John Calvin (1509–1564) on Galatians 2:20–21 and the Death of Christ for Each and Every Man in the World

Kathy Childress Translation:

It is now clear to us what Paul means when he declares that he lived by faith. The death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ should be at the centre of our lives, for it is this which has delivered us from the pit of death. However, we must not only meditate upon the Lord Jesus Christ dying in the weakness of his flesh, but upon the fact that he rose again through divine and heavenly power, as it says in another text (Rom. 1:4). But when we do speak about the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is important that we understand its significance: that is, that it was a sacrifice to reconcile God and man. It was payment for all our iniquities. It was obedience which atones for our wickedness. It was cleansing to wash away all our pollution and filth. Once we appreciate the efficacy of the death of the Son of God, and then look beyond it to the glory which awaits us, we cease to think that man will remain in his natural state, and we believe that he can live by faith in the gospel. For we know that a man will never be disappointed if he trusts in the promises contained in the gospel. Thus, this is what we are to learn from Paul in this text, where he speaks of the Son of God giving his life.

Notice, however, that he does not say that he gave his life for the world in general; this would be too vague. We each need to apply to ourselves individually the fruit of the death and passion of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we find it written that the Son of God was crucified, we must not simply imagine that it was for the redemption of the world. It is for each one of us as individuals, and in our own particular circumstances, to be joined to the Lord Jesus Christ and to reach the following conclusion: ‘He suffered for my sake.’ Just as when we are baptised, no-one else is baptised for us; it is not as if we can sprinkle everybody at once! Rather, each one is baptised separately in order to have a special application of water to himself, thereby revealing ourselves to be members of the Lord Jesus Christ. The same applies to the Lord’s Supper: each person takes a portion to show that the Lord Jesus Christ is communicated to each one of us individually. Paul, therefore, speaks of it in this way so that we cannot approach the subject and be left cold or untouched. There are many ignorant folk who believe they are Christians, yet who are little more than wretched beasts. However, if we know that the one act which accomplished the redemption of the world applies to each one of us, then we can all personally say, ‘The Son of God loved me so much, that he gave himself to die for me.’

Notice too that the word ‘loved’ is not superfluous either. Paul is seeking to magnify the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is as if he were saying, ‘We are most miserable if we do not accept the wonderful gift which is being offered to us, since God’s only design in sending his Son was to relieve us from our miseries. Our Lord Jesus Christ emptied himself to such a degree that he did not spare his own life for our salvation. And why did he do this? Because of his love for us.’ Since this is so, we must be very foolish indeed not to accept such a gift. God loved the world so much that he did not spare his only Son but delivered him up to death for us: this doctrine appears frequently in Holy Scripture (John 3:16). As Paul says in the fifth chapter to the Romans, verse eight, even when we were his mortal enemies, the Lord Jesus Christ commended his wonderful love by giving himself as a sacrifice to appease God’s wrath against us, and to blot out our sins so that they would no longer be taken into account. This is a guarantee of our salvation through which we enjoy great assurance. However, Paul is also reproving men for their evil ways, when they refuse to accept the gift which God has so bountifully bestowed upon us out of his free grace. For we must remember what John says in his Epistle, that we did not first love God (1 John 4:19). We cannot, therefore, hold him to ransom, like those who say, ‘I have done such and such service for him’. Alas, what can we possibly do for him? He loved us even when we were his mortal enemies and, indeed, he came and sought us even while we were in the depths of the abyss.

