Posted by: Deanna
Yesterday my Dad had me read an article titled A Heart Offered to God about the life of John Calvin.
It was very interesting to me to find out that he was smaller than I am. He was 5′ 6″ and had a slight build. He was the second of 6 children and his mother died when he was 4. His father recognized his keen intellectual skills and decided that John should pursue the priesthood and had him enrolled in a local preparatory school called the College des Capettes. When John was 14 he was sent to the College de La Marche in Paris to study latin and theology. In 1525 (when he was 16) John was transferred to the College of Montaigu where at age 18 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree. John continued studying theology until his father fell out with the church authorities back home and decided that John should pursue a career in law instead. As an obedient son, John moved south and enrolled at the University of Orleans to study law. It was while he was at Orleans that he started questioning the teachings of the roman church and was encouraged by his friends to make himself familiar with scripture.
In 1529 he transferred to the University of Bourges. While in Bourges, he studied New Testament Greek under the enthusiastic and outspoken German instructor, Melchior Wolmar. Also, it was under Wolmar’s tutelage that Calvin first read the Early Church Fathers. As a result of this study, the foundation was laid for Calvin’s appreciation for the orthodox Christian faith and his excellent familiarity with the Church Fathers and Ancient Creeds. In 1531 John’s father died freeing him to return to his study of theology. After receiving his licensie es loix, John returned to Paris.
The future direction of Calvin’s life, however, took a surprising turn when he became friends with Nicolas Cop, the newly appointed Rector of the University of Paris. In 1533 Cop gave a stirring inaugural address which infuriated the roman catholics because he not only endorsed Martin Luther (gasp), he also criticized the Pope. Cop realized his life was in great danger and he fled the city. John was suspected of being the ghost writer of Cop’s speech and the church authorities determined to arrest him. John only narrowly escaped being arrested. He had to climb out the window as the police were pounding on his door! he sought refuge with Queen Margaret of Navarre, who was sympathetic to the protestant cause. The die was cast, he was now officially a reformer.
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You write *very* well. I’ve only read this page right now, but I’ll read more in a minute.