July 2009 We Celebrate the Polemics Aside, So Far As Is Possible, by Five Hundredth Anniversary of the Birth Relying Heavily on Calvin ’S Own Words, of John Calvin

Trinitarian Bible Society

Founded in 1831 for the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God

Officers of the Society

General Committee: General Secretary: Mr. D. P. Rowland The Rev. M. H. Watts , Chairman Assistant General Secretary: The Rev. B. G. Felce, M.A. , Vice-Chairman Mr. D. Larlham The Rev. G. Hamstra, B.A., M.Div., Vice-President Editorial Manager: Mr. D. Oldham, Vice-President Mr. G. W. Anderson

Mr. C. A. Wood, Vice-President Office Manager: Pastor R. A. Clarke, B.Sc., F.C.A., Treasurer Mr. J. M. Wilson Mr. G. Bidston Warehouse Manager: Mr. I. A. Docksey Mr. G. R. Burrows, M.A. Mr. G. D. Buss, B.Ed. Quarterly Record The Rev. R. G. Ferguson, B.A. Production Team Pastor M. J. Harley General Secretary: D. P. Rowland Mr. A. K. Jones Assistant General Secretary: D. Larlham Production Editor: The Rev. E. T. Kirkland, B.A., Dipl.Th. Dr. D. E. Anderson The Rev. J. MacLeod, M.A. Assistants to the Editor: C. P. Hallihan, D. R. Field, K. J. Pulman The Rev. D. Silversides Graphic Designer: P. Hughes The Rev. J. P. Thackway Circulation: J. M. Wilson © Trinitarian Bible Society 2009 All rights reserved. The Trinitarian Bible Society permits Issue Number: 588 reprinting of articles found in our printed and online Quarterly Record provided that prior permission is July to September 2009 obtained and proper acknowledgement is made.

Contents

Annual General Meeting 2

From the Desk of the General Secretary 3

The Treasury 10

The Resurrection and the Life 11

Open Doors in South America 13

Calvin at Five Hundred 26

The Word of God Among All Nations 44 Trinitarian Bible Society

will be held, God willing at 11.00am on Saturday, 26 th September 2009 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Elephant and Castle, London, SE1 The Rev. Neil Ross, B.A. Minister of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Dingwall, Ross-shire is expected to preach All are welcome IMPORTANT NOTES: G To encourage as many supporters, children and young people as possible to attend the Society’s Annual Meetings, the times of the meetings have been changed. e Business Meeting, to which all friends are most welcome and which should prove interesting and informative to all ages, will commence at 11.00 a.m. and will include an address by the Rev. Malcolm H. Watts, reports on the work of the Society, and a presentation by one of the Society’s translators, God willing. G Lunch will be served following the conclusion of the Business Meeting, at approximately 12.30 p.m., God willing. G e Worship Service will commence at 2.00 p.m., God willing. G Copies of the Minutes of last year’s Annual General Meeting have been sent to Members. Further copies are freely available from the Society. Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

From the desk of the Genera l Secretary

BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US…

We thank all our members and friends for their continued prayerful sup - port of the Society. It is a great encouragement to us to know that throughout the world we have so many individuals and congregations of the Lord ’s people who bring the Society and its work before the Lord in prayer at the Throne of Grace on a regular basis .

Although there is a very clear practical side to our activity, the work of the Society is essentially spiritual, and this must always be kept prominent - ly in the forefront of our minds . Without its all-important spiritual element, the work is nothing.

Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. (Psalm 127.1)

There are many things the Society needs. It needs suitably able and qualified employees; it continuously needs finance in order for its impor - tant work to continue; its governing body and those managing the affairs of the Society in different parts of the world need the Lord to grant them much wisdom, guidance and direction—as do all the staff—that they may fulfil their various activities well; but, above all things, we need the Lord’s blessing. 3 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

Indeed, we are utterly dependent upon the Lord for His blessing. His blessing is indispensable. It is necessary that His blessing rests upon every area of the work. It is necessary that His blessing accompanies the Scriptures that we distribute in His Name.

The Society’s dependence upon the Lord for His blessing has been acknowledged from the very beginning of the Society’s existence. In writ - ing about meetings of the Society, the men of God who founded the work in 1831 explicitly stated in Law XIII of the Society’s Constitution:

This Society, acknowledging the ignorance and helplessness of man, deems it a bounden duty to express its entire dependence upon the blessing of JEHOVAH, the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST, in its “work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope”, by offering up prayer and praise at all its Meetings.

This formulary is no mere statement of intent extracted from a historic document no longer in vogue, and which is consequently wholly irrelevant to the present day; it is that which truly encapsulates the very essence of what is needed for the ongoing work of the Society in 2009. Without the blessing of the Lord, all our work is, and will be, in vain.

There is, therefore, the need for those of us who are in any way directly connected to the work and witness of the Society to humble ourselves before the Lord continuously; to acknowledge our dependence upon Him; to beseech Him for His grace, direction and help; and to render to Him our praise for His great goodness and condescending grace in giving us His ‘unspeakable gift’ (2 Corinthians 9.15) . We need to thank Him continually for having given to us the inestimable treasure of the Holy Scriptures and for providing the resources necessary for their translation, production and distribution; and for granting to the Society the many opportunities we have for their circulation throughout the world.

This spiritual aspect of the work is that which directly relates to all the Members of the General Committee, the Directors of the Society’s Branches, the Members of its Auxiliary Committees, the Society’s Staff, Consultants and all who are involved in one way or another with the many and diverse practical aspects of the Society’s work and with how these func - tions are fulfilled. Whatever we do, we need to do all to the glory of God, 4 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 prayerfully and humbly looking to the Lord for His blessing and His most necessary help.

It is in this most important spiritual aspect of the work that our prayer - ful supporters and friends can also be so very helpful. We would ask you each to share with us in this spiritual part of the great and noble work the Society is endeavouring to undertake, of supplying the Word of Life to our fellow sinners throughout the world.

Comparatively few of our many good supporters in the United Kingdom, North America or Australasia or elsewhere can be directly involved in the practical tasks undertaken by our translators, revisers and other editorial staff; or be employed in the despatch of the orders and grants that are sent out to so many different parts of the world; or serve as Members of Committees and Boards, overseeing the work of the Society. But all who fear God and are truly supportive of the work of the Society, wherever they may live, can assist in this great task, in the all-important spiritual activity of seeking to bring the work before the Lord in prayer that His great blessing may both rest upon the many aspects of the work that we seek to undertake in His fear, and accompany the many copies of His Word that we are enabled by His grace to distribute.

The warfare in which we are engaged is against the spiritual Amalekites— the world, the flesh and the devil. We need our supporters and friends to follow the most important, noble and blessed role undertaken by Aaron and Hur, and to hold the Society and its work up in prayer before the Lord.

Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. (Exodus 17.8–13) 5 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

In addition to the details given on pages 13 to 25 in this magazine about the Spanish Bible, our contacts in South America and the need for prayer for His blessing to be upon the wonderful openings the Lord has granted to the Society there, the following paragraphs contain information on other projects in which the Society is engaged, which we hope will be of both general and prayerful interest. The items listed (under different head - ings, but not in any particular order) are a few of the specific matters relating to the Society and its worldwide activity about which particular prayer is needed at the present time. It may be that our prayerful support - ers will be inclined of the Lord to bring one or more (perhaps all) of these matters in a particular manner before the Lord in prayer during the com - ing months.

As prayer is made to Almighty God for His blessing to be on His Word and on the work of the Society, may we remember that all power and authority has been given into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Zion, who sits on the Throne of Glory, from where He attends to the affairs of His Kingdom with infinite wisdom, for the glory of His Name, sending His Word forth throughout the world that it may accomplish that which He pleases and prosper in the thing whereto He has sent it.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5.16)

FOR PRAYER…

Staff at the Society’s Office in the United Kingdom

At the Society’s Headquarters in London there are still several vacancies in our staff that at the time of writing need to be filled. These include two particularly important roles: an Accountant and an Editorial Administration Manager. Of course, we want those whom we interview to be suitably qual - ified for the advertised positions, but (and most importantly) we would ask that prayer be made that those who come forward for consideration for 6 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 these or any positions advertised by the Society, may not only be academi - cally qualified and naturally well suited to the roles for which they wish to be considered, but that they be spiritually exercised men and women of God who are fully supportive of our aims and objectives and who thus can identify with us in all the various aspects and activities of our work.

Canada Our Canadian Branch is seeking someone to take over the role of Canadian General Secretary. Prayer is sought that the Lord may be pleased to incline someone—again, someone suitably qualified, as mentioned above—to come forward to undertake this vital role, and that the Lord would grant guidance and direction to the Canadian Executive Committee and Board to identify that person as the one whom He has prepared for this important position.

USA For a number of months the Board of Directors in Grand Rapids has been prayerfully considering the acquisition of premises to provide addi - tional storage space. The property next door to our office and warehouse in Grand Rapids is now empty, and at the last meeting of the Board of TBS (USA) a decision was made (subject to various conditions) to proceed with the purchase. Prayer is sought that, if it is indeed the Lord’s will for the purchase to proceed, the purchase may go through smoothly, that the nec - essary financial resources may be found, and that wise use may be made of the additional facilities.

After many years of faithful service, Mr. Jay Stehouwer has recently retired as President of TBS (USA), although remaining on the Board. We thank him for his labours, and ask for your prayers that the Lord may guide and direct the Board in their choice of a replacement in due course.

Brazil For the last few years, the Society in Brazil has been engaged in further improving the Portuguese Bible. The prayers of the Lord’s people are sought that this revision work may be undertaken with a very real con - sciousness of the Lord’s help, and be speedily completed. 7 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

Although the publication of this Bible by the Society in 1994 had a most remarkable impact on the Bible market in Brazil at the time, other new ver - sions of the Bible have been published in recent years (most, if not all, translations based upon the Critical Text of the Greek) and these are now vying with each other and with our edition (based on the Textus Receptus of the Greek) for a place in the market.

Prayer is asked that the Christian people of Brazil may discern the need for a more reliable and faithful translation of the Holy Scriptures, and that the Society’s Bible may be richly blessed to many throughout Brazil, Portugal and the other Portuguese-speaking parts of the world.

Australia In recent weeks several additions have been made to the Society’s Board in Australia. Prayer is sought that the new men who will shortly be joining the existing Directors in their deliberations by teleconference may know much of the Lord’s goodness as they become involved in developing strat - egy for the advancement of the work throughout Australia.

In recent years much interest has been shown in the work of the Society by the Aboriginal churches, and prayer is sought that this interest may be maintained and increased, and that the Bibles supplied for distribution to them may be wonderfully used among the Aboriginal peoples throughout Australia.

New Zealand The editorial work on the Maori Bible is now virtually complete, and arrangements are being made to prepare it for publication. This Bible was first published in the 19th century, and under the blessing of the Lord it had a most wonderful influence on the Maori people at the time.

May it be that the Lord will hear prayer and be pleased to prepare the hearts of many of the Maori people of our day to receive His Word as it was received by their forefathers, and that it may be the means of turning many of them from their idols to serve the living and true God, for the honour and glory of His Name.

8 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

London Bus Poster Campaign STOP PRESS Although the contract with the agencies for the display of the bus At its meeting in June, the posters earlier in the year has long General Committee approved since ended, there are even now a few a further Bus Poster buses still plying the streets of London bearing the proclamation in bold let - Campaign for display in ters for all to see that ‘The fool hath London this year. If possible, said in his heart, There is no God’, and two texts will be displayed: offering a free copy of the Holy Bible. ‘Righteousness exalteth a May the Lord continue to bless these nation…’ (Proverbs 14.34) displays of His Truth! The General and ‘For there is… one medi - Committee is to give consideration to ator…’ (1 Timothy 2.5). The the possibility of extending the cam - cost of this campaign will be paign—with a different text—in the coming months. These campaigns are £15,000. Your prayers are very expensive (the last campaign cost sought for the Lord’s bless - around £35,000) and the Committee ing to accompany the public therefore needs much prayer to be display of these two portions offered on its behalf, that the Lord may be pleased to give guidance and direc - of His Almighty Word. tion over this and similar matters.

