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Master’s College of Theology
Paper presentation on
“Calvin view of Trinity”
Sub: BTT06: Theology of John Calvin
Presenter: Thanglet Khongsai Course Instructor: Khampher Sir.
Introduction: The term Trinity primarily refers to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which
is the belief that God exists as three distinct but co-equal and co-eternal persons: God the
Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. Despite being three persons,
these three are of one essence, meaning they are not three separate gods but one God in three
persons. The concept of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations, although it is
a complex and often debated theological doctrine. The idea is that while God is one in
essence, He is revealed in three distinct persons, each fully God, yet there is only one God.
The greatest contribution might probably be Arius who separates the humanity and divinity
of Christ which was against the doctrinal statement of the son being “one essence and
substance with the father and holy spirit”, this eventually led to the formation of a definite
creed and a systematized doctrine in the Church council, convened by Emperor. John Calvin,
a central figure in the Protestant Reformation, played a significant role in shaping Reformed
theology, including its understanding of the Trinity. Calvin's Trinity were rooted in the
traditional Christian doctrine but were articulated with clarity and emphasis on the
sovereignty and majesty of God, as well as the unique roles of the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit.
1. The Context for Calvin’s Trinity
Calvin’s doctrine of the Trinity did not come from a theological vacuum; rather, it stemmed
from theological debates with anti-Trinitarians in his day. The Athanasian Creed states that
‘the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither
confounding the Persons nor dividing the Substance.’ The early Christians churches also
distinguished between the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and also acknowledged
the Spirit as God: they came to perceive that the God of the Old Testament and the Father of
the New, together with the Son, is one and the same God. 1 Depending on whether Jesus is
accepted as the incarnation of God the eternal Son, or simply a human being divinely
equipped and energized for ministry (Adoptionism), or even the human form of a created or
derived existence (Subordinationism, Arius), views of the Trinity were considered, rejected,
or overhauled form of God’s Word, and apostolic teaching. Athanasius rejected Arius’ view
that the Son was not of the same substance as the Father (Arius argued that the Son was
created as Logos from the non-existent), but affirming that the Son was homoousios2 with the
Father. In the Eastern Church, the Cappadocia’s maintained the full homoousios of the Spirit,
1
Calvin’s Mystery of the Trinity by DEAN CARTER, https:// www. New creation library. org. au/
books/pdf/284_Calvin-Trinity.pdf (accessed on 30/08/2024).
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with that of the Father and Son. Yet the East did part company with the Western Church over
the filioque3 clause, that is, that the Spirit proceeds from the Father, and the Son, the Western
Church’s final formulation was expressed in Augustine’s work, De Trinitate.4
1.1 Calvin and Anti-Trinitarians.
Calvin’s life and ministry, and particularly his views of the Trinity, and especially his defense
in the Institutes, must be seen against the backdrop of three main protagonists: Pierre Caroli5,
Michael Servetus and Valentinus Gentilis.6 But the purpose of Calvin's Trinitarianism is to
secure the Biblical message “God is revealed in the flesh” against false interpretations. In
revelation we are not faced by a second divine being somehow derivative from God, or a part
of the one Godhead, so that God the Father would thus have an additional element. Rather the
truth is that the being of God is one. Hence the whole Godhead is revealed in the flesh.
Calvin repeatedly refers to the fact that for this reason the name Yahweh is rightly applied to
Christ. This Biblical proof of the strict Godhead of the Son occupies much space in the
positive exposition of the doctrine of the Trinity in the Institutes.7
1.1.1 Micheal Servetus:
When Servetus’ Trinity thought is examined, it is clear that he is fundamentally opposed to
this doctrine. He begins his first work (De Trinitatis Erroribus Libri Septem, 1531) He
believed that the concept of the Trinity was not supported by the Bible and was a later
corruption introduced by the early Church. Servetus argued for a Unitarian understanding of
God, rejecting the idea that Jesus Christ was co-eternal and co-equal with God the Father..
