Wow, I am a Catholic and this video series is fascinating.

What a revelation, I had been reading a book about the Huguenots, about the burnings, and of the women who supported the gospellers but hadn’t picked up these details about Calvin. I knew that Anne Boleyn had been at the French court and I understand she may have been a terrific influence for Lutheranism in the English Court. We were taught in school in the 60’s about the English martyrs but I hadn’t realised till recently how much we owe to so many french Protestants who gave their lives for the truth.

I am a Swiss reformed Christian with Jesus living in me. Our God has a plan and He will fulfill His perfect plan. Glory to Him!

You made me love and appreciate John Calvin, your lecture is so super!

grateful for all this work, thanks.

It's funny I went to a Calvinists school and Calvinist church. I now know more about John Calvin than I have ever known. Thank you so much for this.

Thank you for all your studies and talks on the early church so good and informative.

Thanks for posting this. Good teacher, nice and serious, and careful with his words.

I have heard my whole life about the French Huguenots coming to America to escape persecution as many ended up in my hometown, Charleston SC. Now I see how this all fits into the big story of God.

Excellent, thank you for this excellent teaching. I look forward to starting your series from the beginning.

Wonderful lecture! I needed a better background to understand your new series on the Presbyterian Church in America, and who better to turn to, than the author of that new series himself? Thank you. And now for the lecture that follows.

You have improved my image of Calvin greatly. I was going to ask you about Michael Servetus myself, but then you answered my question. You have a relaxed ease to your lectures that make me regret my on-line degree and lack of face-to-face interaction. My university preaches "salvation by faith" but I was born in a Reformed Church which is "salvation by grace". Luther's "justification by faith" makes sense when compared to Catholic doctrine but is there any middle ground between faith and grace. The one extreme view makes certain Bible passages become clear but then the reverse is true for others. At the moment my view is that the way to salvation is God's plan and it is an unfathomable combination of both.

Bruce ..great job!

Sad the way things go - Christ is King. Lord Jesus humble of heat make my heart like unto Thine.

Bruce, I just stumbled upon your site last night when I found it hard to sleep. I have now listened to about 5 hours of your lectures. Very well done. But I always hit a bit of a speed bump when I learn that an otherwise good bible teacher is a Calvinist. I'm sure you have heard of Steve Gregg or Leighton Flowers. Both are very good, but I would put Steve Gregg into a category of great bible teacher. We are never to old or smart to give something a second look. I hope and you and your listeners will. Blessings.

Bruce Gore has given us a good introduction to a much misunderstood man. Karl Barth, who refused to take his oath of allegiance to Hitler and the evil Third Reich, said he could spend the rest of his life reading and researching Calvin.

Thank you so much for uploading this!.

This is very interesting.

God has once more amazed my heart with his revelations of his grace and merciful love for his chosen Souls, Praise and Glory for the Lord God Almighty Creator of all things and l will with the the help of Gods Spirit give the balance of my life to his Work, I found the Truth Jesus late in life but it was Not so from the beginning of the foundations of time, Amen, Praise the Lord God for his everlasting grace,*!*¤*!!!

Bruce thank you very much for putting all these lectures out for free I can't get enough! I was curious what the source for the 'old man incident' was. I was distinctly moved by that.

Thankyou, this was fascinating. Thank GOD for John Calvin.

fantastic video. Thanks for making this available

Great video, thank you very much , note to self(nts) watched all in it 42:25

Sovereign grace preaching produces the best disciples because they are the true disciples! The Elect. I praise and bless God that He had mercy on me and did not leave me to my dead free will! I my life, love and allegiance to the Triune God alone and not to a faith that appeases sinful and ungodly men! Stand firm those of you who know and love the truth.

Me thinks we tend to put way to much emphasis on men and movements. The only thing that really matters is scripture. As a good Reformed preacher once said, “Sola Scriptura”. 1 Corinthians 1:10-14 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be NO DIVISIONS among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the SAME MIND and in the SAME JUDGEMENT. 11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you. This was the heart of Paul, but it is also the heart of Christ.

Idk how accurate this is but it was awesome (P.s - sources in description???)

One of the greatest Christian thinkers

Interesting, I am trying to find out more about John Calvin in order to understand the point of view of dispensationalists who do not agree with him.

I just wish you could have had told us what he said

It is funny ☺️ the way he pronounces Jean Calvin and I like it. Great lecture great work. Merci beaucoup Monsieur Bruce.