Catalan Bible In recent weeks five thousand copies of the Catalan Bible have been pub - lished at a total cost of just under £20,000, and have been delivered to Spain for distribution. There are very few Protestants in Catalonia (most of the population being Roman Catholic), and consequently the demand for this Bible is currently very limited. Although some copies will be sold, we antic - ipate that many of these Bibles will be given away freely wherever an opportunity arises. Our friends in Catalonia, who have laboured so hard and so long to have these Scriptures available, would value your prayers that as they seek to distribute the Bibles and other portions of the Holy Scriptures in Catalan, the Lord would be pleased to give the people a real spiritual thirst for the divine and saving truths of His Word. 9 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

Greek Bible A further five thousand copies of the Bible in modern Greek are being reprinted at a total cost of around £15,000 for distribution in Greece and among the many Greek speakers in other parts of the world. Prayer is sought for wisdom, grace and help to be given to those who work among the Greek peoples, and the blessing of the Lord to accompany the distribu - tion of these copies of His Word.

Nepali New Testament A further five thousand copies of the Nepali New Testament are being reprinted at a total cost of around £13,000 for circulation in Nepal, a coun - try that was until comparatively recently wholly closed to the Gospel. Prayer is sought for the Lord ’s blessing to accompany these copies of the New Testament that they may be the means of much spiritual profit to the Nepalese people, and that His great help may be given to the translators as they continue work on the Old Testament in Nepali .

May the Lord hear the prayers of His people, and prosper His Word to the ends of the earth!

Thus saith the Lord G OD ; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them… (Ezekiel 36.37)

THE TREASURY We warmly thank the donors of the following anonymous gifts which have been received since the April Quarterly Record went to press. Peterborough £100; Edinburgh £150, £100, £30; Guernsey £50; Stornoway £100; Wiltshire/Dorset £80; Bournemouth £5,000, £500; Oxfordshire £1,000; Fort William £50; Gloucester £1,000, £100; Crystal Palace £50; Humberside £200; Swansea £1,000; Newtownards £800; Salisbury £300; Glasgow £100, £73, £60, two of £50; Barclays Bank Distribution Fund £42.17; cash £70; via CAF £5,000; Stewardship £100; Give As You Earn two of £80.27, £75.47, £70.67; Charities Aid Foundation £128.21; church donation four of £75; South West Charitable Giving four of £94.44; via speakers £50, £10, £10 (Bus Fund); direct into the bank £224, £50, £30, eight of £25, £20, four of £10, four of £5; other £100, two of £10. Total £18 ,041 .82 .

10 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 ReTsuher rection and thLe ife

BY THE REV. G. HAMSTRA, A VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life John 11.25

hrist was accustomed to express His most comforting Gospel truths when He was confronted with the deepest human misery. Grief and Csorrow have often been the occasion for Him to provide surprising relief. Therefore, in discouraging circumstances , we should never consider our condition too painful and disturbing for the Lord to come to our aid. On the contrary, in distressing situations, our reaction ought to be the very oppo - site. In life ’s perplexities, we should commit ourselves to the Lord, that He might glorify His special love, support, and grace to us.

The little town of Bethany was steeped in sorrow. Death, the most terrible enemy of human life, had penetrated its walls. The well-known family of Mary and Martha had been dismantled. Their dear brother , Lazarus , had been taken away. Relatives and friends were left behind sorrowing. This was the occasion for Jesus to reveal Himself in the singular power of His sympathis - ing character. Jesus could have prevented the death of Lazarus, but He did not. As the Prince of Life, He desired to show forth the glory of His match - less compassion.

When in her helpless sorrow Martha realised that Jesus was on His way, she longed to meet Him. In her anxious grief, she had but one desire, and that was to be in His gracious presence. There she wept and uttered the thought that had all along been uppermost in her mind, ‘if [only] thou hadst been here …’ (John 11.21).

Jesus ’ reply, ‘Thy brother shall rise again ’ (John 11. 23), sought to direct her attention to the great miracle that was about to happen. But Martha inter - 11 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

preted these words as referring to the faraway future, the resurrection at the last day. Then she hoped to see her brother again. Yet, Jesus graciously guid - ed the faith of Martha in a different direction.

The distant future of the resurrection is truly a precious consolation but not apart from Christ as the present Fountain of all comfort. True comfort is ever centred in God ’s redeeming love revealed in the cruciﬁed and risen Christ. Therefore Christ pointed to Himself with these most amazing words, ‘I am the resurrection , and the life ’ (John 11 .25).

In her sorrow, Martha thought of the future. She would see Lazarus again. Believers may have that comfort regarding their loved ones who have died in the Lord. One day they will rise again. However, in Martha ’s present grief that blessed truth was not enough to calm her troubled heart completely.

The resurrection at the day of days cannot be a comfort apart from a faith that is resting in the special love of Christ. Without Christ, that day can only be viewed with terriﬁed awe. However, when Christ is considered by faith as the resurrection and the life, then a view of that great day brings a blessed and serene comfort.

Jesus also alluded to Himself as the One who was presently capable of sat - isfying the deepest needs of the sorrowing Martha. In the most distressing sorrows, even in the presence of death, He is the perfect Comforter. He is the resurrection and the life. He is more than the source of life. He is the life! There is no need to wait for the ﬁnal day as the nearest source of comfort when He who is the resurrection is present. As the Prince of Life, His con - solations reach the wounded heart that turns to Him. The Saviour is ever near . In Him is perfect deliverance.

Jesus encouraged Martha to look trustingly to Himself as the Fountain of all satisfying relief. A living trust in Him effects a precious hope in the light of the resurrection at the last day. At the same time, it produces a comfort in His sym - pathising nearness. Faith conﬁdes in a present and living Saviour . In so doing, the believer experiences a foretaste of that eternal life that awaits the people of God. The priceless consolations that Christ imparts to His mourning follow - ers can never be fully described. They are as wondrous as He is Himself.

How often does He prove to be the only comfort in the hour of our need ! This is all because He is the resurrection and the life. He is omnipotent. He can do whatsoever He pleases. His resurrection is the pledge that He will one day raise all His own. Then in His communion their life shall be perfect for ever. For this purpose He lived, died, and rose again. By His Word, He still directs needy, sorrowing sinners to Himself, to seek and ﬁnd in Him a boundless source of joy and peace. He is the resurrection and the life! 12 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 OPEN DOORS

in South America

by W. Greendyk representing every Spanish-speaking General Secretary, TBS (USA) country in the world —assuring us that they are remembering this work in their prayers . uring the past several years since the Spanish Bible revision project However, as witnessed by the questions Dwas begun in late 2005, the raised by many of those who write to us, amount of correspondence we receive and also as Mr Paul Rowland (the from Spanish-speakers throughout Latin Society’s General Secretary, from our America regarding this project has been London, England, headquarters ) and I steadily increasing. Particularly over the have experienced firsthand during a visit last two years, during which an article to Spain in 2008, it is evident that an about the project was written for the enormous number of Spanish speakers — Quarterly Record 1 and a Spanish TBS even those who can be classified as website was launched, correspondence evangelical and Bible-believing from Spanish speakers has been nothing Christians —have very little knowledge of short of overwhelming. The vast majority the deficiency of the Spanish Bibles they of this correspondence is very positive currently use. Furthermore, it became and supportive of our work on the increasingly evident to us that an revision, and we are encouraged by the overwhelming majority of Spanish number of people who have written — Christians were completely unaware that 13 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record the TBS is carrying out a significant revision of the Society ’s Reina-Valera 1909 Bible (RV1909) . Venezuela Guyana Colombia Suriname I have been in contact with a number French Guiana of church groups in Latin America during Ecuador the past years, and while I was able to answer some of their basic questions , it Peru has been my experience that written Brazil communication often fails to convey Loma Alta Lima adequately the answers to some of the Bolivia deepest queries and understandable La Paz concerns some of these groups have Santa Cruz expressed regarding any changes made to Paraguay a Bible which they have read and from Chile which they have preached for nearly a C century . In our experience, personal o n contact with those who are interested in o Uruguay S u r the Spanish Bible revision project (or any Santiago translation project, for that matter) is a Buenos Aires far more effective means of answering Argentina questions and raising awareness South regarding our work. Mr Rowland and I had humbly witnessed this in Spain last year, America where the Lord made it possible through a few days of personal contact and public meetings with friends there to erase several years ’ worth of doubts and concerns which these same people had previously expressed to us by way of certain regions in Latin America, written correspondence . For this reason, particularly those areas from which we as time permits, it will eventually be had already received much necessary that we visit each Latin correspondence containing questions and American country, God willing, in order requests for information regarding the gradually and prayerfully to introduce this Spanish Bible revision project . In early entirely new Bible revision to Spanish 2008, Mr Rowland and I began to readers, churches, preachers and formulate a tentative itinerary for the first teachers. of such trips. Our travels would take us to several countries, including to parts of the For several years Mr Rowland and I had area that is frequently referred to as discussed the need to begin visiting South America ’s Southern Cone 14 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

(Cono Sur ), which is a geographic region centre to finalise the details of our consisting of the southernmost countries Buenos Aires conference to be held on of that continent .2 6 January 2009. We then returned to the airport and boarded a flight to Santa On 29 December 2008, Mr Rowland Cruz, Bolivia, where we arrived late in the and I left our respective countries, and evening. Santa Cruz is a sprawling , fast- after long flights we were spared to meet growing city of about one and a half each other the following morning in million inhabitants , located in the sub- Buenos Aires, Argentina. During the next tropical eastern lowlands of Bolivia. two weeks, Buenos Aires would serve as our travelling hub for the various conferences, meetings and visits in different areas of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. We had previously sustained frequent correspondence with various interested groups in these countries, and had sent preliminary informative literature to many churches, seminaries and individuals in advance of our trip. In each country, I had established beforehand a key contact person with whom I corresponded regularly regarding the particular arrangements of our meetings Santa Cruz and conferences. In retrospect, it behoves us humbly to acknowledge the Lord ’s The following day, 31 December, we met divine providence in supplying us with with several representatives of the Iglesia these contacts who acted as our Reformada de Bolivia (Bolivian Reformed preliminary contacts in South America; Church) at their church meeting room in they not only enthusiastically and one of the crowded suburbs of Santa diligently distributed information regarding Cruz. The IRB currently uses the United the Spanish Bible revision project prior to Bible Society ’s Reina-Valera 1960 version our meetings, but several of them now of the Spanish Bible (RV1960). When this play important roles in the revision church group was begun in the early process itself, as will be explained in 1990s, they initially used the RV1909, but greater detail below. the linguistic anomalies and archaic word usage in that version had been a serious Santa Cruz, Bolivia impediment to their evangelistic efforts in the rural areas north of Santa Cruz where Upon our arrival in Buenos Aires on they primarily carried out their ministry. Tuesday, 30 December , Mr Rowland and I However, concerns had been consistently quickly hired a taxi to take us to the city raised by leaders of this group regarding 15 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record the textual faithfulness and accuracy of be vital, however, to retain the beautifully the RV1960 . In fact, the TBS had received eloquent and reverent Castilian Spanish correspondence from members of this employed since the 1569 Bible of group as early as 1998, in which they Casiodoro de Reina and the further requested that we undertake a linguistic revision of Cipriano de Valera in 1602. revision of the RV 190 9 Bible. The leaders Thus, we explained, the Society ’s revision of the IRB deemed the RV1909 to be a would retain the doctrinal integrity and more faithful translation of God ’s Word, linguistic identity of the excellent Reina- but the obsolete grammatical structures Valera Bible that has been passed down to so frequently employed in that Bible made the Spanish-speaking nations from the it difficult or even impossible to use when time of the Reformation. working with the poorly-educated subsistence farmers who made up the The IRB church representatives had largest percentage of their congregants. many excellent questions and comments, and we had a very productive meeting Mr Rowland and I presented these men with them . Afterwards, we were taken to with a summary of the Spanish Bible the bookshop and reading-room this issue, and in an informal ‘roundtable ’ group has opened as an evangelistic discussion we answered many questions outreach in the heart of the large city of this small group had regarding the Bible Santa Cruz. Discussion was held they are currently using. We carefully regarding this location being an excellent compared numerous texts from the distribution centre for the Society ’s RV1960 with the Greek Received Text and materials in Spanish. The group requested the RV1909, thereby demonstrating how that we send them copies of the Spanish the RV1960 deviates from the Received Bible text posters published by the Text in hundreds of instances and the way Society (of which they had not previously in which the deity of Christ is denied in numerous verses. We were careful to point The IRB bookshop in Santa Cruz out to these men that the RV1909 also contains various Critical Text readings (although nowhere near the number found in the RV1960), and that for this reason the revision of the RV1909 currently being undertaken by the Society is a comprehensive one that is intended to eliminate all erroneous translations and Critical Text readings, as well as to introduce any necessary linguistic changes to conform the Spanish language used in the RV1909 to the current rules pertaining to Spanish spelling and grammar. It would 16 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 been aware) as well as any other On the evening of 1 January 2009, information regarding the Spanish Bible Mr Rowland and I flew from the steamy issue that could be distributed in their lowlands of Santa Cruz to La Paz ’s different churches and to the many airport, located in the city of El Alto visitors to the bookshop . We found the (appropriately named ‘the high [place ]’ or IRB group very receptive and ‘the height ’, at nearly fourteen thousand enthusiastically supportive of our Spanish feet above sea level!) . After literally Bible revision project, and we have (although not so successfully) attempting maintained good correspondence with to ‘catch our breath ’ in the thin mountain them since our visit. air, we took a long taxi ride down to the large city of La Paz, which is beautifully Since 1 January is a national holiday situated in an enormous crater at the foot in Bolivia, we were not able to make of the Andes Mountains. contact with any other groups in the Santa Cruz area at that time. We attended church services at the IRB in Santa Cruz on New Year ’s Eve and New Year ’s Day before setting off for our next destination. La Paz, Bolivia La Paz, Bolivia , is a city of approximately one million inhabitants, located in the western mountainous region of the country. It is a relatively La Paz cosmopolitan city when compared to Santa Cruz, and is the country ’s On 2 January, we met a group of men administrative capital and seat of representing various religious government. Prior to our trip, written and denominations and other Christian telephone correspondence had been organisations (seminaries, Christian book made with several groups in the area of distributors) in the La Paz/El Alto area. La Paz. Our principal contact there was We had a lengthy and extremely the pastor of the Iglesia Presbiteriana productive meeting and working lunch Fundamental de Bolivia (Fundamental with these men, each of whom Presbyterian Church of Bolivia ). He did represented groups that still use the much groundwork for us in the La Paz RV1909 Bible, not having adopted the area before our arrival, and his help in RV1960 owing to its Critical Text readings distributing information and organising and other deviations from the Greek our meeting with local church leaders in Received Text . Mr Rowland and I were very this area was indispensable. humbled by the outpouring of love and 17 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record support from this group of brethren — disseminating information regarding the several of whom professed to have been Society’s Bible revision project among praying for a revision of the RV1909 Bible the hundreds of Protestant churches in for many years. this densely-populated area.

