John Calvin on the forge of idols: Problems of evil and suffering

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John Calvin on the forge of idols

CALVIN, JOHN (1509-1564), The Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536), Beveridge, Henry (Translator), R Public Domain.

Cited

1.11.8

'Hence we may infer, that the human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols.'

It has also been translated as:

'Man's nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols....' (And like).

In other words, idolatry is a universal human problem and a continual human problem.

From Browning:

In the Hebrew Bible context, idolatry involved the cult of worshipping a statue of a god or goddess. (181).

Exodus 20:4-6

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

4 “You shall not make for yourself [a]an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Footnotes:

Exodus 20:4 Or a graven image

The second commandment.

Browning reasons that in the New Testament context the Apostle Paul reminds readers in 1 Corinthians 10, against idolatry in the form of possible 'civil ceremony.' (181). From 1 Corinthians 8, these idols are false entities, 'so-called gods' (181). Browning then mentions Colossians 3: 5 in the context of idolatry used in a metaphorical context (181) as in evil desires:

Colossians 3:5

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

5 Therefore [a]consider the members of your earthly body as dead to [b]immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which [c]amounts to idolatry.

Footnotes:

Colossians 3:5 Lit put to death the members which are upon the earth
Colossians 3:5 Lit fornication
Colossians 3:5 Lit is

The Calvin quote is of a metaphorical usage. It is profoundly true.

The metaphorical use is often the critique idolatry receives within the evangelical church. I am in agreement that this critique is often the correct one. I agree with the warnings from the Apostle Paul and John Calvin.

But I would caution that at times problems of evil and suffering are significantly negated when actual human needs, that perhaps God is not meeting at the time, within his holy and good plans, and purposes, are negated by the evangelical presenter. This in order to provide an evangelical Christian apologetic for God, in regard to problems of evil and suffering.

God meets human needs within his plans and purposes. This does not mean for example, that the blind person, does not actually need to have restored vision. Restored vision is more than simply a desire, it is a need based on human, ontological nature.

(Yes, I have had to counter an evangelical in church ministry, that made this type of argument)

BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

CALVIN, JOHN (1509-1564), The Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536), Beveridge, Henry (Translator), R Public Domain.