Thus, he developed a different defence mechanism against tradition. For Servetus the Trinity
is neither logically nor biblically reconcilable. This brought him into conflict with both
Roman Catholic and Protestant authorities, as the Trinity was a central tenet of Christian
orthodoxy.8
2
Homoousios is a Greek term that plays a crucial role in Christian theological discussions, particularly
in the context of the doctrine of the Trinity. The word is derived from two Greek words: homo (meaning
“same”) and ousia (meaning “essence” or “substance”). Thus, homoousios means “of the same essence” or “of
the same substance.”
3
Filioque is a Latin term meaning “and the Son.” The original wording of the Nicene Creed, as agreed
upon by the early church, stated that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father.” However, the Western Church,
particularly in the Latin-speaking regions, added the phrase “and the Son” (Filioque) to the Creed, making it
read: the Holy Spirit... who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
4
Herman Bavinck, The Doctrine of God translated by William Hendriksen (Michigan: B. Eerdmans
Publishing company, 1977), 281-284.
5
Pierre Caroli (1480–1550) was a French theologian and controversial figure during the early years of
the Protestant Reformation. Caroli was his accusation against John Calvin of Arianism, a heresy that denied the
full divinity of Jesus Christ. In 1537, during a synod in Lausanne, Caroli accused Calvin downplaying the
doctrine of the Trinity and thereby promoting Arianism.
6
Calvin’s Mystery of the Trinity by DEAN CARTER, https://www.newcreationlibrary. org.
au/books/pdf/284_Calvin-Trinity.pdf (accessed on 30/08/2024)
7
Wilhelm Neisel, The Theology of Calvin, translated by Harold Knight (England: James Clark & co.,
2002), 57.
8
“Trinity in the Theology of Michael Servetus”
https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/2694047 (accessed on 31/08/2024).
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2. Divinity of Christ and of the Holy Spirit.
2.1 Divinity of Christ: The son is the logos through whom God reveals himself, John 1:13 &
14: he is called the son of God by nature and from eternity. Matt. 3:17; and the image of
God, Gal. 1:15.9 The coming of unresolved Christologies came to head in fourth century.
The theology of Arius which speaks Christ as a creator yet consider him subordinate to
God; in which Arius considered Loges as a creature not as a divine. But opposition to
Arian the council of Nicea made an achievement clarifying that Christ was of the same
substance and that Christ’s obedience did not make him less divine. 10 But for Calvin the
term “Word” as employed in both the Testaments is no mere utterance, but is rather the
everlasting Wisdom, residing in God, from which both all oracles and all prophecies go forth.
Calvin argues that it is unchangeable; the Word abides everlastingly one and the same with God,
and is God himself. While some dare not openly deprive him of his divinity, secretly filch
away his eternity, by stating that the Word began when God opened his mouth to create
the universe. Calvin states that the Word, conceived beyond the beginning of time by
God, has perpetually resided with him. By this, his eternity, his true essence, and his
divinity are proved. Christ is bought forward by Isaiah as God and as adorned with the
highest power, which is the characteristic mark of the on God. 11 Calvin firmly upheld the
classical doctrine that God is one in essence (ousia) but exists eternally as three distinct
persons (hypostases): the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God,
sharing the same divine nature, yet they are not three gods but one God.
2.2 Divinity of Holy Spirit: Holy Spirit is the live-giving principle immanent in creature: he
is called holy because he is the spirit of God; he is the spirit of the Father and the spirit of
the Son for he proceeds from both. His personal divine character becomes very evident in
the New Testament.12 The divinity of the Spirit is demonstrated in his work: a
corresponding proof of the Spirit is sought in the same source. It affirms that the Spirit
was active in tending that chaotic mass(Gen. 1:2) and adorning creation with its beauty
and order: that the Spirit participated with God in the commissioning of the prophets; our
experience confirms the witness of Scripture to the Spirit’s work as the giver of essence,
life and movement to all created things, as the author of regeneration (by his own power)
and future immortality, as the bestower of wisdom and speech, giver of justification,
power, sanctification, truth, grace, and every good thing, and the one through whom we
enter into the very communion of God. Therefore, the Spirit participates in the divine
power, and resides hypostatically in God. By reason of the indwelling of the Spirit we
have become the designated and chosen temples of God: therefore, the Spirit is God.13
9
Herman Bavinck, The Doctrine of God translated by William Hendriksen…, 266.