At the end of this intensely productive This group also requested that a day, Mr Rowland and I proposed that a conference be held in La Paz in September ‘revision/reading committee ’ be formed 2009 to coincide with the Latin American by members of this group, especially ‘month of the Bible ’— a month during which since two of the men are well trained in Protestant churches hold special public the Biblical languages. This committee events to promote God ’s Word in these now reviews the final draft of our staunchly Roman Catholic countries. This revision of each book of the Bible, conference would be open to the public, mainly providing input and suggestions and would be held to inform many more regarding linguistic matters but is also churches and pastors of the forthcoming permitted to make suggestions or Spanish Bible revision. comments where textual matters are concerned .3 After our meeting was closed with a prayer of gratitude for the Lord ’s provision Mr Rowland and I then excused along with the fervent supplication that ourselves in order to discuss what we the Lord would continue to bless His thought would be the best make -up of Word in Bolivia and all of Latin America , the revision committee, and how we Mr Rowland and I took a taxi to the would further proceed with this group. El Alto airport. After some harrowing At the same time, the group from delays at the airport and on board an old La Paz/El Alto met amongst themselves airplane that had to return to the airport to discuss their official position regarding shortly after takeoff owing to loss of cabin the Society and our revision of the pressure, we were finally able to return to Spanish Bible . When we reconvened, we Santa Cruz, Bolivia , near midnight, were all very humbled to see the Lord ’s exhausted but very encouraged (and also providing Hand: our thoughts regarding very glad to find oxygen in abundance who should make up this group once more!). coincided precisely with the group ’s own assessment. Furthermore, the spokesman Loma Alta, Bolivia for the group made an official announcement, stating that on behalf of On Saturday, 3 January, after heavy the groups they represented, they rains the night before, we drove a rented supported the Spanish Bible revision four-wheel drive vehicle to Loma Alta, project in its entirety. The La Paz revision Bolivia, where the IRB (Bolivian Reformed committee has already been meeting Church) has been working for many years periodically, and its members have begun and had established local churches . After 18 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

these churches, particularly amongst some of the young people. After informing our contacts of our tentative conference planned for La Paz in September 2009 and assuring them that they would be most welcome, we left Loma Alta very early the following morning in order to be at the Santa Cruz airport to catch our flight to Argentina. Buenos Aires, Argentina

The road to Loma Alta We arrived in Buenos Aires at approximately 6 .00 p .m. local time, a difficult drive through deep mud and where we were met by Pastor Alejandro water, we arrived in the rural village of Riff, who has been our contact in Loma Alta (sixty miles/one hundred Argentina for more than a year. Mr Riff kilometres north of Santa Cruz) in mid- drove us to our hotel, where we met afternoon. We were met by an evangelist Mr Bill Patterson, a collaborator in the with the IRB and a gentleman from the Spanish Bible revision project who was Oikonomos Foundation in Bolivia. The raised in Mexico and currently lives in evangelist had been in contact with me Mongolia, where he is also working on a since the inception of the Spanish Bible translation of the Bible into the revision project, and both men had many Mongolian language, and Mr Antoni excellent questions and observations. We Mendoza, a collaborator in the revision had an intense and very productive project who lives near Barcelona, meeting with these gentlemen for several Spain, and who had previously spent hours. The IRB is clearly in favour of nearly eighteen years proofreading the adopting a Spanish Bible that is more recently-printed TBS Catalan Bible. faithful to the original texts, although an After making some last-minute ultimate decision to change the Bible that preparations for the large conference they were using would rest upon the planned for the next day, we retired for decision of the Board of Directors of the the evening. IRB, with whom we have since had very positive communication. January 6 , 2009, was an historic day for the Spanish Bible revision project. We spent the Lord ’s Day worshipping at Approximately one hundred and sixty one of the churches of the IRB in Loma pastors, laypersons, and seminary Alta, and Mr Rowland and I left with a professors and students joined us for an real impression that the Lord clearly informational conference that took place appears to be working with His Spirit in at the Colon Hotel in downtown Buenos 19 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

Aires. This event was a formal affair that work in Bible translation and distribution had been meticulously planned and throughout the world. He concluded by announced well in advance by way of providing a summary of the purpose of announcements by mail, on local radio our conference in Buenos Aires. stations in the Buenos Aires area , and on the TBS Spanish website. Mr Riff, our contact, had been obliged to close the registration for the conference in late December since the number of those already registered would fill the hotel conference room to capacity. This conference was extremely well attended by men representing many Protestant groups, including Baptists, Reformed, Presbyterian, Free Brethren and non- denominational. Many of the group were from the Buenos Aires area, but there were also men who had come from The Buenos Aires conference Uruguay and Peru, and there were a number of men from Argentina who had Pastor Alejandro Riff, from Rosario, travelled more than twenty hours by bus Argentina, then offered a detailed and to attend. very informative historical summary of the Spanish Bible from 1569 (the date of For this meeting, a programme of publication of the Bible translation events had been set up in advance. The carried out by Casiodoro de Reina) day began at 8 .30 a.m. with formal through 1909. registration, and as each registrant arrived he received a copy of the day ’s As coordinator of the Spanish Bible agenda, a translated copy of The Lord revision project, I followed by offering an Gave the Word ,4 and a copy of the overview of the reasons why the Society Spanish Words of Life Calendar. After deems a revision of its RV1909 to be refreshments were served, the full-day necessary, focusing more specifically on conference began. 5 many of the linguistic considerations and providing examples of the types of In his capacity as General Secretary, changes that were being implemented, all Mr Rowland opened with words of the while emphasising that the identity of welcome on behalf of the Trinitarian Bible the Reina-Valera Bible will be retained Society. He then led the gathering in throughout the revision, since it is prayer and Bible reading, providing a brief recognised that this Reformation-era meditation from God ’s Word. Mr Rowland translation has been much blessed of then gave a brief overview of the Society ’s God throughout the past four centuries. 20 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

After a buffet lunch in an adjoining members of an Argentine revision/reading conference hall at the hotel, committee. A committee of eight men was Mr Bill Patterson provided an excellent chosen, and we met these men later in presentation regarding the translation the day to explain their important task— methods that are to be followed when that of reading carefully and prayerfully translating from the Biblical languages. through the final draft and making Mr Patterson, who has a thorough suggestions or other observations command of both Hebrew and Greek, regarding linguistic or textual issues. This explained the differences between the committee has been meeting on a regular ‘formal equivalence ’ and ‘dynamic basis to review those books of the Bible equivalence ’ methods of translating. He that have been examined by the Society ’s went on to demonstrate to the audience team of revisers. (many of whom professed to use and preach from modern Spanish Bible Mr Riff was officially requested by translations) some of the many errors Mr Rowland to represent the Society in introduced into modern Spanish Bibles Argentina. He was thanked for his diligent because of the translators ’ use of the work on behalf of the Society over the ‘dynamic equivalence ’ method of past year, including his invaluable translation. assistance in the launching of the Society ’s Spanish website, as well as An opportunity was then given for making the arrangements of the many questions and comments, after which the details of the Argentine conference. conference was concluded with prayer at Mr Riff was also appointed to assist me 5.00 p.m. At the end of the conference, by attending to the large amounts of the overwhelming majority of attendees correspondence received by the Society expressed their support and assured us via the Society ’s Spanish website. that they would be disseminating information regarding the new Spanish left to right: Alejandro Riff, Bible in their congregations, and most Antoni Mendoza, Bill Patterson, importantly that they would be Bill Greendyk, Paul Rowland remembering the work of the Society in their public and private prayers.

On Wednesday, 7 January, Mr Rowland and I met Mr Riff, Mr Patterson and Mr Mendoza to discuss progress, methodology and other important issues of the entire team working on the Spanish Bible revision project . Later in the day, we met various pastors and other qualified This exhausting but extremely men who would be confirmed as encouraging day was closed with humble 21 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord, Who attentive, and they provided us with had done much more than we had ever some excellent questions. The group was dared ask or think in this far-away land. very receptive to the new Spanish Bible We could only repeat with the Psalmist of revision, and many good and sought-after old, ‘The LORD hath done great things for contacts were made with church leaders. us; whereof we are glad ’ (Psalm 126.3) . Later that evening, Mr Rowland and I During this conference in Santiago, we boarded a flight from Buenos Aires to were amazed to learn that in all of Chile Santiago, Chile, where we arrived just (and from what we can gather, all of before midnight. South America), no Greek New Testament text could be obtained other than the Santiago, Chile modern Critical Text (Nestlé-Aland) prepared by the United Bible Societies . On Thursday, 8 January, a smaller We received numerous pleas from version of the conference given in Buenos seminary professors and pastors that the Aires was offered to approximately fifty TBS provide a method of distribution in people at the Panamericano Hotel in South America to make available copies Santiago. This group consisted largely of of the Received Text in that continent. We conservative Presbyterian, Baptist and are happy to report that since then a non-denominational pastors or seminary grant programme has been made professors and students. Several groups available through the generous had travelled twelve hours by bus to assistance of TBS (Canada) in which any attend the conference. Mr Rowland and I pastor, student or seminary professor once again felt very much helped by the who requests a copy of the original Lord in providing a summary of the topics language texts (Hebrew Masoretic Text presented in Argentina . There were only Old Testament and Greek Received Text the two of us to sum up the contributions New Testament published in one of many. Those present were very volume or the Greek New Testament which is also available separately) will Santiago receive one free of charge. This programme will be announced, the Lord willing, on our Spanish website within days of this being written, and it is anticipated that we will receive many requests for these texts, particularly for the Greek New Testament.