Thereupon, Paul adds, ‘I do not frustrate (or reject) the grace of God’. This is the practical outcome of all that we have been saying, for Paul is implying that those who ignore God’s mercy displayed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and offered to us daily through the gospel, must surely be possessed by the devil. Each time the death and passion of the Lord Jesus Christ is preached to us, alongside the infinite goodness of God, an invitation is being issued; the Lord Jesus Christ is calling us to himself. He calls us to leave this world behind, despairing of all else, but trusting in him. Since this is the case, we must not ‘frustrate’ the grace of God. Paul is exhorting those who previously have lived lives of debauchery, and he directs them in the way they should go. In effect, he is saying, ‘Ignorant people, who have never heard a word of the gospel, may have an excuse, but not us; we will be doubly worthy of damnation if we refuse the grace of God. It bespeaks an ingratitude which is inexcusable.’ Paul is, therefore, drawing a contrast between those whom our Lord Jesus Christ calls to a hope of salvation through his gospel and those who prefer to wallow in their sins. Such people do not know whether there is a better life to come or not, and are, therefore, as senseless as brute beasts. Then there are some who torment their consciences over various principles to which they adhere, yet who never find relief or remedy. Nevertheless, those who have not heard about the Lord Jesus Christ will still perish without mercy – they cannot hide behind their ignorance. I am referring to all the pagan and idolatrous peoples who have ever lived – all will be silenced before him. What then will become of those who have stopped their ears to the message which God has sent them day by day? He demands that we come to him, indeed, he exhorts us and pleads with us to do so, as we saw in the second letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 5:20). Is it not a display of great humility for God to stoop down and plead with us through the person of his only Son? ‘Be ye reconciled’, he says. Yet what has he done and whom has he offended? Indeed, it is we who offend him every day, yet he draws near to us, expressing his desire to be reconciled with us! We are full of evil, like demons; we are lost and damned, yet he comes seeking us out and asks nothing more than to be reconciled! Paul asks, what will become of us if we reject the grace which God so bountifully offers?

John Calvin, “Sermon 14. Redemption by the Son of God (Gal. 2:20–21),” in Sermons on Galatians, trans. Kathy Childress (Banner of Truth, 1997), 212–15.

Arthur Golding Translation:

Then see we now why Saint Paul telleth us that he lived by faith. For it behooveth us to be settled upon the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, assuring ourselves that it is able enough to draw us out of the dungeons of death. And furthermore it behooveth us to look upon our Lord Jesus Christ, not only as dead in the infirmity of his flesh, but also as risen again through his divine and heavenly power, as is said of him in another Text. (Romans 1:4) And therefore when there is any speaking of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, it standeth us on hand to consider what the same importeth: that is to wit, that it is a sacrifice to make an atonement of Reconciliation between God and man, an obedience to cover all the naughtiness that is in us, and a washing to scour away all our uncleanness and filthiness. Forasmuch then as we know that there is such power in the death and passion of the son of God, and that thereupon we march further, that is to wit, to the glory whereunto it leadeth us: let us not anymore imagine, that man ought hereafter to continue still in his own nature, but that he ought to live in the faith of the Gospel, assuring himself that he shall not be disappointed in resting upon the promises that are contained there. Thus ye see in effect, whereunto we should refer this saying, where Saint Paul telleth us expressly, that the Son of God gave himself.

And he contenteth not himself to say, that Christ gave himself for the world in common, for that had been but a slender saying: but [showeth that] every of us must apply to himself particularly, the virtue of the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whereas it is said that the Son of God was crucified, we must not only think that the same was done for the Redemption of the world: but also every of us must on his own behalf join himself to our Lord Jesus Christ, and conclude, It is for me that he hath suffered. Likewise when we be baptized, as it is not for any one man alone, so is not the water sprinkled upon all men in common: but every man is baptized severally in his own behalf, to the end that every of us may apply it particularly to himself, to say that we be all members of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also when we receive the holy Supper, every man taketh his own portion, to show us that our Lord Jesus Christ is communicated unto us, yea even to every one of us. Saint Paul therefore doth purposely use that manner of speech, to the end we should not have any cold imagination, after the manner of diverse ignorant persons, which take themselves to be Christians, and yet in the meanwhile are as wretched beasts. But when we once know that the thing which was done for the redemption of the whole world, pertaineth to every of us severally: it behooveth every of us to say also on his own behalf, The son of God hath loved me so dearly, that he has given himself to death for me.

