I preached Sunday on Christ’s prayer for future disciples as part
of his High Priestly prayer (John 17:20-26). A good bit of focus was given to
Christ’s prayer for unity: “That they all may be one….” (v. 21). I’ve also been
re-reading Calvin’s book IV of the Institutes
and had just been looking at Calvin’s defense of the Protestant movement against
charges of it being schismatic in chapter 2. Ever since I ran into Dr. Anthony
Lane at the Calvin Congress last August I’ve been intrigued by Calvin’s use of
the Church Fathers. I had picked out Calvin’s quotation from Cyprian to share in
the sermon on Sunday but did not get time to use it, so I thought I’d share it
here (from Institutes 4.2.6):
Cyprian, also following Paul, derives the source of concord of the
entire church from Christ’s episcopate alone. Afterward he adds:
The church is one,
which is spread abroad far and wide into a multitude by an increase of
fruitfulness. As there are many rays of the sun but one light, and many
branches of a tree but one strong trunk grounded in its tenacious root, and
since from one spring flow many streams, although a goodly number seem
outpoured from their bounty and superabundance, still at the source unity
abides. Take a ray from the body of the sun; its unity undergoes no division.
Break a branch from a tree; the severed branch cannot sprout. Cut off a stream
from its source; cut off, it dries up. So also the church, bathed in the light
of the Lord, extends over the whole earth: yet there is one light diffused
everywhere.
Nothing more fitting could be said to express this indivisible
connection which all members of Christ have with one another.
JTR
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