On Friday, 9 January, Mr Rowland and I began our long journeys home, and we arrived at our respective destinations on Saturday evening, 10 January, very 22 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 exhausted but overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord, not only in sparing us over so many miles, but also in granting us such encouraging meetings. Lima, Peru On Monday, 2 February 2009, Mr Rowland and I again set out for South America, this time with the city of Lima, Peru , as our destination. We had been invited to attend the international Lima congress of Alianza Latinoamericana de Iglesias Cristianas (Latin American the stifling heat . However, since our hotel Alliance of Christian Churches), which is a was located on a busy thoroughfare, this non-ecumenical alliance of fundamental expedient also increased the incessant Protestant churches from all parts of Latin roar from traffic in the street below us. America. The majority of the group ’s Needless to say, we both had very little members are Baptist, Presbyterian or sleep during our stay in Lima! Reformed in doctrine, and they all adhere to the necessity of faithful and accurate The next morning, when registering for translations of God ’s Word. All of the the conference, we were pleasantly member churches of this group presently surprised to meet several of the pastors use the RV1909, so they were very and other men whom we had met during interested in hearing about the Society ’s our travels in Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. revision of that Bible. The common bond of ensuring, by prayerful diligence, that the Spanish- Lima is Peru ’s capital and largest city speaking Church is provided with a with eight million inhabitants, located faithful translation of God ’s Word had on South America ’s Pacific coast. We brought us all to this same place, and we arrived in Lima near midnight, and our were encouraged to feel ‘at home ’ taxi driver was noticeably reluctant about amongst this large group of men and driving through some very dangerous women from many different countries in neighbourhoods on the way to our hotel, South America. which was not in the best of neighbourhoods itself! Although our hotel On Wednesday, 4 February, Mr Rowland had advertised on its website as being air- and I presented our topic regarding the conditioned, we discovered that the only Society and its Spanish Bible revision air conditioning in our rooms was the project. Once again we were received careful opening of an old window, which at with overwhelming interest, and the group least provided some (hot) air movement in was very receptive to the Society ’s 23 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

Spanish Bible revision project. During our beforehand. Furthermore, the many three-day stay in Lima, we also held contacts we have made during our travels numerous private meetings with have proved to be of tremendous value for representatives of different churches from our Bible revision project. We maintain all over Latin America, and by doing so correspondence with many of the church we were able once again, in God ’s leaders we met, and have recently been remarkable providence, to make some enabled to form a Chilean revision/reading excellent contacts with church committee, consisting of men whom we representatives from many countries met in Santiago and Lima. which we had not yet visited. Pastor Alejandro Riff, who was On our final day in Lima, the Board of requested to represent the Society in Directors of the Alliance requested that Argentina, has been of enormous help to we meet them. To our surprise, we were us, and we must humbly acknowledge asked to become ‘advisory members ’ of the Lord’s provision for furnishing us with the group, which had adopted a such a capable young pastor who has an resolution stating that they fully endorsed unbridled zeal for the purity of God ’s the work of the Society on the Spanish Word. Mr Riff and I communicate on a Bible. Mr Rowland expressed our gratitude daily basis, and he has assisted us in to these men for their confidence, and forming a revision committee in Uruguay. while he fully indicated our willingness to He also hopes to travel to Santiago, work together with this group of churches Chile , in the coming months, where he in the provision of accurate Spanish will meet the Chilean revision committee Bibles, he advised them that the Society on my behalf. is an independent entity with its own Constitution and principles, and as such Mr Riff has almost singlehandedly would be unable to subscribe to or be launched the Society ’s Spanish website. subordinate to the bylaws of another While I provided him with the material for organisation. The Board of Directors fully uploading, he has designed the website understood our position, and we parted and constantly maintains it. Our Spanish ways agreeing that we would remain in website has experienced a level of interest close contact, with each organisation that we could have never imagined; since assisting the other in the mutual its inception in October 2008, the site has dissemination of a faithful translation of been visited by tens of thousands of God ’s Word in Spanish. individual visitors. Mr Riff points out encouragingly that his detailed tracking We may believe that the Lord opened reports of the website’s traffic show that a many doors and hearts to the Spanish large percent of online visitors download Bible revision during our trips to South one of the Society ’s various articles that America —something we had no way of has been translated into Spanish and knowing would happen or of measuring uploaded to the website. 24 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

work to date on the Spanish Bible revision project. In God ’s providence, our trips to South America have been most helpful in advancing the work on the Spanish Bible . May we be granted to complete this work in Him Who is worthy of all praise, honour and glory. Our prayer is that the Lord may use His Word in Spanish to the salvation of many souls amongst the hundreds of millions of Spanish speakers in the world, to the extension of His Church and the honour of His thrice-holy Name. The Society’s Spanish website

Mr Riff has also been very influential in Endnotes coordinating the Spanish revision team ’s online group discussions. Whereas I 1. Quarterly Record no. 580, July to September formerly interacted with the other 2007, pp. 18–30. 2. The Southern Cone includes Argentina, Chile and members of the team via e-mail, we now Uruguay, but the southern states of Portuguese- have weekly (or sometimes daily) speaking Brazil are also usually included when meetings via Skype —an Internet-based reference is made to the Southern Cone. Spanish- communication system whereby the entire speaking Paraguay and Bolivia are sometimes revision team can be connected at the unofficially included in this group of nations because same time regardless of where we are of their geographic location, but their extreme poverty individually located—and we can hold in comparison to the relative prosperity of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay has for the most part excluded ‘virtual ’ meetings to discuss difficult them from being recognised as part of the Southern passages or other aspects of the revision Cone, or being affiliated with the other nations of that process any time of day. Thanks to sub-region. Mr Riff ’s technical skills, each of the 3. Revision/reading committees have since been books of the Bible with which we are established in Spain and in several other Spanish- working has been uploaded to a secure speaking countries, and our prayerful goal is that a committee will be formed in each country of Latin and private online network which only America. As God’s Word testifies, ‘Without counsel authorised team members are able to purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of access and through which they can make counsellors they are established ’ (Proverbs 15.22). suggested changes as they see fit. This 4. TBS Article 111 by the Rev. Malcom Watts, new development has noticeably Chairman of the Society . increased the pace of our work. 5. This conference was videotaped, and the proceedings have recently been uploaded to the TBS Spanish website www.sociedadbiblicatrinitaria.org/ In closing, we have been much conferencias.html ) for the benefit of those from other encouraged by the Lord ’s provision for the countries who were not able to attend. 25 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

On 10 July 2009 we celebrate the polemics aside, so far as is possible, by five hundredth anniversary of the birth relying heavily on Calvin ’s own words, of John Calvin. In his honour, we present there will be: – a brief look at his life, focusing on his view of Scripture. The setting A brief sketch of Calvin ’s life INTRODUCTION Calvin and Scripture Résumé and reflections N 10 July 1509, five hundred Appendices years ago, John Calvin (Jean Cauvin) was born in the Place au Blé (cornmarket) at THE SETTING ONoyon, Picardie, sixty miles north east of Paris. 1 There will be many tributes, faint When the 16th century began , Western praises and assaults, in religious Europe had only one visible ‘Christian publications just now, but the aim of this religion ’, Roman Catholicism : a church article is to concentrate on Calvin in rich and powerful, and having a weight of connection with the Scriptures. Leaving historical inertia to preserve it. But this 26 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 appearance of ‘a monolith ’ was superficial. martyrdom. The cumulative work of There were opponents, dissidents: Wycliffe and Hus greatly influenced a separated, hated, pursued and persecuted Saxon monk named Martin Luther. With to death, but bearing an unquenchable his painfully learned grasp of the authority witness to the better promises of Christ ’s of Scripture, the true meaning of Gospel. There were also many inherent ‘poenitentia ’3 and of justification, the word flaws, so that disputes and lax practices ‘Reform ’ took on a powerful new thrusting had grown up within the church. influence under God. But it was not only Churchmen criticised the administration the ecclesiastical map of Europe that was of the church and began uncomfortably to transformed in the 16th -century doubt some teachings, particularly the Reformation, but the political, and more insistence that it alone had the authority to significantly, the spiritual. interpret the Bible. From the 14th century, John Wycliffe had declared that all people had the right to read the Bible and OUTLINE OF interpret it for themselves .2 He and his CALVIN’S LIFE disciples sought to enable this, translating the Latin Bible into English in 1382. Calvin ’s father was notary to the bishop of Wycliffe ’s Biblical ideals spread into Noyon. Because of this his son, as a child, Bohemia, where Jan Hus preached them was given a cathedral canonry, the income widely, in powerful sermons, until his of which would pay for his education. In the preface to his July 1557 Commentary on the Psalms 4 Calvin tells us that :

…w hen I was as yet a very little boy, my father had destined me for the study of theology. But afterwards when he considered that the legal profession commonly raised those who followed it to wealth this prospect induced him suddenly to change his purpose. Thus it came to pass, that I was withdrawn from the study of philosophy, and was put to the study of law.

From the age of fourteen he followed legal studies in Paris, Orléans and Bourges, and records that :

To this pursuit I endeavoured John Calvin faithfully to apply myself in obedience 27 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

and distempers of lungs and digestion. It is during these next few years that we can place what little we know of Calvin ’s conversion experience, which also implies a call to the later work:

…since I was too obstinately devoted to the superstitions of Popery to be easily extricated from so profound an abyss of mire , God by a sudden conversion subdued and brought my mind to a teachable frame, which was more hardened in such matters than might have been expected from one at my early period of life. Having thus received some taste and knowledge of true godliness I was immediately inflamed with so intense a desire to make progress therein, that although The 16th century town hall in Basel I did not altogether leave off other studies, I yet pursued them with less to the will of my father; but God, by ardour. I was quite surprised to find the secret guidance of his providence, that before a year had elapsed, all who at length gave a different direction to had any desire after purer doctrine my course. 5 were continually coming to me to learn, although I myself was as yet but The situation in France became a mere novice and tyro. 6 precarious because of the influence of reforming teachings, to which Calvin also The Pastoral Purpose of began to respond. On 1 November 1533, the Institutes Calvin ’s friend Nicholas Cop, rector of the University of Paris, gave a public address While he was in Basel the newly- from Romans 3. 28 ‘ Therefore we conclude awakened Reformer published a small that a man is justified by faith without the book about his beliefs. This, the first deeds of the law ’, openly supporting edition of the Institutes of the Christian reform and stirring up fierce hostility. By Religion ,1536, contained only six brief 1535 Calvin was constrained to flee to sections; by 1559, the last edition, it had Basel, Switzerland. Already the patterns of grown to seventy-nine substantial rigorous studying and fasting were chapters. As with so many great Christian established, yielding result in his spiritual, works, the first motivation was intensely Biblical and language labours, but also a ‘pastoral ’, a shepherd ’s bold and unselfish lifelong susceptibility to severe migraines care for a flock, as Calvin informs us : 28 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