10
Christian Theology: An Introduction to its Tradition and Tasks edited by Peter Hogson and Robert
H.King ( USA:Fortress Press, 1982), 201.
11
The Library of Christian Classic volume XX, Calvin: Institute of the Christian Religion, edited by
John T. McNeill (USA: Westminster Press, Ny), 130-131.
12
Herman Bavinck, The Doctrine of God translated by William Hendriksen…, 266.
13
The Library of Christian Classic volume XX, Calvin: Institute of the Christian Religion, edited by
John T. McNeill (USA: Westminster Press, Ny), 138-139.
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3. Unity and distinction of the Three Person in Godhead.
In the early patristic period, the absolute aspect of God was unequivocally affirmed and
regarded as designated by the traditional biblical symbol of the “Father” which is primordial,
un-originates, changeless eternal and unrelated source of all else. This relatedness aspect of
God was consequently expressed through the symbol of the “son” or the logos; which the
transcendent Father, changeless, creator and inactive was revealed in and acted to redeem it.
The Holy Spirit completed the relationship by assuring the presence of the divine in the
community and in person. Thus, The trinity served as an expression for the dialectical
polarity of the Christian God as at once the self-sufficient creator of all, transcendent to all
finitude(Father), and as the active, revealing, loving redeemer (Son), present in grace and
power to God’s people(Holy Spirit).14 It is quite clear that in God’s essence reside three
persons in whom one God is known. Baptism confirms the unity of God: with one faith we
believe in the Father, the Son and the Spirit.15
3.1 Threeness:
The Scripture indeed see a distinction of the Father from the Word, and the Word from the
Spirit, we must be cautious and reverent in considering such distinctions. Calvin clearly states
that; the words ‘Father’, ‘Son’ and ‘Spirit’ denote a real distinction, not a division. As for
Calvin the son has a character distinct from the Father, because the word would not have
been God unless he were another than the Father, nor would he have had his glory with the
Father were he not distant from the Father. Furthermore it was not the Father, who descended
upon the earth, but he went forth from the Father; the father did not die nor did he rise again,
but rather he who had been sent by the Father. Christ also implies the distinction of Holy
Spirit from the Father as he call the Spirit “another” as when he announces that he will sent
another comforter (John 14:16). The Father is attributed the beginning of activity, and the
fountain and wellspring of all things; to the Son, wisdom, counsel, and the order disposition
of all things; but to the Spirit is assigned the power and efficacy of that activity.16
4. Calvin’s Distinctive Contribution.
The first prime characteristic of Calvin’s doctrine of the Trinity is its clarification by
elaborating the doctrine of trinity. Calvin prefers to elucidate more clearly. Calvin
14
Christian Theology: An Introduction to its Tradition and Tasks edited by Peter Hogson and Robert
H.King…,67-68.
15
The Library of Christian Classic volume XX, Calvin: Institute of the Christian Religion, edited by
John T. McNeill…,140.
16
The Library of Christian Classic volume XX, Calvin: Institute of the Christian Religion, edited by
John T. McNeill…,141-142.
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consistently distances himself from unbiblical trinitarian terms and speculative medieval
approach. Calvin provides biblical evidence for the legitimacy of using the term “hypostasis,”
through an exposition of Hebrews 1:3. For Calvin, the term “hypostasis” and “person” are not
human inventions, but of the revelation of God, which manifests the distinction between the
person of the Father and the Son. Here, Calvin connects the oneness and mutuality of God
with the Spirit's procession from the Father and the Son. The Spirit’s procession from the
Father and the Son enables each divine hypostasis to contain the whole divine nature without
losing the peculiar quality of each by the mutual indwelling of the Father, Son, and Spirit.
