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Avarice
In his sermon on Micah 2:1-3,175 Calvin posited avarice as “the root of all evil” in the sense that “if our hearts burn with insatiable desire, we will give in to all forms of cruelty and inhumanity.”176 Avarice is the result of our unfaithfulness. In other words, it happens to us when we do not commit our anxiety to God by faith that nourishes us in our poverty. The avaricious soul becomes more than ever greedy and “would not be satisfied if he had all the goods in the world.”177 Our insatiable greed does not let us sleep. Avarice leads men to covet and steal the possession of others.178 It compels men to oppress their neighbours “to grab up his house and inheritance.” It leads to repression, brutality, extortion, and violent behaviour against our neighbours. Avaricious men envy others even their use of water of a river. There is nothing more dreadful than their “avarice and insecurity.”179 God is “the sworn enemy of avaricious souls, who acquire goods by evil means.”180 In his sermon on Micah 7:1-13, Calvin particularly criticized leaders for their avarice. Their avarice is the source of all evil. “The princes demand, and the judges accept bribes.”181 They assume the righteous despite their wickedness. The governors “are very skilled in evil” and are “gluttons trying to swallow up everything.” The judges do not care “what one has done” but “wish only to work for the rich, giving them license to do great evil.” Those who pay off the judges go scot-free but “those who have committed lesser offences and cannot afford to pay off a judge” are severely punished.182 The poor are sucked dry of their blood by pillage, “loan sharking, fraud, and crooked deals,” and widows and orphans suffer from debts.183 The cunning deceivers are nothing more than the pirates who cut the throats of poor people. Though they hide behind a façade of righteousness, God cursed them. “When the wicked reign, everything falls apart.” The greed of leaders is “the principal cause of all disorder and chaos.”184 Such avarice of leaders and honourable citizens of our times may be no less than that of Micah’s times. Accordingly, sanctification is to turn away from avarice to moderation and trust in God’s care. This can be dealt with in ‘5.2.1.2.2.3 Quantitativism’ and ‘5.2.1.2.2.4 Materialism.’
Variance and Schism
In relation to variance, Calvin reproached three groups: monastic sectarianism, the Anabaptists, and individualism. In his Institutes 4.13.14, he pointed out that “all those who enter into the monastic community break with the church” by means of adopting “a peculiar ministry and a private administration of sacraments.” In contrast to them, the early monks lived apart from others, but did not establish a separate church. They took part in the sacraments with others. As part of the people, they took their seats at “solemn assemblies.” The present-day monks have broken “the bond of unity” by ignoring “the ordinary ministry by which the Lord willed to preserve peace and love among his people.” Accordingly, Calvin posited every monastery as “a conventicle of schismatics” agitating the order of the church and separating themselves from the ordinary community of believers. They had various names of sects, which Paul execrated (1 Cor. 1:12, 13; 3:4). It is wrong to Christ that they call themselves Benedictines, or Franciscans, or Dominicans in place of Christians. By taking those titles, they gratify their pride to be different from common Christians. In Institutes 4.12.12 (Beveridge tr.), Calvin rebuked the Anabaptists for their disruptive severity. They acknowledged “no assembly of Christ unless conspicuous in all respects for angelic perfection, and overthrew everything which tends to edification” under pretense of zeal. They were fond of their own contentions rather than hating other men’s wickedness. Entangling the weak by bragging of their own virtues, they endeavour “either to draw them all to their side or at least to divide them.” Puffed up with pride, raving with peevishness, treacherous in slander, tumultuous in their seditions, they cover themselves with the shadow of a stern severity in order not to be seen how lacking in the light of the truth they are. Under the pretext of just severity, to divide the unity of the church is to be deceived by the strategy of Satan, who transforms himself into an angel of light. Schism as “separation from the church is the denial of God.”185
In his Institutes 4.1.5 (Battles tr.), Calvin harshly criticized individual separation. They who proudly convict that “they can profit enough from private reading and meditation,” and look down on public meetings and consider preaching as unnecessary, will be punished because of their unholy separation. They will fascinate themselves “with pestilent errors and foulest delusions.” Calvin reproached the apostates who drove “the sheep from their fold” and cast “them into the jaws of wolves” with zeal to scatter churches. Briefly, variance and schism are the characteristics of men without the Spirit. This must be overcome by the mortification of the flesh in the power of the Holy Spirit.
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
1.1 A Background of Research and the Problem Statement
1.2 The Definition of ‘Reformed’
1.3 The Purpose and Goals of This Research
1.4 The Central Hypothesis
1.5 The Method of Research and Its Procedure
CHAPTER 2 JOHN CALVIN AND SANCTIFICATION
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Calvin’s Doctrine of Sanctification
2.3 Conclusion
CHAPTER 3 JOHN WESLEY AND SANCTIFICATION
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Wesley’s Doctrine of Sanctification
3.3 Abstract and Assessment
CHAPTER 4 KARL BARTH AND SANCTIFICATION
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Doctrine of Sanctification of Karl Barth
4.3 Abstract and Assessment
CHAPTER 5 A REFORMED DOCTRINE OF SANCTIFICATION FOR THE KOREAN CONTEXT
5.1 Comparison between Calvin, Wesley, and Barth On the Doctrine of Sanctification
5.2 The Contextual Analysis of the Korean Church
5.3 A Reformed Doctrine of Sanctification for the Korean Context
5.4 Conclusion
