Abstract

Calvin presented his own distinctive method of the hermeneutics of Scripture in his Commentary on the Epistle of Paul, the Apostle, to the Romans. It is called the ideal of brevitas et facilitas. Calvin was not satisfied with both Malanchthon's loci method and Bucer's prolixity commentary. He took a via media approach. Calvin's method was influenced by rhetoric of Aristotle, Cicero, Quintilian and Chrysostom. Calvin, however, confirmed that his own principle came from Scripture itself. I deal with Calvin's view that the clarity of Scripture was related to the ideal of brevitas et facilitas. After analyzing Calvin's writing, I discovered ten component elements of the method of brevitas et facilitas.

Highlights

  • The history of Christian theology is the record of the interpretation of Scripture generation after generation2 In a certain sense, all Christian truths are the result of the vindication of those who have taken great pains to interpret the Word of God responsibly over against the deficient or onesided interpretation of the heretics

  • With regard to the nature of Calvin's hermeneutics, many scholars recognize that the hallmarks of Calvin's hermeneutical approach are the principles of brevitas et facilitas[5] Even though they have regarded this method as the distinguishing feature of Calvin's hermeneutics, they have not investigated Calvin's exegetical writings from the perspective of these principles, and have not fathomed how Calvin practically and consistently implemented the principles of brevitas et facilitas as the central dimension of his hermeneutics

  • They have not revealed how Calvin handled the text of Scripture with these principles. They have not adequate-Iy demonstrated how Calvin's principles of brevitas et facilitas are rooted in the rhetorical method of Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian, and not that these hermeneutical principles are embedded in the basic motives of his theology

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Summary

INTRODUCTION

The history of Christian theology is the record of the interpretation of Scripture generation after generation2 In a certain sense, all Christian truths are the result of the vindication of those who have taken great pains to interpret the Word of God responsibly over against the deficient or onesided interpretation of the heretics. Against the authority of the Roman Catholic church[7] and its method of Scriptural interpretation, Calvin, like Luther, stressed the principles of sola Scriptura[8] and Scriptura sui ipsius interpres. His theology played an important role in the development of the ideal of brevitas et facilitas. In order for his readers to understand the intention of the author of Scripture and the true meaning of the text and clearly, Calvin employed this distinctive principle in his own hermeneutics, which was different from that employed by the other Reformers. Calvin said that the Libertines used allegorical interpretation, and forced the simple meaning of Scripture

THE SOURCE OF THE IDEAL OF BREVITAS ET FACIUTAS
THE ELEMENTS OF THE IDEAL OF BREVITAS ET FACILITAS
CONCLUSION
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