Calvin's Commentary on Malachi
(... continued from file 5)
Lecture One Hundred and Seventy-fourth
We began in the last lecture to explain what the
Prophet says here of the priesthood, and we have said
that the sum of the whole is - that wicked priests in
vain lay claim to the title of honour, who do not
faithfully perform their office; for the compact between
God and them is mutual, inasmuch as God did not institute
priests under the law in order to allow them unbridled
liberty, or to deprive himself of every power; but, on
the contrary, he set them over the Church in order to
retain the people in true religion. As then the
obligation is, as they say, reciprocal, there is no
reason for the priests to arrogate supreme power and to
deprive God of it. The Prophet then had said, that God's
compact with Levi was that of life and peace, because
God, who is faithful in his promises, had promised to be
propitious to the Levites. Our Prophet therefore calls it
the compact of life and peace, because the Levites had
found that God was in every respect kind and bountiful,
whenever they performed their parts.
He now adds, I gave to him fear, and he feared rne.
The interpreters who consider the preposition for, or, on
account of (propter), to be understood, pervert the whole
sense; for fear here is to be taken for the rule of
worshipping God, as though he had said, "I have
prescribed how he is rightly to perform his office." He
means then that God gave to the Levites a knowledge of
the way in which he was to be served, because he would
not have them to wander according to their own notions,
but he prescribed to them the duties of their office, as
though he had said, "Ye are indeed endued with no common
honour, for ye are the teachers of the Church; but yet I
have laid a restraint upon you, as I have commanded the
people to obey you, so have I commanded you what to do.
Since then I have given my fear to Levi, since I have
prescribed how he is to worship me, is it not now most
shameless and most impious, to boast of the honourable
name of priesthood, and at the same time to be no
priests? for what is it to be God's priest, except to
govern the Church as God has commanded? I have then given
him my fear."
And he feared me; that is, he observed the law laid
down for him; and he was contrite before my name; that
is, "he conducted himself in a humble manner, he did not
exalt himself by vain pride, that he might oppress my
Church, rule tyrannically, and subvert all due order; but
he was an example of humility, for he owned himself the
more bound to me, because I honoured him with so much
dignity as to make him the ruler of my Church." It
afterwards follows
6. The law of the truth was in his mouth, and iniquity
was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and
equity and did turn many away from iniquity.
6. Lex veritatis fuit in ore ejus, et iniquites non fuit
reperta, in labiis ejus; in pace et rectitudine ambulavit
mecum; et multos redire fecit (hoc est, convertit) ab
iniquitate.
He explains mote fully how Levi responded to God's
command, - that he had the law of truth in his mouth. The
chief duty of a priest is to show the right way of living
to the people; for however upright and holy one may be
through his whole life, he is not on that account to be
deemed a priest. Hence our Prophet dwells especially on
this point - that Levi taught the people. He does not
speak of Levi himself; for we know that Levi was dead
when Aaron was made a priest. For God does not here speak
of individuals, but of the tribe; as though he had said,
"Aaron and Eleazar, and those who followed them, knew for
what end they were honoured with the priesthood, and they
faithfully performed their duties." The Prophet now
explains what God mainly requires from priests - to show
to the people, as I have already said, the way of living
a pious and holy life; but he adopts different words,
which yet mean the same thing.
The law of truth, he says, was in his mouth. Why
does he not commend the integrity of his heart rather
than his words? Had he spoken of an individual, the
Prophet might have justly said, that he who sought to be
an approved servant of God, had conducted himself
harmless towards men; but he speaks of a public office,
when he says, that the law of truth was in his mouth; for
he is not worthy of that honour who is mute: and nothing
is more preposterous, or even more ridiculous, than that
those should be counted priests who are no teachers.
These two things are, as they say, inseparable - the
office of the priesthood and teaching.
And that he might more clearly show that he speaks
not of an ordinary matter, he repeats the same thing in
other words, Iniquity was not found in his lips. We hence
see that all this belongs peculiarly to the sacerdotal
office. He afterwards adds, In peace and rectitude he
walked before me. The Prophet here commends also the
sincere concern for religion which the first priests
manifested, for they walked with God in peace and
uprightness; they not only carried signals in their lips
and mouth, by which they might have been justly deemed
the ministers of God and the pastors of his Church; but
they also executed faithfully their office. And he
alludes to the peace of which he had spoken: as God then
had promised peace to the Levites, so also he says, that
the Levites had lived themselves peaceably before God;
for they did not break the covenant which he had made
with them. As then they had responded to the stipulation
of God, he says that they had walked in peace: but he
also mentions how this was; it was, because they had
walked in uprightness.
And the phrase, , ati, with me, ought to be
observed; for it confirms what I have stated, - that the
honour of the priesthood in no way lessens God's
authority, for he keeps the priests devoted to himself.
