God, the word of god, and scripture: the mediation of the knowledge of god in Calvin's theology

Abstract

This thesis attempts to elucidate Calvin's high view of the function of Scripture in the mediation of the knowledge of God. Two conclusions emerge:- The first is that the statement 'Scripture is the Word of God' Is not a premise with which Calvin's theological exposition begins, but a position to which the Reformer comes as a corollary of his understanding of the grace of God.- The second Is that Calvin's contention that the knowledge of God is mediated In Scripture rests upon his view that the nature of God is such that its most adequate form of self-expression is as Word. There are three parts to the thesis.- Part I Is an examination of The Actuality of the Knowledge of God In the Word of God. This section is concerned with the actual content of the knowledge of God as it is mediated by the Word of God. The mediation of the knowledge of God In Scripture is set in the context of the mediation of the knowledge of God by the Eternal Word of God and the mediation of the knowledge of God by the Incarnate Word of God.- Parts II and III explore The Possibility of the Knowledge of God in the Word of God. Part II asks how it is possible for the Word of God to be spoken, and answers the question In terms of Calvin's use of the principle of Accommodation. Part III considers how It Is possible for the Word of God to be heard, and answers the question in terms of Calvin's consistent correlation of Word and Spirit. In both cases the mediation of the knowledge of God in Scripture is again set in the context of the mediation of the knowledge of God by the Eternal Word of God, and the mediation of the knowledge of God by the Incarnate Word of God.