5 Criticisms of Martin Luther by John Calvin

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In honor of the 500th birthday of John Calvin (July 10th), I am presenting some short 5-part lists related to Calvin. Hopefully these lists will shed a little light on this important man and encourage readers to further study his life and works.

John Calvin and Martin Luther were the two principle figures of the Protestant Reformation. While they had much in common, Calvin was critical of Luther in these 5 areas. The first four are mentioned in a letter that Calvin wrote to Martin Bucer in 1538.

Calvin thought Luther to have a craving for victory.
Calvin did not like Luther’s haughty manner and abusive language.
Calvin thought that Luther demonstrated ignorance and most gross delusions.
Calvin did not favor Luther’s insolent fury.
Calvin criticized Luther’s scholarship as careless about propriety of expression or historical context.

It is interesting (at least to me) that you can hear these same criticisms tossed about today amongst Christian leaders. One could almost insert the name John MacArthur for Calvin and Mark Driscoll for Luther and keep the list intact.

I am grateful for both Luther and Calvin — even in the midst of criticisms. Likewise I am grateful for both MacArthur and Driscoll.

* Info taken from John Calvin: A Sixteenth-Century Portrait