He intimates then that they were not elevated to such a
height, that their dignity took away anything from God's
authority: for the obligation, which has been mentioned,
ought to be mutual: God is faithful; the priests also
must be faithful in their office, and show themselves to
be the legitimate ministers of God.
He also mentions the fruit of their doctrine; for
Levi turned many from iniquity, that is, he led many to
repentance. It afterwards follows (for this verse ought
to be joined) -
7. For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they
should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger
of the Lord of hosts.
7. Certe labia sacersotis custodient scientiam, et Legem
requirent ex ore ejus, quia nuntius Iehovae exercituum
est.
What the Prophet has said of the first priests he
extends now to the whole Levitical tribe, and shows that
it was a perpetual and unchangeable law as to the
priesthood. He had said that Levi had been set over the
Church, not to apply to himself the honour due to God,
but to stand in his own place as the minister of God, and
the teacher of the chosen people. The same thing he now
confirms, declaring it as a general truth that the lips
of the priest ought to retain knowledge, as though he had
said, that they were to be the store-house from which the
food of the Church was to be drawn. God then did appoint
the priests over his chosen people, that the people might
seek their food from them as from a store-room, according
to what we find to be the case with a master of a family,
who has his store of wine and his store of provisions. As
then the food of a whole family is usually drawn out from
places where provisions are laid up, so the Prophet makes
use of this similitude, - that God has deposited
knowledge with the priests, so that the mouth of every
priest might be a kind of store-house, so to speak, from
which the people are to seek knowledge and the rule of a
religious life: Keep knowledge then shall the lips of the
priest, and the law shall they seek from his mouth.'
He shows how it is to be kept; the priests are not
to withhold it, but the whole Church is to enjoy the
knowledge of which they are the keepers. They shall then
seek or demand the law from his mouth.
Law may be taken simply for truth; but the Prophet
no doubt alludes here to the doctrine of Moses, the only
true fountain of all knowledge. We indeed know that God
included in his law whatever was necessary for the
welfare of his Church; nor was there anything added by
the Prophets. Our Prophet then so includes every truth in
the word , ture, law, that he might at the same time show
that it was laid up in what Moses has taught.
He says in the last place, that the priest is the
messenger of Jehovah. He briefly defines here what the
priesthood is, even an embassy which God commits to men,
that they may be his interpreters in teaching and ruling
the Church. What then is a priest? A messenger of God,
and his interpreter. It hence follows that the office of
teaching cannot be separated from the priesthood; for it
is a monstrous thing when any one boasts himself to be a
priest, when he is no teacher. The Prophet then draws an
argument from the definition itself, when he says that a
priest is a messenger of God. Then follows the contrast
when he says
8. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused
many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the
covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
8. Atqui vos declinastis e via, impingere (vel, ruere)
fecistis multos in lege; corrupistis foedus Levi, dicit
Iehova exercituum.
He shows here how far were the priests of his time
from fulfilling that compact which he had mentioned. He
hence concludes that they were unworthy of the honor of
which they were so confidently proud, and under the
shadow of which they sought to cover their vices, as
though they were not bound to God, and were at liberty to
tread the Church under foot with impunity. He then shows
that it was an extremely foolish arrogance in them to
seek to be exempt from all law, and yet to regard God and
the whole Church bound to them.
He says first, that they deviated from the way, that
is, they exhibited nothing suitable to their office, on
account of which they were counted priests. He then
amplifies their guilt - that they made many to stumble in
the law. He had before said that Levi walked in peace and
uprightness; what he now says is very different - that
the priests, forgetting religion, had first shaken off
the yoke. He had said that Levi restored many from
iniquity; but he now says that the priests made many to
stumble.
He adds in the last place - Ye have therefore
corrupted the covenant. An illative is to be put here,
for so ought the sentence to be explained - "As ye have
deviated from the way, and perverted the whole worship of
God, ye have thus violated the compact which had been
sanctioned with Levi; ye have then no reason to boast of
vour title of honour, for succession failed when ye fell
away from the faithfulness of your father Levi." At
length it follows
9. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base
before all the people, according as ye have not kept my
ways, but have been partial in the law.
9. Atqui etiam ego dedi vos probrosos et abjectos toti
populo, secundum quod non servastis vias meas, et
extulistis personas in lege.
The Prophet draws this conclusion - that the priests
in vain gloried in the honour of their office, for they
had ceased to be the priests of God. We may now return to
the main point.