This mutual indwelling of the Father and the Son in which each hypostasis contains the
whole of the other without losing the peculiar quality that distinguishes them comports with
Calvin's divine appropriations.17 Calvin does not systematically discuss the doctrine of the
Trinity out of scholastic inquisitiveness. Calvin keeps away from the so-called Augustinian
psychological metaphors of the Trinity. In general, Calvin follows Augustine’s trinitarian
theology and admitted the mutual relations of the three persons. However, he not only
evinces no great eagerness for Augustine’s analogical language as proof for the Trinity but
also criticizes Augustine’s analogical approach to the doctrine of the Trinity. Calvin points to
baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which is the place to witness
the unity of God, declaring that Word and Spirit are nothing else than the very essence of
God. Calvin does not prefer Augustine’s exegesis of Genesis 18:2 that Abraham’s three
visitors are seen as a visible indication of the three persons of the Godhead as proofs for the
doctrine of the Trinity. Calvin comments that Psalms 2:7 does not indicate the eternal
generation of the Son as a proof for the Trinity but, instead, God’s revelation of the deity of
the Son resurrected from the dead. Calvin does not follow classical formulas blindly. Unless
it has been tested against the Word of God; Calvin’s main contributions to the development
of the doctrine of the Trinity is to offer a series of clear alternative exegeses of text without
resorting to any further speculation or Trinitarian metaphor to the reformulation of the
doctrine of the Trinity.18
Conclusion: While Calvin's doctrine of the Trinity is in line with traditional Christian
orthodoxy, it is distinguished by a strong emphasis on God's sovereignty, a practical focus on
the roles of Christ and the Holy Spirit, and a careful adherence to Scripture. His approach is
both cautious and deep, recognizing the Trinity while emphasizing its implications for faith
17
Calvinus Pastor Ecclesiae: Paper of the Eleventh International Congress on Calvin Research by
Herman J. Selderhuis/Arnold Huijgen (eds.)
https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Calvinus_Pastor_Ecclesiae/ypnkEAAAQBAJ?
hl=hi&gbpv=1&dq=Jonathan+Lett+%27God+in+Three+Persons,+Blessed+Trinity!
%27+Pneumatology+and+Participation+in+the+Theology+of+John+Calvin&pg=PA7&printsec=frontcover
(accessed on 03/09/2024)
18
Herman Bavinck and John Calvin on the Doctrines of the Trinity and the Image of God: A
Comparison by CHANGJUN CHOI, https://theoluniv.ub.rug.nl/425/1/2021%20Choi,%20Changjun.pdf
(accessed on 02/09/2024)
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and life. Calvin combines a deep respect for scripture, theological precision, and clarity with
his understanding of the Trinity. Calvin stress strong on God's sovereignty, which serves to
maintain the Godhead's majesty and unity while affirming the unique persons of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Calvin takes a practical facts and pastoral stance, emphasizing the ways
in which the triune God engages with people in the processes of creation, redemption, and
sanctification. Calvin offers an orthodox and approachable understanding of the Trinity,
encouraging believers to worship a God who is both beyond human knowledge and deeply
active in worldly affairs. He does this by basing his doctrine on Scripture.
Bibliography:
Bavinck, Herman. The Doctrine of God translated by William Hendriksen. Michigan: B. Eerdmans Publishing
company, 1977.
Neisel, Wilhelm. The Theology of Calvin, translated by Harold Knight. England: James Clark & co., 2002.
The Library of Christian Classic volume XX, Calvin: Institute of the Christian Religion, edited by John T.
McNeill. USA: Westminster Press, Ny.
Christian Theology: An Introduction to its Tradition and Tasks edited by Peter Hogson and Robert H.King.
USA:Fortress Press, 1982.
Webliography
Calvinus Pastor Ecclesiae: Paper of the Eleventh International Congress on Calvin Research by
HermanJ.Selderhuis/ArnoldHuijgen(eds.)https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Calvinus_P
astor_Ecclesiae/ypnkEAAAQBAJ?hl=hi&gbpv=1&dq=Jonathan+Lett+%27God+in+Three+P
ersons,+Blessed+Trinity!%27+Pneumatology+and+Participation+in+the+Theology+of+John
+Calvin&pg=PA7&printsec=frontcover
Herman Bavinck and John Calvin on the Doctrines of the Trinity and the Image of God: A
ComparisonbyCHANGJUNCHOI,https://theoluniv.ub.rug.nl/425/1/2021%20Choi,%20Chang
jun.pdf
“Trinity in the Theology of Michael Servetus” https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/2694047
Calvin’s Mystery of the Trinity by DEAN CARTER, https://www.newcreationlibrary. org.
au/books/pdf/284_Calvin-Trinity.pdf
