Calvin's Belief On Predestination

In Janz article 83, Calvin discusses his work and belief on predestination. Predestination was an important topic during the reformation which is why Calvin had addressed it in his writings. According to Calvin’s understanding of the scripture, there is an explain that God has an eternal election. What Calvin means by eternal election is God has already selected the individuals that will receive salvation and those who will receive destruction. When human try and understand how God’s election for salvation works, they will only find themselves even more lost. For God’s has hidden this secret in himself as Calvin explains. Calvin also uses the ideas that were presented by Luther belief that works does not lead to salvation. Since Calvin argues …show more content…
Calvin explains different figures in the scriptures who would be thought to be saved, but instead would met an unfitting end. For example, Calvin brings up in section 6, The Second Stage; Election and Reprobation of individual Israelites, the story of Jacob and his brother Esau. God says that he has loved Jacob but hated Esau. Even though the brothers were from a holy father it did not necessarily mean they were granted generosity from God. The use of these scripture examples supports Calvin’s claim of God’s foreknowledge of humans. Meaning God has the power and knowledge to know who will follow and believe in him while also know who will betray and leave him. According to Calvin, it is this foreknowledge that allows God to pre- determine who shall seek salvation and who will not. After reading Calvin’s Predestination it brought up some questions. One question I had was how similar were Calvin’s and Luther’s ideas on predestination and did they disagree with each other on any certain points? After Calvin wrote Predestination, was there a public worry that people believed they were not going to be saved? My last question is a clarification on what Calvin meant by human curiosity with predestination being