We perceive what the subject is which the Prophet
handles here: as the priests sought by a peculiar
privilege to exempt themselves from all reproof, he
assails them in particular; for teaching would have been
useless as to the common people, except the priests
themselves were brought to order. The priests no doubt
flattered the people, and thus attempted to deprive the
Prophets of every respect, in order that their doctrine
might produce no effect. This is the reason why our
Prophet so sharply reproves them. But we must consider
the state of the case. The priests said that they had
been set, by divine authority, over the whole Church, and
that they could not be deprived of that honour which they
had received from God. They however took only but one
part of the covenant, and yet sought to deprive God of
his right. The Prophet here answers them - that God had
indeed favoured them with no common honour in appointing
them the priests of his Church, but that the compact,
which included a mutual stipulation, was at the same time
to be considered; for God had not simply appointed them
the guides of his Church, but had also added a condition.
We hence see that the hinge of the matter was, that
the priests presumptuously and absurdly laid hold on what
favored only their own cause, and at the same time passed
by and cunningly overlooked the chief thing - that the
priesthood was connected with the worship of God. Now had
they attained what they wished, there would have been no
God in the Church, but they would have exercised over it
a tyrannical power. But it has ever been, and is still
the will of God, to retain the supreme power over mortals
in his own hand.
Having now seen the design of the Prophet, we may
easily perceive the import of the whole subject. But
before we proceed farther, we must first observe, that we
have here described to us the character of true and
legitimate priests; for the Prophet not only speaks of
the office of priests, but sets before us a living image
in which we cannot be deceived: and hence all who are
engaged in the pastoral office may know what God requires
from them. I will only just mention what he first says -
that God gave fear to priests; for I have already given a
sufficient explanation of this by saying, that priests
are not to abuse their right, as though the highest power
were granted to them; for God will not have his Church
subject to tyranny, but his will is to reign alone in it
through the ministry of men. The main thing then to be
borne in mind is this - that a rule is prescribed to
priests, that though they preside and possess the first
rank of honour among the people, it is yet under certain
conditions.
We shall now consider only this which the Prophet
says - that Levi faithfully and sincerely performed his
office, because the law of truth was in his mouth, and no
iniquiity was found in his lips; to which we ought yet to
add the general truth which immediately follows - that
the priest's lips ought to keep knowledge. It is then a
law which cannot be abolished, that those who are priests
or pastors in the Church are to be teachers. And not
unwisely does Gregory apply a custom under the law to
this subject; for we know that appended to the priest's
dress were bells; and it is distinctly commanded by
Moses, that the priest should not go forth without this
sound, (Exod. 28: 35.) Gregory, as I have said,
accommodated this to teaching - "Woe," he says, "to us,
if we go forth without sound, that is, if we boast that
we are pastors, and in the meantime are dumb dogs; for
nothing is less tolerable than that he who speaks not in
the Church and whose voice is not clearly heard to the
edification of the people, should be deemed a pastor."
This is what a Roman Pope has said. Let those who now
proudly and confidently boast themselves to be his
successors, at least give the sound, and let us hear what
they teach: but as their whole power is exercised in
cruelty, it is evident how faithfully they keep God's
covenant! But I now return to the words of the Prophet.
He says, that this law has been fixed by God, and
that it cannot be nullified by any decrees or customs of
men, - that the priest is to keep knowledge in his lips.
He farther explains himself by showing that the priest is
to be the keeper of knowledge, not that he may reserve it
for himself, but that he may teach the whole people: they
shall seek, he says, the law from his mouth; and
afterwards he confines knowledge to true doctrine, as it
was to flow from the law of God, the only true fountain
of truth; for he had said, that the law of truth was in
the mouth of Levi. It would not then be enough for one to
have his mouth open and to be prepared to teach others,
except purity of doctrine be retained. We hence see, that
not only teaching is required from priests, but pure
teaching, derived from the very mouth of God, according
to what is said in Ezek. 3: 17, "Thou shalt receive from
my mouth the word, and shalt declare it to them from me."
God shows there that the Prophets had no such authority
as that they could bring forth anything they pleased, or
what they thought would be right, but that they were so
far faithful teachers as they were his disciples alone:
hence he bids him to seek the uord from his mouth; and
then he adds, "Thou shalt declare it to them from my
mouth." So also it is said in Jer. 23: 28, "What is the
chaff to the wheat? The Prophet who has a dream, let him
declare his dream; but he who has my word, let him
declare my word faithfully." Here God limits and defines
the prophetic right, as though he had said, that the
Prophets were not appointed, that they might bring
anything indiscriminately, but that each, according to
the measure of what was revealed to him, might faithfully
dispense, or deliver, as it were from hand to hand, what
he had received from heaven: for by mentioning two
things, it was God's design to show that no doctrine is
to be allowed, except what he himself has revealed; and
he compares to chaff whatever men devise themselves,
while the pure doctrine of the law is to be regarded as
the wheat. This is then the second thing to be noticed in
what the Prophet says in this passage: but we must aIso
consider the last thing - that the priest is the
messenger of the God of hosts.