“Young Man, have you heard of God’s free gift?” The Roman Catholic Church taught salvation by allegiance to the church, rites, rituals, and indulgences (payment for sin). This was a new question; it confused and startled him. One week later, as he was walking home, he saw a crowd assembled. He saw the old man, who had grabbed him on the street, being tied to a stake. He watched as the fire was lit. As he watched the flames began to rise, the old man began to sing Martin Luther’s glorious hymn, A Mighty Fortress is our God. He watched the flames take hold, the old man’s voice was silenced. He was shaken. He would never be the same. The old man was a Huguenot: French Protestants, also called Gospellers because of their dedication to the Bible. Calvin had great disdain for the Huguenots. He thought they were damaging the church, and he supported every effort to stamp out this heretical movement. He watched as his cousin, Peter Robert, also a brilliant student, began subtlety identifying with the Gospelers. He knew Peter Robert was leaning towards heresy, and he feared having to report his cousin to the church knowing he could be burned at the stake, just like the old man had been." foundationchurch.org/blogarchive/2017/8/9/john-calvin

Sorry for not knowing what guitar piece is played at end of you discussion

Hello Bruce, do you have a preferred biography for Calvin? Is it the Bouwsma book?

@31:14 the speaker says Calvin Asked them about 3 questions. Then doesn't mention them or anything of Calvin's speech, then goes on to give a Franciscan's response and actually reads it.... what gives!!! What did Calvin say, why isn't it mentioned, surely that is most relevant.

Is this Whitworth University? I often regret not attending such a beautiful institution. I am converting from Catholicism to Eastern Orthodoxy, but "Love should not be sacrificed for the sake of dogmatic differences" (St. Nektarios) and I was treated incredibly well during my visits.

May i know the source about the Gospellers and the story about one of them being burned at the stake while singing. I really interested in studying it, thank you very much. Be blessed.

There is a very simple problem with the dogma of “once saved, always saved.” That problem is that it is just not biblical! The truth is, the dogma of “once saved, always saved” is part of the doctrines and commandments of men. Consider Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23 → Galatians 1:6-20 and II John 1:7-11!

It was Calvin who also wrote about Carpe Diem?

nice video

Thank you so much for this series on Church History. I live in Texas where the Catholic Church is trying to take over Protestant Churches. We have the bizarre situation of Italian Catholics trying to suggest they represent the Presbyterian Church. My family are long time Presbyterians and Calvinists and we are constantly being attacked by Black Presbyterian Catholics who feel that all Presbyterians must be Black and Catholic and Homosexual. John Knox is turning over in his grave, needless to say. This strange mix of racism and Catholicism is also taught by our preachers in Presbyterian Churches. So whatever you can do to educate people is most appreciated. I always pray for non violent cooperation between all faiths, but the Catholic Church particularly in Texas is using our medical system to violently persecute Protestants by poisoning them with diseases and then bankrupting their families through medical bills and killing people through disease. They gleefully use this medical persecution as their modern form of burning people at the stake which they feel they can get away with, avoiding criminal prosecution through deceit. Meanwhile our Presbyterian Preachers smile and preach as if this persecution is all just fine as they become Catholic servants to a new Catholic economic aristocracy. Thank you for this history. I pray that all people find a way to restore Democratic freedom of religion to America and return our medical system to devotion to healing and compassion, rescuing it from the religious sadists who pervert it into persecution. Anything you can do to expose these modern medical and religious crimes would be greatly appreciated.

You can check out what John Calvin believes from his magnum opus Systematic Theology book for free, his audiobook on the Institutes of the Christian Religion Vol 1 can be found on KZfaq for free here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/q796kttiqc7Kfmg.htmlsi=9QwfKlz93LTvZ_z4 😊 Enjoy!

Can someone please link a source regarding .I am not able to find anything online regarding that incident and would be helpful if someone showed me a source to back up that event,thank you.

Hi Bruce. I am currently writing my term paper for Western History II on Calvin and am wondering if you can provide a source for the incident with the old man burning at the stake around the 8:00 mark. I think it's a good story to include in my paper but sadly can't include something like that without the proper citations.

Bruce, if the Diogenes metaphor was accurate and he threw feces at people do you imagine in this context Calvin would throw bibles at people? :D

Come on ! The man was known as the Protestant Pope in Geneva !

I like those Libertines! Where can I learn more.

