Christ's abasement, with the view of intimating indirectly, 1843 that nothing
John Calvin that it is a minister of God that speaks, and that he discharges his office faithfully. I return to Paul. As the confirmation of his ministry had been so decided among the Corinthians, inasmuch as the Lord had shown himself openly, it is not to be wondered, if he takes it so much amiss, that he meets with resistance. On good grounds, truly, 1842 might he throw back upon them, as he does, the reproach, that they were rebels against Christ.
4. For though he was crucified. He speaks, with particular intention, of Christ's abasement, with the view of intimating indirectly, 1843 that nothing was despised in him, but what they would have been prepared to despise, also, in Christ himself, inasmuch as he emptied himself, even to the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8.)
He shows, however, at the same time, how absurd it is to despise in Christ 1844 the abasement of the cross, inasmuch as it is conjoined with the incomparable glory of his resurrection. "Shall Christ be esteemed by you the less, because he showed signs of weakness in his death, as if his heavenly life, that he leads subsequently to his resurrection, were not a clear token of his Divine power?" For as the term flesh here means Christ's human nature, 1845 so the word God is taken here to denote his Divinity. Here, however, a question arises — whether Christ labored under such infirmity as to be subjected to necessity against his will; for, what we suffer through weakness, we suffer from constraint, and not from our own choice. As the Arians of old abused this pretext for effectually opposing the divinity of Christ, the orthodox Fathers gave this explanation of it — that it was effected by appointment, inasmuch as Christ so desired, and not from his being constrained by any necessity. This answer is true, provided it be properly understood. There are some, however, that mistakenly extend the appointment to Christ's human will — as if this were not the condition of his nature, but a permission contrary to his nature. For example: "His dying," they say, "did not happen because his humanity was, properly speaking, liable to death, but by appointment, because he chose to die." I grant, indeed, that he died, because he chose to do so; but, whence came this choice, but from this — that he had, of his own accord, clothed himself with a mortal nature 1846 If, however, we make Christ's human nature so unlike ours, the main support of our faith is overturned. Let us, therefore, understand it in this way — that Christ suffered by appointment, not by constraint, because, being in the form of God he could have exempted himself from this necessity, but, nevertheless, he suffered through weakness, because he emptied himself
1842"Tant y a qu'il auoit bonne occasion et droict;" — "To such an extent had he good occasion and right."
1843"Afin de donner taeitement & entendre;" — "That he may tacitly give them to understand."
1844"En nostre Seigneur Iesus;" — "In our Lord Jesus." 1845"Car comme que par infirmite, est yet signifiee l'humanite de Christ;" — "For as by weakness is here meant the humanity of Christ."
1846"Nostre nature mortelle;" — "Our mortal nature."