The following are personal notes from my study of John Calvin’s Institutes.
Disagreements over the meaning and nature of baptism go round and round, while an essential underlying conflict goes unaddressed. If this conflict remains unaccounted for, then meaningful progress in the understanding of baptism cannot be made. The hidden conflict is over ecclesiology. The groundwork must be laid for understanding and contrasting the different views of the church and its function as the representative authority of Christ in history. John Calvin promoted a bold view of the church—a view that was neither tentative nor wavering. Calvin was committed to the idea of the church being Christ’s representative on earth. This high view of the function of the church underpins his theology as a whole, but it is especially useful to understand it in connection with his view of the sacraments.
The conflict over the power of the sacraments stems from a disagreement over ecclesiology. Here’s how I see the conflict playing out in a practical way: a low view of the church necessitates a low view of the sacraments; the two are different sides of the same coin. Even if there is an agreement that baptism really does place one into the church, it isn’t clear that such a result is an improvement over the original state of affairs. Given a low view of the church, being brought into the church isn’t seen as a birth of any kind. And as far as nourishment goes—well, perhaps it is found in the church, but not in such a way that precludes it from being commonly and independently found outside of the church. This sort of direct relationship is often sought through nature, the real cathedral of the free soul. The sacrament of baptism becomes a moot point for the Baptist type, as the church is hardly distinguishable from the individual.
Contrast this understanding with Calvin’s position that baptism is the entrance to the church, by which men become heirs of the kingdom of God. To be engrafted into the body of Christ is the same as having our sins forgiven. Seeing that the church gives birth to and sustains new life, baptism is a powerful means of grace given to the children of God. For Calvin, being brought into the church isn’t superfluous; it is directly connected to regeneration, which Calvin equates with repentance and the forgiveness of sins.
“…revolt from the church is denial of God and Christ. Wherefore there is the more necessity to beware of a dissent so iniquitous; for seeing by it we aim, as far as in us lies, at the destruction of God’s truth, we deserve to be crushed by the full thunder of his anger. No crime can be imagined more atrocious than that of sacrilegiously and perfidiously violating the sacred marriage which the only begotten Son of God has condescended to contract with us.” — p. 679B
The role of the church is such that it is irreplaceable; it is structured by the Lord to be His representative. The church isn’t an appendix. Rather, Calvin writes that
“…there is no other bond by which the saints can be kept together than by uniting with one consent to observe the order which God has appointed in his church for learning and making progress.” — p. 676B
“…beyond the pale of the church no forgiveness of sins, no salvation, can be hoped for…” — p. 674G
Far from being superfluous, Calvin indicates that through the church men enter into new life. He writes,
“…there is no other means of entering into life unless she conceive us in the womb and give us birth…”
The role of the church isn’t limited to the entrance into new life, as this life must also be cared for and brought to maturity. Calvin uses the word “nourishment” to describe the care that is found in the church. It isn’t as if this nourishment can be found outside of the church; to seek for it outside of the church is lethal. Calvin uses strong language when he warns that
“the abandonment of the church is always fatal.” — p. 674C
This role of producing maturity—which could conceivably be done in an instant—was instead given as a responsibility of the historical church:
“We see that God, who might perfect his people in a moment, chooses not to bring them to manhood in any other way than by the education of the church.” — p. 674D
If sin halts and reverses the process of maturity, it is certainly understandable how Calvin could so strongly connect this function of creating mature men to the church alone.
“Wherefore, if we would not maliciously obscure the kindness of God, let us present to him our infants, to whom he has assigned a place among his friends and family—that is, the members of the church.” — p. 892
“For, just as circumcision, which was a kind of badge to the Jews, assuring them that they were adopted as the people and family of God, was their first entrance into the church—while they, in their turn, professed their allegiance to God—so now we are initiated by baptism, so as to be enrolled among his people, and at the same time swear unto his name. Hence it is incontrovertible that baptism has been substituted for circumcision and performs the same office.” — p. 874F
Calvin goes on to say that baptism opens access to the church. Through admission into the church one becomes heir to the kingdom of heaven:
“…why should they be denied the sign by which access, as it were, is opened to the church, that being admitted into it they may be enrolled among the heirs of the heavenly kingdom?” p. 876A
“Hence let us surely hold that if we are admitted and engrafted into the body of the church, the forgiveness of sins has been bestowed, and is daily bestowed on us, in divine liberality, through the intervention of Christ’s merits and the sanctification of the Spirit.” p. 685C
“Let those then who embrace the promise of mercy to their children consider it as their duty to offer them to the church… seeing with the bodily eye the covenant of the Lord engraved on the bodies of their children.” —p. 877C
Baptism engrafts one into the church. The degree to which one sees this as being significant depends upon his understanding of the nature of the historical representation of Christ on earth. If representation is only legitimate at the individual level, then no significance can be placed upon being engrafted into the church.