Calvin nevertheless became a persecutor himself...Cannot be denied

He threatened Sevetus that he would not let him leave Geneva and argued for his hanging not clemency

Guillaume Farel, for goodness sake

Dr. Gore at 36:58-37:05: "I mention to you on the side, I read one chapter out of the Institutes every day. It's just good for your soul." Response: Such as Book IV, Chapter 18, No. 1? "By these and similar inventions, Satan has attempted to adulterate and envelop the sacred Supper of Christ as with thick darkness, that its purity might not be preserved in the Church. But the head of this horrid abomination was, when he raised a sign by which it was not only obscured and perverted, but altogether obliterated and abolished, vanished away and disappeared from the memory of man-namely, when, with most pestilential error, he blinded almost the whole world into the belief that the Mass was a sacrifice and oblation for obtaining the remission of sins. I say nothing as to the way in which the sounder Schoolmen at first received this dogma.I leave them with their puzzling subtleties, which, however they may be defended by cavilling, are to be repudiated by all good men, because, all they do is to envelop the brightness of the Supper in great darkness. Bidding adieu to them, therefore, let my readers understand that I am here combating that opinion with which the ROMAN ANTICHRIST and his prophets have imbued the whole world- viz. that the mass is a work by which the priest who offers Christ, and the others who in the oblation receive him, gain merit with God, or that it is an expiatory victim by which they regain the favour of God. And this is not merely the common opinion of the vulgar, but the very act has been so arranged as to be a kind of propitiation, by which satisfaction is made to God for the living and the dead. This is also expressed by the words employed, and the same thing may be inferred from daily practice. I am aware how deeply this plague has struck its roots; under what a semblance of good it conceals its true character, bearing the name of Christ before it, and making many believe that under the single name of Mass is comprehended the whole sum of faith. But when it shall have been most clearly proved by the word of God, THAT THIS MASS, HOWEVER GLOSSED AND SPLENDID, OFFERS THE GREATEST INSULT TO CHRIST, suppresses and buries his cross, consigns his death to oblivion, takes away the benefit which it was designed to convey, enervates and dissipates the sacrament, by which the remembrance of his death was retained, will its roots be so deep that this most powerful axe, the word of God, will not cut it down and destroy it? Will any semblance be so specious that this light will not expose the lurking evil?" [Beveridge translation, P. 866, ntslibrary website, John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, pdf 874 of 944] Or perhaps from Book III, Chapter 21, No. 7 ? "We say, then, that Scripture clearly proves this much, that GOD by his eternal and immutable counsel DETERMINED once for all those whom it was his PLEASURE one day to admit to salvation, and those whom, on the other hand, it was his PLEASURE to doom to destruction." [Beveridge translation, P. 571, ntslibrary website, John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, pdf page 579 of 944]

MrsG I extend to you some sympathy... I can imagine entering into a "discussion" of some disagreement with this "logic chopper" :-))

When Presbyterian was found in which year

All these God Informers; and so few informed by God.

There is a different story about Jacques Gruet leaving a note that said: "Gross hypocrite, thou and thy companions will gain little by your pains. If you do not save yourselves by flight, nobody shall prevent your overthrow, and you will curse the hour when you left your monkery. Warning has been already given that the devil and his renegade priests were come hither to ruin every thing. But after people have suffered long they avenge themselves. Take care that you are not served like Mons. Verle of Fribourg." This admonishment was taken as a threat. It certainly hurt Calvin's feelings as it reminded him of his previous flight from Geneva. Gruet called Calvin a Liar and warned him of consequences, though dd not state that he would be the cause of such consequences.

LoL, I loved that "IN - YOUR - DREAMS".

john public you need to understand what you criticize. If you do understand that your comment is a strawman then God forgive you for your false testimony.

Please. Español !!!

Justification without works would have been persuasive, meaning all your sins have already been forgiven, so you are free to live a life of licentiousness & still get to Heaven. It would have meant an easy way to Heaven whereas Jesus said: "it was a hard road leading to life [Heaven]. Also: "if you want to be my disciple you must take up your cross daily and follow me". Jesus words: "Faith without works is dead is neglected, also."

Wow,the libertines sound like the Liberals of today!

Interesting, Calvin creates the so called “Marks of the True Church” (35:37), and effectively, single-handedly creates THE STANDARD (??) of what the true church should look like. Of course, in this process Calvin disregard Jesus appointment of Peter to run His Church, and the historical facts (not religious) of apostolic succession and how it inevitably brings you back to the Catholic Church. I mean, to heck with the reality and weight of Jesus orders…if it feels right do it and yet somehow we ended up with 30,000 to 40,000 so called “churches/denominations”, all of them supposedly guided by the Holy Spirit. All this would be so comical if it wasn’t so tragic. I wonder how a protestant or whatever you call yourself, answer to this short statement and question from Jesus (if it comes up) on judgement day: “I told you to receive My Body and Blood and you refuse to (Luke 22:19-20), I ask you to confess your sins to one another and you refuse that as well (James 5:16); I put Peter in charge of My Church (Matthew 16:18) and when was invaded by corruption you opted abandon Her and create your own 40,000 variations of My Church instead of defending the one I gave you. Why should I let you in?” …. Please come home.