Calvin's Institutes: January 13

Today’s reading confronts us with a simple but devastating truth: the knowledge of God is not hidden, distant, or reserved for the educated—it presses in on us from every side, written into the heavens, the earth, and even our own bodies, leaving humanity without excuse for ingratitude or denial. John Calvin opens Book 1, Chapter 5 of the Institutes by insisting that God has made himself unmistakably known through creation, so that no one can open their eyes without encountering divine glory, wisdom, and power. Yet this same clarity exposes the perversity of the human heart, which suppresses what it knows by nature and substitutes pride, chance, or “nature” for the living God (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20; Acts 17:27–28). Augustine deepens this theme by turning inward, showing how the soul itself bears witness to God’s nearness even as it restlessly flees from him, while Aquinas grounds the discussion philosophically, arguing that created effects necessarily point beyond themselves to their divine cause. Together, today’s readings press a single question: if God is this evident, why are we so determined not to see him?Readings: John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1, Chapter 5 (Sections 1–4) Explore the Project:Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org#ThroughTheChurchFathers #ChurchHistory #ChristianTheology #Calvin #Augustine #Aquinas