This was the consideration which induced me to publish my Institute A CALVIN TIMELINE of the Christian Religion. My objects 1504–75 Heinrich Bullinger 1509 Calvin born in Noyon, France ( 10 July ) were, first, to prove that these Henry VIII ascends English reports [of the errors of ‘many Throne ( 24 June) faithful and holy persons…burnt 1511 Michael Servetus born Tudela, Spain 1513 John Knox born alive in France ’] were false and 1516 Desiderius Erasmus’s (1466– 1536) first calumnious, and thus to vindicate Greek New Testament my brethren, whose death was 1517 Luther ’s 95 Theses First Biblia Rabbinica, printed by Daniel precious in the sight of the Lord; and Bomberg, Venice next, that as the same cruelties 1519 Theodore Beza born 1522 Luther ’s German Bible might very soon after be exercised 1523 Lefebre ’s French New Testament against many unhappy individuals, 1523–27 Student in Paris: law studies at Orleans foreign nations might be touched and Bourges Intermittent study in Paris with at least some compassion 1525 Tyndale New Testament (burned 1526) towards them and solicitude about 1526 Liesveldt’s Dutch Bible Swedish New Testament them. When it was then published, it 1530 Augsburg Confession (Melancthon) was not that copious and laboured 1531 Zwingli dies in battle work which it now is, but only a 1532 Brucioli ’s Italian Bible 1534 Year of wandering small treatise containing a summary 1535–36 Calvin in Basel of the principal truths of the 1535 1st French Protestant Bible Christian religion, and it was (Pierre-Robert Olivetan) 1536 First stay in Geneva published with no other design than Institutes first published that men might know what was the Erasmus dies Tyndale murdered faith held by those whom I saw 1538 Calvin, Farel, expelled from Geneva basely and wickedly defamed by Calvin in Strasburg those flagitious and perfidious Olivetan dies 7 1540 Romans commentary published flatterers. Calvin marries Idelette de Bure 1541 Returns to Geneva Calvin, ever seeking seclusion for study, Ecclesiastical Ordinances Approved 1542 ‘Servetus Bible ’—Pagnini (Latin) determined to go to Strasbourg. Warring in 7 vols., with huge editorial input conditions meant that the best route lay from Servetus [Coverdale used it] 1545–63 Council of Trent through Geneva, where William Farel and 1546 Robert Stephen ’s first Greek Testament Peter Viret were involved in a different Luther dies kind of war —Reformation, and that of the 1549 Calvin ’s wife dies 1553 Trial and execution of Michael Servetus fiercer kind! In his own words again, 1557 The Whittingham New Testament, Calvin declares : aka the Geneva New Testament 1559 The Geneva Academy 1560 French Psalter in metre William Farel detained me at Geneva, Geneva Bible not so much by counsel and 1561 Menno Simons dies (b. 1496) 1563 Heidelberg Confession exhortation, as by a dreadful 1564 Calvin dies (May 27) imprecation, which I felt to be as if 29 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

God had from heaven laid his mighty continued. He was preaching (almost hand upon me to arrest me. 8 daily, extemporarily, from original language texts 9), lecturing, writing and God had joined Calvin and Geneva, and revising his commentaries and further all attempts to put them asunder ended in editions of the Institutes , maintaining failure. Even his banishment to correspondence throughout Europe, 10 and Strasbourg, 1538 –41, was blessed of God, meeting the demands of the Geneva and he counted those few years as pastor Academy. He was much consulted in city of that city ’s French congregation most affairs, very influential but never holding happy. There he published his seminal, formal office. influential commentary on Romans, and married Idelette de Bure, widow of a Calvin’s death was an anguished but converted Anabaptist. courageous and faithful event, Christ- dependent and prayerful, as was every Geneva prevailed upon Calvin to return other part of his Christian experience. I can there, which he did, taking up his course never read of his painful trotting on horse of ministry at exactly the point where he round the city, attempting to pass a large had been compelled to leave it, almost in kidney stone, without wishing that some of mid-verse, three years before. His wife his implacable character assassins would died in 1549, but Calvin ’s weighty ministry read it too (and of his loss of a prematurely- born son, August 1542; and the affecting St. Pierre Cathedral, Geneva exchanges between himself and Idelette on where Calvin preached her deathbed) ; however, the ‘sympathy play ’ would be unworthy of the man, and establishes no truth of itself. The Geneva ministers had removed their weekly meeting to Calvin ’s home when he was no longer able to come to them, and gathered with him one last time on 9 May 1564. He died 27 May, and I give you the closing words of his preface to the Commentary on Daniel to serve as his own epitaph :

I have Dedicated to you this my labour, as a pledge of my desire to help you, until at the completion of my pilgrimage our heavenly Father, of his immeasurable pity, shall gather me together with you, to his eternal inheritance. May the Lord govern you by his Spirit, may he defend my most beloved brethren by his own 30 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

protection, against all the plots of Title page their enemies, and sustain them by of 1559 his invisible power. edition John Calvin , Geneva, 19 August 1561 11 of the Institutes The Exegetical Purpose of the Institutes , a Bridge to Calvin and Scripture Was Calvin a heavy theologian who also did some commentaries? Was Calvin primarily a preacher of the Scriptures who also did some theological writing? It is a false distinction. John Calvin was in all simplicity a Biblical theologian, whether expounding or summarising. In his last The mature Institutes , then, are revision of the Institutes he makes it plain : handmaiden to the Commentaries on the Scripture first and last . Bible . For want of this understanding much harm has been done to Calvin and …my object in this work has been, so ‘Calvinism ’ by friend and foe alike. For all to prepare and train candidates for who consult to learn from the Institutes , the sacred office [the ministry] , for how many consult to learn from the the study of the sacred volume, that Commentaries ? I would in all humility they may both have an easy suggest that the Institutes are most useful to introduction to it, and be able to us, not as a stand-alone systematic theology, prosecute it with unfaltering step; for, but as a Bible handbook, and as such, the if I mistake not, I have given a key to understanding Calvin and Scripture. summary of religion in all its parts, and digested it in an order which will make it easy for any one, who rightly CALVIN AND comprehends it, to ascertain both SCRIPTURE what he ought chiefly to look for in Scripture, and also to what head he The lead soldiers of the printing press ought to refer whatever is contained were storming the citadels of medieval in it. Having thus, as it were, paved scholarship: affordable editions of Latin the way, as it will be unnecessary, in and Greek classics, with Greek and Hebrew any Commentaries on Scripture Bibles, were becoming ever more widely which I may afterwards publish, to available. While he studied law at Orléans, enter into long discussions of certain of Calvin ’s friends had been moved doctrinal points, and enlarge on towards Christ and Reform. One was his commonplaces . [ Preface to last cousin, Pierre Robert, called Olivetanus edition of the Institutes , 1559] (‘Midnight Oil ’) because of his late night 31 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record studying. By this influence, Calvin began sealed on the hearts of believers by reading the Bible, and entered on the study the testimony of the Holy Spirit. of both Greek and Hebrew. 12 In Basel, where twenty years before Erasmus had Inst . I:7,2 had already dismissed the idea published his Greek Testament, Calvin of a church-sanctioned text, such as furthered these attainments. To have a true demanded by Rome: appreciation of and confidence in Calvin the author of the Commentaries and the for if the Christian Church was Institutes ; preacher of great authority; founded at first on the writings of the counsellor and confidant to crowned prophets, and the preaching of the heads ,13 ministers, translators and apostles, that doctrine, publishers throughout Europe; director of wheresoever it may be found, the Genevan reformation —one must was certainly ascertained and accept his utter competence in the sanctioned antecedently to the Scriptures, Greek and Hebrew first, Latin Church, since, but for this, with equal competence, and the vernacular the Church herself never French. (As with many early Protestant could have existed. Nothing preachers involved also with Bible therefore can be more translation and revision, he is accounted a absurd than the fiction, that pioneer in the modern development of his the power of judging mother tongue.) Scripture is in the Church, and that on her nod its Calvin on Scripture: certainty depends. When the Church receives it, and gives it In the Institutes , Book I , Chapter 7, the stamp of her authority, she Section 1, (hereafter in the form Inst . I:7,1, does not make that authentic etc.) we read that: which was otherwise doubtful or controverted but, acknowledging it as the testimony of the Spirit is the truth of God, she, as in duty necessary to give full authority to bounds shows her reverence by an Scripture. unhesitating assent.

Section 4 concludes: Calvin, or his translator, is fond of the word ‘astrict ’, a binding more powerful and that the authority of Scripture is positive than ‘restrict ’, so that we must founded on its being spoken by God. learn from Inst . IV:8,5 that:

Section 5 , in true apostolic style, brings the Church [is] astricted to the yet another ‘Last and necessary written Word of God. Christ the only conclusion ’: teacher of the Church. From his lips ministers must derive whatever they that the authority of Scripture is teach for the salvation of others. 32 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

And in Inst . I:6,1 he gives almost a conjectures, judgements, or reasons; doxology: namely, the secret testimony of the Spirit. [ Inst . I: 7,4] God therefore bestows a gift of singular value, when, for the There are other reasons, neither instruction of the Church, he employs few nor feeble, by which the dignity not dumb teachers merely, but opens and majesty of the Scriptures may be his own sacred mouth; when he not not only proved to the pious, but only proclaims that some God must also completely vindicated against be worshipped, but at the same time the cavils of slanderers. These, declares that He is the God to whom however, cannot of themselves worship is due. produce a firm faith in Scripture until our heavenly Father manifest Calvin held a very simple ‘two- his presence in it, and thereby voice ’ view of truly Scriptural secure implicit reverence for it. Then preaching [ Inst . IV:1,5]: only, therefore, does Scripture suffice to give a saving knowledge of Those who think that the God when its certainty is founded authority of the doctrine is on the inward persuasion of the Holy impaired by the Spirit. [ Inst . I: 8,13] insignificance of the men who are called to teach Text and Translation betray their ingratitude; for among the many noble As early as 1535 Calvin was asked to in endowments with which God has revise cousin Olivetanus ’ French Bible. v al C adorned the human race, one of the Pierre Robert had been commissioned by n Joh most remarkable is, that he deigns to the Waldensian Church to translate the consecrate the mouths and tongues of Bible into French (now there ’s a story! ). men to his service, making his own This appeared in 1535 with a Latin preface voice to be heard in them. by Calvin, a wonderful preview in précis of the early Institutes . Savour this: Let another two statements settle the mind as to Calvin ’s view of Scripture: Scripture is also called gospel, that is, new and joyful news, because in it is If, then, we would consult most declared that Christ, the sole true and effectually for our consciences, and eternal Son of the living God, was save them from being driven about in made man, to make us children of a whirl of uncertainty, from wavering, God his Father, by adoption. Thus he and even stumbling at the smallest is our only Saviour, to whom we owe obstacle, our conviction of the truth our redemption, peace, righteousness, of Scripture must be derived from a sanctification, salvation, and life; higher source than human who died for our sins and rose again 33 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

for our justification; who ascended to heaven for our entry there and took possession of it for us and [it is] our home; to be always our helper before his Father; as our advocate and perpetually doing sacrifice for us, he sits at the Father ’s right hand as King, made Lord and Master over all, so that he may restore all that is in heaven and on earth; an act which all the angels, patriarchs, prophets, apostles did not know how to do and were unable 4th edition of Erasmus’ Greek and to do, because they had not been Latin folio New Testament of 1527 ordained to that end by God. 14 Colinaeus is to be found. This may sound In his Commentaries and Lectures a little startling, accustomed as we are to Calvin was careful of his text, very much be suspicious of the ‘eclectic text ’ stable, aware of the burgeoning scholarship and but we must accept the ground -breaking the beginnings of a healthy pursuit of the nature of textual scholarship for the Greek and Hebrew texts. Luther had used Reformation translators and the Brescia edition of the Hebrew text, commentators, and not insist on their which was obviously thus available to following terminology and principles Calvin, as was the Complutensian which were only just beginning to be Polyglot—this Delitzsch thought to have discerned and formulated. ‘Once Calvin been used by Beza, and so why not had established the best text, he almost Calvin ? The Soncino editions (1488), and always translated directly from that the Bomberg editions (1518-1526), original Greek text. He knew and used the together with three editions of the Vulgate, but he did not trust it in the way Münster (1534, 1536, 1546), were all that he trusted the original. Only rarely extant. None of these Hebrew texts did he depart from the Greek text.’15 With differed greatly from the Brescia edition reference to other commentaries and mentioned first. versions , Calvin ’s most thoroughgoing deprecation is ‘frigid ’. In this he seems to For the New Testament Calvin certainly mean lacking the power or authority to used that of Erasmus, the 4th edition, quicken living faith: the favoured praise is Greek and Latin folio of 1527 (there is a ‘solid ’, able to bear, to carry —a sure handsome copy, one of my favourite foundation. volumes, in the TBS library). He was not a mere follower of others in scholarship, but Calvin loathed the allegorical way of positive in his examination and choice of interpreting, which led to his variants. The influence of Stephens and commentaries being attacked. 34 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

The reason for such attacks was, of What, for instance, of those who named course, Calvin ’s insistence on attending to their dogs after him so that they might the ‘genuine sense ’ of Scripture. Then, and kick and mock them! still now, five hundred years later (tell it not in Gath!), allegorical methods of John Calvin ’s influence was widespread, interpreting Scripture, however disguised and Geneva was certainly something of a or denied, provide Christians with a ‘Bible hub ’ for translation and for favourite means of making the Bible into a publishing. The story of the English religious book of their own liking. 16 Geneva Bible, 1560, is but one example of Demanding the superiority of the original what was accomplished in that city, where meaning of a text, Calvin appeared to Miles Coverdale served as an assistant to deprive some orthodox Protestants of John Knox in the English congregation many of their already established ‘proof (surely, there were giants in the land). texts ’. 17 To them he even seemed to French Bibles and Italian Bibles were undermine the traditional doctrine of among the works of Calvin ’s gathered Biblical authority. disciples in Geneva, in and after his own lifetime. Erasmus and Beza published their continuing editions of Greek and Latin REFLECTIONS texts. When we move to the realm of influence, there is scarcely any limit. J. I. Packer writes of Calvin: Calvin gave advice to Edward VI on the

He was ruled by two convictions that Calvin’s letter to Edward VI of England are written on every regenerate heart and expressed in every act of real prayer and real worship: God is all and man is nothing; and praise is due to God for everything good. Both convictions permeated his life, right up to his final direction that his tomb be unmarked and there be no speeches at his burial, lest he become the focus of praise instead of his God. Both convictions permeate his theology too.

