know God as Father, should we not desire that he be known as such to all? If we have not this passion, is it not because his glory means little to us.”

b. Bearing witness to the faith is pleasing to God.

c. Jesus has commanded us to share the gospel. One of our great challenges is that the word ‘duty’ is not normally a word that has positive associations not only in the culture but in the church, as well.

d. We should have compassion for the lost. “If we have any humanity in us,” Calvin declared in a sermon on Deuteronomy 33, “seeing men go into perdition…ought we not be moved by pity, to rescue poor souls from hell, and teach them the way of salvation?” In fact, a Christian who is not involved in witness is a contradiction in terms.

IV. Geneva as a Missionary Center