This seems to have been said in honour of the
priesthood; but the Prophet means that priests have
nothing of their own or separate from God, and that
whatever reverence is due to them ought to be referred to
God himself, whose ministers they are. I have said that
he reasons from the definition itself, as though he had
said, that every one who would be a priest must also be a
teacher. But we must also observe, that there is an
implied comparison between God and priests, as though he
had said, "Priests can claim nothing for themselves, but
as interpreters of God." Hence, the plain conclusion is,
that the priesthood takes away nothing from God's
authority.
We now see that the Prophet includes in these few
words two things of great importance - that there is no
priesthood without doctrine or teaching, and no priest
except he who faithfully performs his office as a
teacher: and secondly, that God resigns not his own right
and power when priests are set over the Church; for God
commits to them the ministration only, and on this
condition, that the authority remains in himself alone;
for otherwise the priest would not be the messenger of
the God of hosts. Among other things the Prophet requires
also this of the priests - that they sincerely perform
their duties. We indeed know that many apparently
discharge their office, and excel in teaching, and
carefully apply to their duties; but ambition stimulates
some and avarice others. Hence the Prophet lays down
another condition - that they are to walk in uprightness
before God; that is, that they are not only to satisfy
men, or to catch at the applause of the world, but to
discharge their office with a pure conscience.
Thus have I shown that there is here set before our
eyes a pattern by which we may know what God requires
from us when he makes us pastors over his Church.
Now follows a reprobation of their conduct, for the
Prophet says, Ye have departed from the way. Since he so
boldly chastises the priests, we hence learn that they
were subject to reproof; and nothing is more unreasonable
than that the Papal clergy should seek to be exempt from
every law and discipline, for the priests are here called
to order, that they might know their own faults: Ye have
departed, he says, from the way, and then, ye have rnade
many to err in the law. This second thing being added,
the priests ought by no means to be spared. When they sin
only privately, though they may by bad examples corrupt
the Church, yet this may somehow be borne with; but when
they corrupt and deprave sound doctrine, when they
subvert the order laid down in the law, they deserve no
indulgence. This is the reason why Malachi so severely
and so boldly reproves them.
He at last adds, Ye have therefore violated the
covenant. This third clause may indeed be explained in
two ways, - that the Prophet proceeds with his reproof,
or that he draws a conclusion from the preceding clauses,
- that they were deservedly stripped of all honour,
because they stood not to the covenant. Now this latter
exposition is the most suitable, according to what I have
already stated. He then as I have said, draws this
conclusion, that their boasting was foolish, that they in
vain said that they were a holy tribe whom God had chosen
to be a peculiar possession to himself, for he says that
the covenant of Levi had been violated by them; and this
clause is set in opposition to the former, in which he
says, ye shall know that my covenant was with Levi. We
said then that the unfaithful ever contrive some disguise
when they are reproved, as though they would deprive God
of his right: so the Levitical priests said, that what
God had once established could not be made void. Under
this pretext, that they were of the holy tribe, they
sought to be deemed holy; the Prophet then said to them,
ye shall know that God's covenant is holy, and that ye
are not holy. So also in this place, Ye have violated the
covenant of Levi, that is, "ye in vain pretend that you
have been chosen by God, and that the honour of your
priesthood has been confirmed to you; for God intended
that his law, laid down by himself, should be kept. As
then ye have violated the covenant of Levi, ye are no
more Levites; as ye are become degenerated children, your
inheritance is rightly taken away from you, and ye are
deprived of the honour of the priesthood.
And corresponding with this view is what follows,
And I have already rendered (or, will render) you
despicable and base to the whole people, as ye have not
kept my ways and had respect of persons in the law. God
first shows that he was now bound by no law, so that he
would not cast away these unfaithful priests who had
broken his covenant. He also adds, that they had respect
to persons in the law, for they coveted gain, and
therefore turned to gratify men, and corrupted the whole
truth of religion; and this is indeed a necessary
consequence, when ambition or avarice bears rule, there
can then be no sincerity, and the teaching of true
religion will be adulterated. I cannot now finish. We
shall consider to-morrow the difference between the
ancient priesthood and that of the Christian Church.
PRAYER.
Grant, Almighty God, that since thou hast deigned to take
us as a priesthood to thyself, and hast chosen us when we
were not only of the lowest condition, but even profane
and alien to all holiness, and hast consecrated us to
thyself by thy Holy Spirit, that we may offer ourselves
as holy victims to thee, - O grant, that we may bear in
mind our office and our calling, and sincerely devote
ourselves to thy service, and so present to thee our
efforts and our labours, that thy name may be truly
glorified in us, and that it may really appear that we
have been in grafted into the body of thy orily-begotten
Son; and as he is the chief and the only true and
perpetual priest, may we become partakers of that
priesthood with which thou hast been pleased to honour
him, so that he may take us as associates to himself; and
may thus thy name be perpetually glorified by the whole
body as well as by the head. - Amen.
Calvin's Commentary on Malachi
(continued in file 7...)
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