And again, tellingly,

The amount of misrepresentation to which Calvin ’s theology has been subjected is enough to prove his doctrine of total depravity several times over .18 35 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

English Prayer Book, and very few of the APPENDIX ONE: men on the later 1604–11 translation CALVIN’S committee for the AV were unaffected by COMMENTARIES the Geneva publications of Calvin and Beza, at many levels. Writing about the Dutch Statenvertaling in 2006, 19 A simplified list of Calvin’s Commentaries ; I remarked that for the Dutch Bible ‘the published notes of Sermons and 20 need to take up the original languages as Lectures not included here the ground-text was becoming pressing. English, French and Italian versions, 1540 Romans: Latin; 1550 in French notably those originating in Geneva, 1542 Jude: Fr. though often printed in Amsterdam- 1545 I and II Peter and Jude: Fr. Antwerp, had already taken this step ’. The 1546 I Corinthians: Lat. ; 1547 Fr. 1547 II Corinthians: Fr.; 1548 Lat. direct influence of Calvin ’s Geneva on the 1548 Galatians, etc.: Lat. ; 1548 Fr. Statenvertaling , almost seventy-five years I and II Timothy : Lat. ; 1548 Fr. after Calvin ’s death, is quite strong. 1549 ( or before) Titus : Fr. ; 1550 Lat . A declaration that I have seen in many Hebrews : Lat. ; 1549 Fr. modern popular sources, in slightly Collected edition of Pauline letters and varying forms, is this: ‘If Luther sounded Hebrews : Lat. the fanfare for reform, Calvin orchestrated Catholic Epistles : Lat. ; 1556 Fr. the score by which the Reformation I John : Fr. became a part of Western civilisation ’. As a James : Fr. summary we may take the general point, Jude : Fr. but, as my American colleagues might say, 1551 Isaiah (1st Old Testament commentary) it is more cute than convincing. For myself 1552 Acts (a) : Lat. ; 1552 Fr. as a focus I would single out Calvin ’s own 15 53 John: Lat.; 1553 Fr. formulation of the toweringly distinctive 1554 Genesis : Lat. ; 1554 Fr. reforming principle embraced across Acts (b) : Lat. ; 1554 Fr. Europe in the 16th century, 1556 Collected edition of all epistles: Lat. 1557 Psalms : Lat. ; 1558 Fr. The unerring standard both of thinking Collected edition of Pauline letters and and speaking must be derived from the Hebrews: Lat. revision Scriptures: by it all the thoughts of our 1559 Isaiah (2nd edn.) : Lat. minds, and the words of our mouths, Minor Prophets : Lat. ; 1560 Fr. should be tested. [Inst . I: 13,3] 1561 Daniel: Lat.; 1562 Fr. 1563 Jeremiah and Lamentations : Lat. How far Calvin then, or Calvinists now, Pentateuch : Lat. ; 1564 Fr. fulfil this, is a matter still fiercely, if too 1564 Joshua: Fr.; Lat. often ignorantly, debated! 1565 Ezekiel 1 –20: Lat. ; Fr.

36 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

APPENDIX TWO: Aged sixteen, Miguel was sent to study CALVIN AND law at the University of Toulouse, France, where the reading of Biblical texts in SERVETUS Greek and Hebrew revealed how much these earlier texts differed from the By C. P. Hallihan and D. E. Anderson, with Vulgate. Trouble in the Papacy had left the contributions from Paul Rowland, General Pope imprisoned, and in 1530 Charles V 22 Secretary, and additional historical material released him on condition of an elaborate supplied by Malcolm Watts, Chairman of ceremony to confirm Charles as Holy the General Committee of the Society Roman Emperor. Rome was in ruins so the ceremony was held in Bologna, where, With what malignity some virulent among the guests, were Juan de Quintana ones imagined and stated that we and his secretary, Michael Servetus. wished him [Servetus] to be put to Servetus was appalled by the full-on death, you are yourselves our best experience of court and papal practices, 23 witnesses. To refute such calumnies and in 1530 made his way to Basel and the until they shall have vanished by Protestants. We know that he stayed for contempt and tranquil magnanimity, months with Oecolampadius, a local is the becoming duty of gravity and pastor, and having worn out his welcome prudence. 21 with endless controversy, moved to Strasbourg in 1531. There, aged twenty, he The execution of the Spanish-born published The Errors of the Trinity . This scholar Michael Servetus—Miguel provoked the wrath of Catholic and Serveto —was used to denigrate Calvin in Protestant authorities equally. They all his own time, and ever since; to write banned the book, wanting Servetus about Calvin without mention of Servetus arrested for heresy. His attempt at leads to suspicion of dodging the issue. In conciliation with Dialogues on the Trinity our article, trying to keep to Bible issues, pleased nobody, and the Spanish Servetus is not without significance, so the Inquisition condemned him to death in issue will be joined! his absence.

Born in 1511 (or perhaps as early as Miguel Servetus disappeared to Paris, 1509), Servetus was raised in Villanueva assuming the name of his birthplace, and (Tudela) near Aragon’s chief city, Zaragoza. as Michel de Villeneuve studied medicine In the tradition of Spanish-Moorish and mathematics. Work as an editor scholarship and culture, young Miguel enlarged his expertise in many fields, proved a genius: by the age of thirteen, he including geography 24 and Biblical had mastered French, Greek, Latin and criticism. 25 Amongst his student Hebrew. At fourteen he was at the acquaintances was John Calvin, who well University of Zaragoza. Its leading scholar may have written Cop’s address (see was Juan de Quintana, a Franciscan monk above), and as Servetus fled to Paris, so much influenced by Erasmus. Calvin fled from Paris—but they were 37 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record known to each other. During the next marginal annotations. Calvin broke off year Calvin risked his security in the correspondence, but wrote to Farel in returning to Paris and Servetus to take up 1546 that if Servetus ever came to the theological challenges but they did Geneva, Calvin would not assure him safe not meet. conduct: ‘“Servetus recently sent me with his letters a new volume of his ravings.… Michel de Villeneuve moved to Vienne He would come here if I agreed. But I will in the Rhône valley of France, and for not give him my word; for if he came, as twelve years edited scholarly texts, far as my authority goes, I would not let practised medicine, and wrote on medical him leave alive”’ 27 —this last sentence topics. From study of dissected bodies, appears ominous, if not unduly severe, Servetus identified the major role of the but as T. H. Parker rightly observes 28 it lungs in aerating the blood. Galen’s may be read as a threat or as a warning 1,300- year-old theory was that this was (and if the latter, perhaps one already done in the heart; now, a century before conveyed to Servetus). William Harvey, Servetus had correctly described the pulmonary blood flow. But Servetus then published The Restoration Servetus was a heretic, his works banned, of Christianity in 1553 , his call to a return and his medical achievements were not to what he viewed as the Gospels and away acknowledged. 26 In his spare time from the dogma of the Trinity—his Villeneuve (Servetus) prepared his Restitutes to counter Calvin’s Institutes .29 It treatise, The Restoration of Christianity , also included the pulmonary blood and in 1546 began a doomed secret circulation theses, and his correspondence correspondence with his old acquaintance with Calvin. 30 His refutation of Galen was John Calvin. These letters challenged viewed as being equally heretical as his Calvin’s theology: not only in regard to the anti-Trinitarianism, and so was his Trinity, but also to the absolute truth of repudiation of infant baptism. Scripture, predestination, and depravity. Guillaume de Trie, a Protestant refugee Calvin’s early theological writings had from Lyon, was in correspondence with not majored on the Trinitarian nature of his Roman Catholic cousin Antoine Arneys the Godhead, and Pierre Caroli, a in Vienne, and commented that while contemporary reformer, had accused him Rome was burning Reformers, a man of being Arian. Calvin was cleared by a living in Vienne, Michael Servetus, ‘“calls synod at Lausanne, but was subsequently Christ an idol and destroys every on guard, ready to deal severely with foundation of the faith, yet he is not Trinitarian deviations. At this time punished for it”’, 31 stating ‘“I see, thanks to Servetus sent Calvin a manuscript of his God, that vices are better corrected here unpublished Christianismi Restitutio — than they are in all your officialities”’. 32 The Restoration of Christianity . Calvin According to de Trie, Servetus was a sent in reply a copy of the Institutes ; this heretic ‘“who well deserves to be was returned, with Miguel’s abusive burned”’. 33 His cousin demanded proof of 38 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 de Trie’s accusation, and shortly thereafter Servetus was called to appear at a special hearing to discuss the accusations—which charges he vehemently denied.

De Trie requested Calvin to release the letters between himself and Servetus. ‘After much hesitation, against his will, he gave him several of the Spaniard’s letters’, which de Trie sent to his cousin, writing that ‘“it took a lot of pain to get these letters”’. 34 Calvin, as was normal at that time, believed that blasphemies should be punished, and had been well aware of Servetus’ whereabouts and knew both his real and assumed identities as well as his heretical notions. But as de Trie noted, Calvin ‘“would prefer to check the erroneous ideas by teaching than by Michael Servetus persecution. He finally gave in when I told him that without his help I would be sympathy and support, which support accused of blackmailing”’. 35 De Trie notes would have certainly endangered the of Calvin that ‘“it seems to him that his whole work of Reformation there. 38 He duty is to convict heresies by doctrine was recognised in church and, as required rather than pursue them by such a means, by constitutional law, his presence was since he does not hold the sword of reported to the Council of Geneva, who justice”’. 36 Thus, in April 1553 Servetus had him arrested. was put on trial by the French Inquisition in Vienne. He was imprisoned, found Calvin was out of the Council’s favour guilty of heresy and condemned to at this time and, in fact, had tendered his burning, but managed to jump from a resignation just three weeks before the balcony into a courtyard where he found Servetus affair. Francois Bonivard wrote: an unlocked door. He hid himself for ‘Calvin’s enemies…had at that time several months, but then set out for Italy, gained control in the city’. 39 Now ‘it was and determined to go via Geneva. the city council who…took over the case, and prosecuted Servetus with vigour’. 40 Servetus went to Geneva almost Ami Perrin, Calvin’s enemy, was a leader certainly looking to the Libertines during this time and was in direct (Calvin’s great ‘antagonists’, who had conflict with Calvin during the whole helped with the printing of Servetus’ period of the trial, and thus Calvin ‘could Restoration and at the time held the in no way have influenced the Council majority in the Council of Geneva 37 ) for against Servetus’. 41 39 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record

