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Chapter 46GenevaCat.1.46

IV. Des sacrements — Le 45e dimanche

The Word as the Gateway to Salvation

God provides his Word as the means of salvation, which we must receive with obedient hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Salvation is presented to us by the Word of God. M: What is the way to attain such a good? Examiner: To that end, he has left us his holy Word, which serves as an entrance into his heavenly Kingdom. 301. M: Where do you get this Word? C: As it is contained for us in the Holy Scriptures.1 302. M: How should we use it if we want to benefit from it? C: By receiving it with full certainty of conscience, as truth that has come from heaven; by submitting ourselves to it in right obedience; by loving it with true and complete affection; and by having it imprinted on our hearts so that we may follow it and conform ourselves to it.✦2 303. Minister: Is all of that within our power? Student: None of it is, not at all. It is God who works in us this way through his Holy Spirit.3

The Necessity of Public Ministry

Believers are called to diligently attend public preaching as the divinely ordained means for building up the Church.

We must make an effort to learn. M: But shouldn't we be diligent and take pains to hear and read the doctrine presented to us there? E: Yes, absolutely. And first, that each person work at it privately. And above all, that we regularly attend the preachings in which this Word is expounded in the assembly of Christians. 305. M: Do you understand that reading at home isn't enough, and that everyone must hear common teaching together? E: That's how I understand it, provided God gives the means. 306. M: Why is that? E: Because Jesus Christ established this order in his Church (Ephesians 4:11), not for two or three people, but for everyone generally, and declared that it's the only means of building it up and sustaining it. So we must all take our place under it, and not be wiser than our Master.4

Lifelong Discipleship under Pastoral Care

We must remain humble students of Christ throughout our lives, respecting the ministers he has appointed to teach in his name.

On the Church's pastors, 307. Minister: So, is it necessary to have pastors? Elder: Yes—and it's necessary that people listen to them, receiving the Lord's teaching with humility through their mouths. In fact, anyone who despises them and refuses to listen to them rejects Jesus Christ and separates himself from the company of the faithful (Matthew 10:40; Luke 10:16).✦ 308. M: Is it enough to have been taught by them once, or do we need to keep going? E: Starting doesn't mean anything if you don't keep going and persevere. We ought to remain pupils of Jesus Christ until the very end.✦ And he has appointed the church's ministers to teach us in his name.✦

Read the original Latin

Le salut nous est présenté par la Parole de Dieu 300. M : Quel est le moyen de parvenir à un tel bien? E : Pour ce faire, il nous a laissé sa sainte Parole, laquelle nous est comme une entrée en son Royaume céleste.

301. M : Où prends-tu cette Parole? E : Comme elle nous est comprise ès saintes Ecritures.

302. M : Comment faut-il que nous en usions pour en avoir le profit? E : En la recevant en pleine certitude de conscience, comme vérité procédée du ciel, nous soumettant à icelle en droite obéissance, l'aimant de vraie affection et entière, l'ayant imprimée en nos coeurs pour la suivre et nous conformer à icelle.

303. M : Tout cela est-il en notre puissance? E : Il n'y en a du tout rien. Mais c'est Dieu qui besogne en nous en telle sorte par son Saint-Esprit.

Il faut mettre peine d'apprendre 304. M : Mais ne faut-il pas que nous mettions peine et diligence à ouïr et lire la doctrine, laquelle nous y est montrée? E : Oui bien. Et premièrement, que chacun en son particulier y travaille. Et surtout, que nous fréquentions les prédications, auxquelles cette Parole est exposée en l'assemblée des chrétiens.

305. M : Entends-tu qu'il ne suffit pas de lire en sa maison, sinon que tous ensemble oyent une doctrine commune? E : Je l'entends ainsi, cependant que Dieu en donne le moyen.

306. M : La raison? E : Parce que Jésus-Christ a établi cet ordre en son Église (Éphésiens 4:11), non pas pour deux ni pour trois, mais pour tous généralement, et a déclaré que c'est le seul moyen de l'édifier et entretenir. Ainsi il nous faut là tous ranger, et n'être pas plus sages que notre Maître.

Des pasteurs ecclésiastiques 307. M : Est-ce donc chose nécessaire qu'il y ait des pasteurs? E : Oui, et qu'on les écoute, recevant en humilité la doctrine du Seigneur par leur bouche. Tellement que quiconque les méprise et refuse de les ouïr, il rejette Jésus-Christ et se sépare de la compagnie des fidèles (Matthieu 10:40 ; Luc 10:16).

308. M : Mais suffit-il d'avoir une fois été instruit par eux, ou s'il faut continuer? E : Ce n'est rien de commencer si on ne poursuit et persévère toujours. Car jusqu'à la fin, il nous convient d'être toujours écoliers de Jésus-Christ. Et il a ordonné les ministres ecclésiastiques pour nous enseigner en son nom.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩John.3.31 — The One who comes from above is over all. The one who is from the earth is from the earth, and speaks from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is over all.
  2. ↩Luke.10.16 — The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me; but the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.
  3. ↩Matt.24.13 — But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
  4. ↩Matt.28.19-Matt.28.20;2Cor.5.20 — Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matt.28.20 — teaching them to observe everything I commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. 2Cor.5.20 — Therefore, on behalf of Christ we are ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Archaic French «ès» = «en les» (“in the”). «comprise» is rendered “contained”; alternatives “set forth” / “given” are possible but less exact.
  2. 2 ↩Speaker label E (Enfant/Élève) rendered as C (Child) for catechetical clarity; source retains E. Middle French icelle refers to the Word (Parole, feminine) from the previous section.
  3. 3 ↩Middle French 'besogne' = works/labors (not modern 'needs'); rendered as 'works' for the divine agency sense.
  4. 4 ↩French 'il nous faut là tous ranger' means we must all align/submit ourselves to that established church order, not invent a private alternative.

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