Oracles, visions, and oral tradition: Calvin on the foundation of Scripture.(John Calvin)(Critical essay)

 
  John Calvin claims that the foundation of Scripture is the oracles 
  and visions revealed to the patriarchs, transmitted through countless 
  generations by an oral tradition that faithfully preserved these 
  oracles. The oral tradition of the patriarchs also contains practices 
  not found in written Scripture that are applicable to the church of 
  Calvin's day. 

John Calvin's understanding of Scripture is customarily understood in light of his description of the written text of Scripture. This seems only natural, as Calvin appeals to the written text of Scripture as the highest court of appeal in his teaching. The authority of Scripture is derived not from the church, but directly from God, since God is the ultimate author of Scripture." ... credibility of doctrine is not established until we are persuaded beyond doubt that God is its Author. Thus, the highest proof of Scripture derives from the fact that God in person speaks in it." (1) In so far as there are human authors of Scripture, they are described by Calvin as taking down dictation by the Holy Spirit. (2) Calvin does insist that we will not be certain that God is the author of Scripture until the same Spirit that dictated Scripture to its human authors bears witness to itself in our hearts and minds. "For as God alone is a fit witness of himself in his Word, so also the Word will not find acceptance in men's hearts before it is sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit." (3) The inward testimony of the Holy Spirit therefore directs the faithful to the written text of Scripture that the Spirit also dictated, so that the pious may be certain that God speaks in Scripture as its author.

REVELATION IN ORACLES AND VISIONS

Scripture is therefore the highest theological authority, over any appeals to oracles, visions, or oral traditions, such as may be made by Calvin's radical or Roman opponents. "For all the superstitious monstrosities and erroneous ravings which existed in the past, and still hold sway under the Papacy, had their origins in fantasies, apparitions, and false revelations. Yes, and even the Anabaptists have their illusions." (4) One might be led to think that Calvin would therefore agree with Luther's position over against those like Muentzer and Karlstadt who claimed to have immediate revelations from the Holy Spirit. Luther sought to eliminate the "enthusiasm" that is the source of all heresy by insisting that God only gives the Spirit internally through the external means of the Word and sacrament, mediated by the ministry of the church. "Accordingly, we should and must constantly maintain that God will not deal with us except through his external Word and sacrament. Whatever is attributed to the Spirit apart from such Word and sacrament is of the devil." (5)

However, Calvin did not agree with Luther in this regard, but rather insisted that the foundation of Scripture is the oracles and visions revealed to the patriarchs and transmitted through countless generations by an oral tradition that faithfully preserved these oracles. "But whether God became known to the patriarchs through oracles and visions or by the work and ministry of men, he put into their minds what they should hand down to their posterity." (6) Indeed, Calvin is scathingly critical of Luther's attempts to introduce the ministry of Word and sacrament whenever God is said to have spoken to one of the patriarchs, especially in his commentary on Genesis. For instance, when God is said to have spoken to Cain as he contemplated the murder of his brother Abel (Gen 4:6), Luther claims that this Word had to be externally mediated to Cain by another human minister, in this case Adam. "I believe that these words were spoken by Adam himself. Moses says that the Lord spoke these words, because Adam had now been accounted just and had been endued with the Holy Spirit. What he now says in accordance with the Word of God and through the Holy Spirit is correctly declared to have been said by God." (7) Calvin describes this insight of Luther's as "constrained and even frigid," even as the claims to understand Luther's motives for saying this. "Their intention is to honor the external ministry of the word, and to cut off the occasion which Satan takes to insinuate his illusions under the color of revelation." (8) Calvin goes on to remind the reader that Scripture is but the third, and relatively late, form that the Word of God took in the history of revelation. "But we may observe that the word of God was delivered from the beginning in oracles, in order that afterwards, when administered by the hands of men, it might receive a greater reverence." (9) Far from being just an historical issue, Calvin claims that what is at stake is nothing less than the foundation of the credibility of the Word of God, found first in oral tradition, and then recorded in Scripture. "Let us rather conclude, that before the heavenly teaching was committed to public records, God often made known his will by extraordinary methods, and that here was the foundation which supported reverence for the word; while the doctrine delivered through the hands of men was like the edifice itself." (10) By eliminating the self-revelation of God through oracles, visions, and dreams, which were then handed on by oral tradition, Calvin claims that Luther undermines the foundation of the credibility of the doctrine ultimately set down in the public records of written Scripture.

Calvin therefore has no trouble following the text of Genesis that seems to say that God spoke directly to Cain. "Moses does not state in what manner God spoke. Whether a vision was presented to him, or he heard an oracle from heaven, or was admonished by secret inspiration, he certainly felt himself bound by a divine judgment." (11) According to Calvin, the usual method God used during the time of the patriarchs was to appear to the patriarchs in a vision or a dream while also speaking to the patriarchs in an oracle. The dream or vision confirmed to the patriarchs the divine source of the oracle. "Among the patriarchs God used secret revelations, but at the same time to confirm these he added such signs that they could have no doubt that it was God who was speaking to them. What the patriarchs had received they handed on to their descendants." (12) Calvin cites Num 12:6 in support of his claim ...