Servetus was tried again for anti- which is entrusted to you by God to Trinitarianism and for opposing infant prevent him by force from any further baptism, the Council insisting that he was injury to the Church of Christ”’. The replies a heretic. Calvin was called to the Council had been received and translated by to stand against Servetus, and had a list of 20 October. ‘It was the opinions of the thirty-eight heresy charges against German-Swiss confederates which, Servetus as well as the correspondence he although they shrewdly circumvented the had received. But ‘the battle was fought word execution, sealed Servetus’ death solely for the cause, not the person of sentence’. 46 On the 26th, the Council met, Servetus whom [Calvin] did not hate. He and at the end of their deliberations testified to this several times.… And he proclaimed: did everything to lead the mistaken man to the truth’. 42 Inasmuch as you, Michael Servetus of Villanueva in the Spanish kingdom of Servetus, for his part, believed that Aragon, have been accused of terrible circumstances would bring what he most blasphemies against the holy Trinity, desired: the overthrow of Calvin and his against the Son of God and other religion, and a hearing for Servetus’ view principles of the Christian faith, on Trinitarianism. He complained to the whereas you have called the Trinity a Council on 15 September that Calvin, ‘“for devil and a monster with three his own pleasure wants to make me rot heads… We the mayor and judges of here in prison”’. 43 A week later he sent to this city, having been called to the the Council: duty of preserving the church of God from schism and seduction, and to Therefore, gentlemen, I demand that free Christians of such pestilence, my false accuser be punished, poena decree that you, Michael Servetus, be talionis , and that he, like me, be led to the place Champel and be imprisoned until the trial be decided bound to a stake and with your book either by his or my death or by some be burned to ashes, a warning to all other punishment 44 who blaspheme God. 47 and demanded that he be given Calvin’s With the medieval, early modern, goods in restitution. 45 joining of state and church, heresy was equivalent to treason, and from The Council, however, had written to Constantine on, church authorities were the other Swiss states, seeking their agreed that the penalty for heresy 48 was opinion of Servetus and his views, perhaps burning at the stake—that despite any hoping that the animosity those states extenuating circumstances or personal might have toward Calvin would sway opinion. ‘Geneva’s city council did far them to Servetus’ side. Instead the Council more to steer Servetus’ trial, sentence, and was urged to ‘“stop the evil”’; ‘“If he burning at the stake. Calvin asked the persists in his folly, then use the power council for a more humane execution— 40 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 beheading instead of the stake—but his of Rome, Geneva, and Wittenberg, the appeal was denied’. 49 answer can only be yes. Was he a threat to Gospel faith and testimony? He utterly Farel was with Servetus—to reclaim rejected the doctrine of original sin and him—when Servetus learned of his therefore the entire concept of salvation sentence. 50 Farel desired Servetus to see being forgiveness of sins in the Blood of Calvin, and Calvin sought the Council’s Christ; he denied the Reformers’ doctrines permission to visit the condemned man in of Christ’s nature, and the vicarious order to help him spiritually. When he atonement effected by His death. The eventually did see Servetus, he urged him Trinity was at best simply an ‘economy’ to ‘ask pardon of the Son of God, whom (contrivance?) of revelation, at worst a you [Servetus] have degraded’. 51 three-headed Cerberus, and Christ did not always exist. Calvin wrote to a friend, ‘We endeavoured to change the manner of Undergirding this was his withholding execution; why we achieved nothing, I of assent to the full sufficiency and shall tell you orally’. 52 The sentence was authority of the Bible. Would any pastor carried out on 27 October 1553. 53 Calvin today be indifferent to the presence of did not attend the execution. 54 such teachings within his flock, learnedly, fluently and yet abrasively and damnably In some ways, of course, the Reformers insisted on? I think not. Servetus was a of the time—who sought, often with their danger; adjust the Godhead to the creature own blood, to restrain the corrupting of mind, and Sovereign Grace salvation goes, theology that had so often poisoned the and the whole intellectually bacchanalian church—would have been glad of baggage of Pelagianism has free course. Servetus’ death. This is the difficulty for Diminish or demean the sovereign modern readers, but such use of the sufficiency of Scripture and there is sword as an instrument of state/church government was The Monument to the Reformers at Geneva prolific at that time, depicting Farel, Calvin, Beza and Knox Protestant or Papist. It cannot lightly be condemned nor commended from five hundred years on without some attempt to understand, and if not to forgive, 55 then to be compassionately careful of casting thoughtlessly labelled stones.

Was Servetus a heretic? By the plainly professed tenets 41 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record nowhere for ravens or doves ever to find a Endnotes place for the feet (Genesis 8.9). 1. The cathedral at Noyon was the site where Emperor Charlemagne was crowned in 768. According to his own character and 2. See Quarterly Record no. 565, October to December times, Calvin sought to instruct ‘those 2003, on Wycliffe, etc. that oppose themselves; if God 3. So very much of the European Reformers’ debate peradventure will give them repentance and strife turned around this Latin word that it would to the acknowledging of the truth’ be begging all their questions just to say ‘repentance’. (2 Timothy 2.25). 56 Should heretics ever 4. Calvin’s Preface to Commentary on the Psalms , Christian Classics Ethereal Library , www.ccel.org/ be persecuted to death, with or without ccel/calvin/calcom08.vi.html (not to be confused the magistrate? In Rome, Geneva, London with his Preface to the Genevan Psalter , a very good or New England, then or now, my own guide to Psalmody, available at www.fpcr.org/ answer must be a humble but resolute blue_banner_articles/calvinps.htm). ‘No’, an answer which was quickly heard 5. Calvin, Commentary on the Psalms . in Calvin’s own day. The familiar 6. Ibid. 7. Ibid. Protestant pamphlet war began, for and 8. Ibid. against Calvin, and Sebastian Castellio 9. ‘Calvin is accustomed first to read each verse in wrote tellingly that ‘to kill a man is not to Hebrew, and then to turn it into Latin.’ ‘Printers to the protect a doctrine; it is but to kill a man. Reader’, Calvin’s Commentary on Daniel , justifying the When the Genevans killed Servetus, they inclusion of the Hebrew text, available at did not defend a doctrine; they but killed www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom24.iii.html. 10. ‘ There were very few biblical scholars, either 57 a man’. Roman Catholic or Protestant, with whom Calvin was not closely connected.’ End note 6 to T. H. L. Parker, In connection with our Bible thread you ‘Calvin the Biblical Expositor’, Churchman 78/1 1964, may like to know that still in the 19th and www.churchsociety.org/churchman/documents/ 20th centuries, Bible translation work in Cman_078_1_Parker.pdf. Poland, Transylvania, 58 and, to a lesser 11. Calvin, ‘Dedicatory Epistle’, Commentary on Daniel , www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom24.iv.html. degree, Hungary, suffered much from the 12. This is controverted, placed later, deemed damaging influence of Unitarianism, rudimentary, even denied: but seems good from such legacy of Servetus. Contemporary sources I have used. Unitarians seem not to regard Servetus as 13. As seen, for example in his dedication to the a true precursor, though they admire Catholic Epistles: ‘ DEDICATION TO HIS MOST much about him; not so much a Unitarian, SERENE HIGHNESS, EDWARD THE SIXTH THE KING OF ENGLAND, THE LORD OF IRELAND, AND they have said, as a very unorthodox A MOST CHRISTIAN PRINCE: JOHN CALVIN .’ Hosea Trinitarian. Whatever next! was dedicated to King Gustavus of Sweden. Some of the various printers’ and editors’ introductions are For more information, you might like to very informative. These dedications/prefaces, etc., to read W. K. Tweedie’s Calvin and Servetus the commentaries are mostly accessible on (Edinburgh, Scotland: J. Johnstone; www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin or www.sacred-texts.com/ chr/calvin/index.htm. London, England: R. Groomsbridge & 14. Calvin, Preface to Olivetan’s New Testament, Sons, 1846). Commentaries , www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/ Calvin%20-%20Commentaries.pdf. 42 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

15. John D. Currid, Calvin and the Biblical languages 31. Emmanuel Stickelberger, Calvin (Cambridge, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publication, England: James Clarke & Co. Ltd., 1959), p. 113. 2006), p. 42. A most useful and compact book, 32. Cottret, p. 221. culminating in a strong plea for a return to the use of 33. Ibid., p. 222. the Biblical languages in seminary and study. 34. Stickelberger, p.114; see also Francois Wendel, 16. I call to mind an aphorism sometimes heard, in Calvin (London, England: Collins, 1963), p. 95; song, from a colleague—‘Wonderful things in the Bible Jean Cadier, The Man God Mastered (London, I see, especially what’s put there by you and by me.’ England: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1960), pp. 156,157, 17. Agree or disagree with his exposition at any point, quoting at length from a letter written by De Trie. Calvin secures serious respect in placing Scripture in 35. Stickelberger, p. 114. continuity of context. Careless scattering of dislocated 36. Cottret, p. 223. ‘proof texts’ for doctrines or ‘peg texts’ for sermons 37. Stickelberger, p. 119. was not his style. 38. Stickelberger, p. 125; Paul Henry, Henry Stebbing 18. In Great Leaders of the Christian Church , trans., Life and Times of John Calvin, the Great John Woodbridge ed. (Chicago, IL, USA: Moody Press, Reformer , 2 vols. (London, England: Whittaker and Co., 1989), p. 213. 1849), 2.193, 197. 19. Quarterly Record no. 576, July to September 2006, 39. Parker, p. 122; see also Henry, 2.193; Stickelberger, p. 13. pp. 120,122. 20. After 1549 three ‘secretaries’—Denis Raguenier, 40. Alister McGrath, A Life of John Calvin (Oxford, the stenographer, Jean Budé and Charles de Jonviller— England: Basil Blackwell Ltd, 1990), p. 119. preserved Calvin’s sermons and transcribed lectures at 41. Thomas Lawson, Calvin: His Life and Times the school and the ‘Congrégations’. (Brighton, England: W. Wileman, 1910), pp.125, 126. 21. Calvin, Concerning the Eternal Predestination of 42. Stickelberger, p. 121. God , J. K. S. Reid, trans. (Cambridge, England: 43. Cottret, p. 224. James Clarke & Co., 1961), pp. 49-50. 44. Stickelberger, p. 125. 22. Who was, of course, Charles I of Spain, and had 45. Cottret, p. 224. already been crowned as Holy Roman Emperor at 46. Stickelberger, p. 126. Aachen in 1519. 47. Ibid., pp. 127-128. 23. As was Wycliffe you may recall: but what different 48. ‘By whose definition?’ is always the crunch paths followed. question. 24. Servetus prepared, with introductory notes, two 49. ‘John Calvin’, Cambridge Encyclopedia , editions of Ptolemy’s Geography , 1535 and 1541. encyclopedia.stateuniversity.com/pages/11899/ 25. He prepared the edition of the Santes Pagnini’s John-Calvin.html. Bible referred to above, seven volumes, 1545. His 50. Henry, 2.217, 218. introduction and notes are in the way to modern 51. Tweedie, p. 212; also see Ioannis Calvini Opera Biblical criticism. XIV, 693; Stickelberger, pp. 129 130; Henry, 2.218; 26. Does the name Galileo ring any bells? This time it Parker, p. 123; Cadier, p. 161. was with Protestant connivance. 52. Stickelberger, p. 128. 27. Bernard Cottret, Calvin: A Biography , M. Wallace 53. ‘Calvin’, CE. McDonald, trans. (Grand Rapids, MI, USA: 54. Ioannis Calvini Opera XIV, 693; see also Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2000), p. 217. The quote is from Stickelberger, pp. 129, 130; Henry, 2.218; Parker, p. The Letters of Calvin , 5.33. 123; Cadier, p. 161. 28. T. H. L. Parker, John Calvin (London, England: 55. ‘…to understand all is to forgive all.’ J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd,1975), p. 119. 56. He probably thought that he did it meekly, too. 29. Cottret, p. 220. 57. Perez Zagorin, How the Idea of Religious 30. According to the narrative of Theodore Beza, Toleration Came to the West (Princeton, NJ, USA: Calvin had corresponded with Servetus for seven years Princeton University Press, 2005), p. 119. (John Mackenzie, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of 58. The only Unitarian King in history was Sigismund John Calvin [London, England: Williams and Smith, of Transylvania. 1809], p. 81). 43 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record The Word of God Among All Nations

‘The field is the world,’ ‘The seed is the Word of God’

no any other book in the world, but for Europe this One. The picture is the village of Os: as the vaticanish massive place was From the translator of the Catalan open, I placed a calendar in the ‘faristol’ Bible, Lleida, Spain: (lectern) from where they read and proclaim ‘This is the Word of God’. We are While on a local holiday, and on very grateful to the Lord for the ministry Saturdays I have spent some hours of the Trinitarian Bible Society. distributing the TBS Scriptures to the towns of Àger, Almacelles, etc. Until now I have not been able to sell many copies, From Greenock, Scotland: as people tend to be suspicious. But I am I would like to take this opportunity to say happy with some of the conversations, many thanks to you for furnishing me with introducing the knowledge of the the Authorised (King James) Version of the Scriptures to people. I would do this for Bible in large print. I greatly appreciate this, as my eye sight seems to be getting Os de Balaguer, Catalunya worse all the time.

