Paused for a glass of wine

Calvin on wine/drinking

Calvin wrote: "Certainly ivory and gold, and riches, are the good creatures of God, permitted, nay destined, by divine providence for the use of man; nor was it ever forbidden to laugh, or to be full, or to add new to old and hereditary possessions, or to be delighted with music, or to drink wine.” 

— Institutes, Book III, Chapter 19 (on Christian liberty / the Christian life).

This sentence from John Calvin's Institutes can be understood as a statement about Christian liberty and the goodness of God's creation.

In simple terms, Calvin is saying that God created good things for people to use and enjoy. He is pushing back against the idea that Christians must live a life of extreme self-denial. Instead, he argues that things like:

• Riches (ivory, gold, etc.): These are not inherently evil. They are created by God and are meant to be used by humanity.

• Laughter and enjoyment: It's okay to have fun and be content.

• Having enough to eat: It is not a sin to be "full" and satisfied.

• Acquiring possessions: It's fine to inherit or gain wealth.

• Music: Enjoying music is perfectly acceptable.

• Drinking wine: This is also allowed.

The core message is that God has given people these blessings to use and appreciate. The key is to do so without excess, recognizing them as gifts from a generous Creator. Calvin is making the point that the Bible never prohibits these things, so we should not create new rules that God himself did not establish. He argues that the focus should be on the proper use of these gifts, not on abstaining from them entirely.

Calvin said, “We are nowhere forbidden to laugh, or to be satisfied with food, or to be delighted with music, or to drink wine.” Why not?

You'd better take a break to drink a glass of wine, which you love very much, and then you will resume writing. As a Presbyterian pastor, you follow John Calvin. Do not fight and quarrel, yet you always fight and quarrel. Fighting and quarreling are bad for your health.