Reflection 10 - Calvin's Institutes, Angels 1.14.3-12

Reflection 10 - Calvin’s Institutes Angels 1.14.3-12

You have heard that the pointless studies of the scholastics of the middle ages focused on questions such as, “How many angels can sit or dance on the head of a pin?” Now as to whether this particular point was ever studied by Thomas Aquinas or Duns Scotus we do not have any record, though Aquinas does delve into angelology in his Suma Theologica. But I would argue that the philosophy and study of the scholastics was not pointless as it did aid in giving rise together with the studies of the Humanists, to Biblical theology and the reformation of the church in the 16th and 17th centuries. And while the medieval scholastics did speculate concerning the ranks of angels and their various functions, Calvin counters with ten pages in his Institutes devoted to understanding angels so that we may distinguish the true God from his works in creation and refute the many errors in the study of angels.

Calvin has been noted by B.B. Warfield as a chief plagiarist quoting the Bible more than 3,000 times in his Institutes. In these ten pages on the study of angels he cites 89 references to Scripture. This gives the reader an assurance that in the study of angels Calvin does not depend upon his own philosophical assumptions. Section 4 of chapter 14 begins with the heading, “Also we should not indulge in the speculations concerning the angels, but search out the witness of Scripture.” He leads the reader down the path with the God’s word lighting the way understanding that angels are the creative work of God for the service of the crown of his creation, his image bearers. He reminds us to beware of speculation when he says, “Not to take to long, let us remember here, as in all religious doctrine, that we ought to hold on to one rule of modesty and sobriety: not to speak or guess, or even to seek to know, concerning obscure matters anything except what has been imparted to us by God’s Word...And because the Lord willed to instruct us, not in fruitless questions, but in sound godliness, in the fear of his name, in true trust, and in the duties of holiness, let us be satisfied with this knowledge.” His thinking follows that of the apostle Paul who had been caught up to the third heavens yet did not find it lawful or beneficial to utter what he had beheld. Therefore for Calvin and ourselves the Scripture is sufficient to tell us what we need to know concerning angels as God’s servants to his creatures.

In section 5 through 9 he focuses on the particular qualities and identity of angels given us by Scripture. He talks of the many names in Scripture given to angels in section 5, the angels as protectors and helpers of believers in section 6, so called guardian angels in section 7, the hierarchy, number and form of angels in section 8, the angels as actual section 9. He encourages the believer with these words, “Thus to fulfill the task of protecting us the angels fight against the devil and all our enemies, and carry out God’s vengeance against those who harm us.” But what does Calvin do to our consciences when we delight to have cartoonish imaginations of our guardian angel? After defending his position from Scripture he says, “For if the fact that all the heavenly host are keeping watch for his safety will not satisfy a man, I do not see what benefit he could derive from knowing that one angel has been given to him as his especial guardian. Indeed those who confine to one angel the care that God takes of each one of us are doing a great injustice both to themselves and to all the members of the church; as if it were an idle promise that we should fight more valiantly with these hosts supporting and protecting us round about!”

In sections 10 - 12 on angels he leads the reader to the understanding that angels are servants of the glory of God in that they lead and serve God’s people to that knowledge and enjoyment. Calvin says in some of his closing words, “How preposterous, then, it is for us to be lead away from God by the angels, who have been established to testify that his help is all the closer to us! But they do lead us away unless they lead us by the hand straight to him, that we may look upon him, call upon him, and proclaim as our sole helper; unless we regard them as his hands that are moved to no work without his direction; unless they keep us in the one Mediator, Christ, that we may wholly depend upon him, lean upon him, be brought to him, and rest in him.” Let us with the apostle John not worship the angel who directs and serves us but worship the Lord the angel serves us toward.