Salvation in History in Calvin’s Commentary on the Gospel of John

This chapter examines John Calvin’s interpretation of the Fourth Gospel and its singular place in the history of Johannine interpretation through comparison with previous and contemporary exegetical traditions. Calvin’s 1553 commentary represents the culmination of novel sixteenth-century evangelical approaches to this “spiritual gospel” that redefined its spiritual character and reversed traditional views that John offered advanced and more difficult teaching than Matthew, Mark, and Luke. As with his treatment of the Psalms and Isaiah, Calvin downplays the traditional emphasis on christological doctrine and does not view teaching Christ’s divinity as the Gospel’s central purpose. Instead, he emphasizes the overarching theme of human salvation in history. John, for Calvin, provides not a deeper grasp of Christ’s person but rather a more complete portrayal of his salvific mission, of what Christ as incarnate mediator does for humans rather than who he is.