Furthermore, the word Love is not superfluous here: for Saint Paul’s intent is to magnify the gracious goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ: as if he should say, that we be very wretches if we accept not such a benefit when it is offered us, seeing that God in sending us his son, had none other respect but to our miseries which he intended to relieve. Also our Lord Jesus Christ did so neglect himself, that he spared not his life for our welfare. And what was the cause of it? The love that he bear us. Seeing it is so: must we not needs be worse than out of our wits, if we accept not such a benefit? But it is a very common doctrine in the holy Scripture, that God so loved the world, that he spared not his only son, but gave him to death for us: (John 3:16) and also that our Lord Jesus Christ, at such time as we were his deadly enemies as saith Saint Paul, did confirm a marvelous love towards us, in that he offered himself in sacrifice to make atonement between God and us, and to do away all our sins, (Romans 5:8) so as they might no more come to account. Lo here a warrant of our salvation, so as we ought to think ourselves thoroughly assured of it. Howbeit Saint Paul meant purposely here, to rebuke men’s unthankfulness, in that they accept not the benefit which God granteth them so bountifully, yea and of his own free goodness. For it behooveth us to call to mind, how Saint John in his Canonical Epistle saith, that we loved not God first: (as if he should say, we did not prevent him, as those think they do which say, I have done him such service and such. For alas what is it that we can do to him?) but that he loved us, (1 John 4:19) [yea even] at such time as we were his deadly enemies, and came even then to seek us out in the very deepest of the bottomless Dungeons.

And thereupon Saint Paul addeth, that he doth not despise or shake off the grace of God. This is the knitting up of the things that we have hitherto seen. For here he meant to show, that the Devil must needs possess those that make none account of God’s mercy, that is uttered in our Lord Jesus Christ, and daily offered us in his Gospel. For look how oft the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ is preached unto us, and the infinite goodness of our God talked of: so oft is this message renewed unto us, that our Lord Jesus Christ calleth us unto him, to the end we should forsake the world and being out of all hope in ourselves, fasten and settle our whole trust in him. Sith [since] it is so: it is good reason that we should not reject the grace of God. And Saint Paul in saying so, meant to call back such as had gone astray before, and to show them the way, as if he had said, whereas the poor ignorant souls that never heard word of the Gospel might be excused: we must needs be worse than damnable, seeing we refuse the grace of God when it is offered us: for it smelleth of such an unthankfulness, as can by no means be excused. Saint Paul therefore doth here make mention of those whom our Lord Jesus Christ calleth to the hope of salvation by his Gospel, and yet do still welter in their own wretchedness, and become brutish, not knowing whither there be a better life or no: or else of such as are sufficiently tormented with inward heartbiting, and yet seek no remedy nor comfort. Yet notwithstanding, all they to whom our Lord Jesus Christ hath not preached his Gospel, shall not fail to perish without mercy. They cannot defend themselves by ignorance: I say that all the heathen folk and Idolaters that ever were, must have their mouths stopped. And what shall become of us then, which have had our ears beaten daily with the message that God sendeth us: which is that he requireth nothing but that we should be drawn unto him, whereunto he encourageth, yea and beseecheth us, as we have seen in 2 Corinthians 5:20? Is it not a great shame for us, that God should so far abase himself in the person of his only son, that he should beseech us? Let us fall to atonement, saith he. And what hath he done on his side? What hath he offended us? Nay contrariwise, we cease not to provoke him daily against us, and yet he cometh to say unto us I will fall to atonement with you, whereas notwithstanding there is nothing but spitefulness in us, we be like little fiends, and to be short, we be damned and forlorn, and yet cometh he to seek unto us, and desireth nothing but to have the atonement made. After that manner speaketh Saint Paul word for word. But now what will become of us, if we reject such grace, seeing that God offereth it us so freely?

John Calvin, SERMONS of M. Iohn Caluine vpon the Epistle of Saincte Paule to the Galathians (London: Lucas Harison and George Bishop, 1574), 106r–107v.

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