From a junior school in Godalming, Surrey, England :

Please send 340 copies of the Ten Commandments Bookmark, 14 copies of the Ten Commandments Text Cards, and 14 copies of the Ten Commandments Poster. Please send us information regarding free Bibles for distribution among pupils, and do arrange for a Speaker to visit the School. 44 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

From the headteacher of a junior room until we were told off by the senior school in Amersham, nurse for making too much noise. Buckinghamshire, England : Anatolic with his new Bible I am writing to thank you for the wonderful Bibles and resources you sent us. They will be very well used in our Religious Education lessons, and in our acts of collective worship. Tomorrow we have an ‘Open Assembly ’ at School, where all our parents and carers will be attending, and I shall show them to our visitors and read from the new Bible. The children were very excited today when I opened the parcel and showed them the Bibles, posters, bookmarks and cards. As a Church of England school, we actively promote the children ’s spiritual development and these resources will very much help us in our mission. Once again, thank you from all of us and We also gave a Bible to a man called please be assured that the resources will Anatolic. He has one of the large print be very well used. Bibles. We prayed for him and his roommate, and then gave him a Bible. From friends in Great Yarmouth, There was also lady called Maria ; she has Norfolk, England, who are one of the medium sized Bibles and distributing Russian Bibles: received it at church on the Lord ’s Day, and she is a new Christian. Hope you are all blessed. We were invited to go and pray for a lady in hospital From Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, yesterday. Her friend wanted prayer as England : well. We then spoke to them about salvation. One of the ladies was a The time has come round again, to request Christian and the other is now as well. We we be considered for a grant of Bibles for offered to bring the newly saved lady a this year. We are very grateful for the Bible, and she was thrilled. She wanted to Society ’s kindness in previous years and know more about God as she only knew would not presume upon your generosity. the Lord ’s Prayer. Today we took her a We shall be holding a number of missions Bible and we gave one to her friend, who and Holiday Bible Clubs where we shall was visiting her. They were thrilled to have use the Bibles as prizes and will also hand them. The ladies started singing in the out copies of the Scriptures to pupils at 45 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record schools in the area. We were invited to a people started to cry when we gave large school in Hertfordshire to give them the calendars and wished teaching on our beliefs as Christians, blessings for the new year. The weather during their Religious Education week. was bad, it was raining and there was We attended the school for three mud everywhere, because there are no afternoons and spoke to all year six pavements in those remote villages. It groups for 30–40 minutes, followed by was difficult to reach some of the questions. We are thankful that many were isolated houses. But for the people it praying for us and that we were able to was a surprise, and many received our challenge each child with their need students as though they were Heaven ’s before the Lord. We also offered a TBS envoys! In spite of the bad weather we Bible to any who requested one and to were glad to perform this mission. We date have given out 122. Please pray that also gave TBS Ukrainian Bibles to non- the Lord will speak through His Word to Christian people. We express our these young lives. We have been told enormous gratitude for the given since, that a number of the children have literature. May the Lord bless the labour enrolled in the Postal Bible School, and and many people come to know God. that encourages us to pray that these young lives will come to know the Saviour. From Hull, East Yorkshire, England :

From the Caspian Mountains in Thank you for the calendars. I will be using Ukraine (via Northern Ireland): them in the port of Hull. I work for the Sailors ’ and Boatmen ’s Mission and give We received one box of 20 English out many calendars and Scriptures to Bibles (King James Version) and one box foreign seamen. I speak mainly to of 20 Russian Bibles. Thank you. As for Filipinos, Russians and Polish, and the the Greek and Hebrew Bibles, I don ’t Lord grants me many opportunities to know how many you can give us . Can proclaim the Gospel. I am pleased the you send us 50 Greek Bibles and calendars are from a trustworthy Bible 50 Hebrew Bibles? We also received translation. I usually give out the King three boxes of TBS Ukrainian Bibles for James Bible in the English language. distribution in the mountains of south- Therefore I give the calendars out with west Ukraine. Between 23-25th January great confidence. we organised an outreach with the slogan, ‘Our God is the Almighty Creator ’. From Cork, Republic of Ireland : Our students were sent to remote villages where there are no missionary Many thanks for the beautiful Polish stations as yet. During those three days calendars you sent me. As the three most our students visited 1,500 houses in common seafarers I meet are Russians, 15 villages, distributed 1,500 calendars Polish and Filipinos these calendars will and other Christian literature. Many be a great blessing. The men love to get 46 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009

literature (especially calendars) in their Testament and Psalms is very clear and a own language. They hang them in their pleasure to read. Children who are able to cabins and mark off the days until their read will at last be able to read and contract finishes and they can return to understand God ’s Word. CEF is reaping their families. They then take the the fruits of your labours. We plan to calendars back home with them, or the present a copy of the New Testament to Scriptures remain on board as an each child. We are praying that we in enduring witness. In Cork I visit naval Armenia will soon see the entire Bible in vessels, car carriers, oil tankers , etc. Thank this translation.’ you again for your gift. Africa Eurasia From N ’djamena, Chad : From Yerevan, Armenia : Thank you very much for the calendars. I am delighted to be able to tell you that They are always anticipated and the Armenian New Testaments and Psalms appreciated. Even Muslims display them in which we received in September 2008 their shops in full view of everyone! have had a wonderful reception by those who have received them so far. We have From Mufulira, Zambia : been extremely privileged to be able to distribute them to countless numbers of I greatly thank the sponsors of this faithful enthusiastic individuals, including Bible society that you are touching people many children who attend our in my area in a very great way. People who weekly Bible clubs in Yerevan are blind spiritually by beliefs of tradition and the surrounding villages. and culture are made to see through the We have had numerous power of the Word that you are sending Christian organisations request us . The booklet ‘Believe Not Every Spirit ’ batches of New Testaments was something that helped the people to from us as well. The Child depart from the charms and divining Evangelism Fellowship of spirits which people are fond of here. Armenia wrote: ‘On behalf of the CEF From Firgrove, Cape Town : Armenia, we would like to thank the Trinitarian Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ, Bible Society for the the Saviour of the world. Thank you for translation and printing of the Quarterly Record. The messages of the New Testament in Eastern the Rev. G. Hamstra are such an Bible distribution Armenian. The language of inspiration. God ’s richest blessing on in Armenia the newly printed New your work worldwide. I have just thought 47 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record how wonderful to be part of Tyndale His abundant blessing to all who are House! Maybe someday someone will engaged in this fruitful ministry of making sponsor me so that I can just pay a visit these GTC. It is a joy to live for and serve to the Bible house. Continue to work in our wonderful Master . God ’s vineyard, the labourers are few. The Lord bless this beautiful light, From Fort Pierce, Florida, USA : ‘Tyndale House ’, which is a blessing to the whole world. People in Haiti absolutely love these Golden Thoughts Calendars. A lady showed me how she marked the calendar every North America day for the whole year of 2008, praying through the Scripture each day! One From Pittsboro, NC, USA : lawyer, a Roman Catholic lady, gives a similar testimony. Thank you very much indeed for the arrival of this parcel of much appreciated Golden Thoughts Calendars. These GTC with daily Latin America verses from God ’s precious Word are being mailed to many in Zimbabwe, where my From Buenos Aires, Argentina : dear husband (now with the Lord) and I had the privilege of serving the Lord for Thank you for the grant of Scripture many years. As you know from news calendars you sent us last September. reports the people there are going through They are appreciated by both believers and severe and increasing trials and much unbelievers. Usually these unbelievers are suffering. There is a real hunger for help somewhat religious, but lack a personal from God’s Word and these daily knowledge of our Lord and Saviour. Scriptures on these calendars are proving to be a real blessing and encouragement from the Lord to them. Hundreds are dying daily from lack of food and disease, and the outbreak of cholera is claiming even more lives each day. How timely are these messages from God on these calendars [Although certain phrases and expressions and we know that God ’s Word will not used in these letters may not be return unto Him void. Thank you for being doctrinally accurate or in correct English, workers together with Christ in producing we reproduce the letters essentially as and providing these GTC for them there , received, knowing that the Lord is using and for the needy ones elsewhere , too. We His Word to the glory of His Name and the continue to water in prayer this good seed furtherance of His Kingdom as the sown in the hearts of many. We thank the Scriptures are distributed among the Lord for you and we pray that He will grant nations of the world.] 48 Trinitarian Bible Society

International Headquarters International Branches Tyndale House, Australian Branch Dorset Road, President & National Secretary : Mr. M.F. Stuart Trinitarian Bible Society (Australia), London, G.P.O.Box 777 SW19 3NN, Sydney 2001, Australia Tel .: 1300 303 827 Fax : 1300 783 827 England e-mail : [email protected] Telephone : (020) 8543 7857 Brazilian Branch Facsimile : (020) 8543 6370 President : The Rev. Dr. T. L. Gilmer Sociedade Bíblica Trinitariana do Brasil , e-mail : [email protected] Rua Julio de Castilhos, 108/120 Belenzinho Web site : www.trinitarianbiblesociety.org 03059-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil Office Hours : Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Tel .: (11) 2693-5663 Fax : (11) 2695-3635 e-mail : [email protected] English Charity Number: 233082 Scottish Charity Number: SC038379 Canadian Branch Acting General Secretary : Mr. G. den Boer, B.A. V.A.T. Registration Number: GB 215 9219 67 Office Manager : Mr. J. van Huigenbos Trinitarian Bible Society (Canada) Auditors : 9128 Young Road, Jacob Cavenagh & Skeet Chilliwack, B.C., V2P 4R4, Canada 5 Robin Hood Lane, Tel .: (604) 793-2232 Fax : (604) 793-2262 Sutton, e-mail : [email protected] Surrey, SM1 2SW New Zealand Branch Solicitors : Secretary : Mr. U. Haringa Trinitarian Bible Society (New Zealand) , Bates , Wells & Braithwaite 17 Heatherlea Street, 2-6 Cannon Street, P.O.•Box 740, Gisborne, New Zealand London, Tel . & Fax 06-863-3700 EC4M 6YA : e-mail : [email protected] Bankers : Arbuthnot Latham & Co . Ltd . U.S.A. Branch Arbuthnot House, General Secretary : Mr. W. Greendyk, B.A. 20 Ropemaker Street, Trinitarian Bible Society (U .S.A.) London, EC2Y 9AR 927 Alpine Commerce Park, Sterling Account No .: 71529601 Sort Code : 30-13-93 Suite 100, Grand Rapids, Swift ID Code : ARBUGB2L Michigan 49544, U.S.A. Euro Account No .: 31529601 Tel .: (616) 735-3695 Fax : (616) 785-7237 IBAN Euro Account No .: GB19 ARBU 3003 0831 5296 01 e-mail : [email protected] To publish and distribute the Holy Scriptures throughout the world in many languages.

To promote Bible translations which are accurate and trustworthy, conforming to the Hebrew Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and the Greek Textus Receptus of the New Testament, upon which texts the English Authorised Version is based.

To be instrumental in bringing light and life, through the Gospel of Christ, to those who are lost in sin and in the darkness of false religion and unbelief.

To uphold the doctrines of reformed Christianity, bearing witness to the equal and eternal deity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, One God in three Persons.

To uphold the Bible as the inspired, inerrant Word of God.

For the Glory of God and the Increase of His Kingdom through the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God.

For introductory literature and catalogue please write to the Society at the address given ISSN 0049-4712 Tyndale House, Dorset Road, London, SW19 3NN, England 9770049 471000 e-mail: [email protected] www .trinitarianbiblesociety.org