Die ontwikkeling van ’n Nagmaalsleer: Calvyn en Westphal

Abstract

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DOCTRINE OF COMMUNION: CALVIN AND WESTPHAL Although references to the polemic writings of Calvin against Joachim Westphal of Hamburg are not infrequent, there is a lack of recent specific studies. In this article a resumé is given of Calvin' s doctrine of the Lord' s Supper as found in his 'Last Admonition to Joachim Westphal'' of 1557-the last and most detailed of the three works against Westphal and his allies. As this conflict had a definite influence on the development of the 1559 edition of Calvin' s Institutes, it is deemed necessary to take a new look at this document. The consensus with Bullinger which was published in 1551, the so-called Consensus Tigurinus, set the attacks of Westphal going against Calvin. Several of the heads of the Consensus are to be identified in the "Last Admonition'. After a brief historical background, these (nine in all) are used to systematize Calvin' s doctrine on the Lord' s Supper.