Calvin's Knowledge
Our knowledge of God is evident to us through scripture, nature, and other people. However it is difficult to understand what knowledge of God actually is. In addition, it is hard to know where this knowledge begins. When the truth is that with knowledge of God comes knowledge of self and vice-versa. These two conditions build off of each other, much like a cycle. Calvin states that knowledge of God is knowledge of oneself. If one understands who God is they inevitably also finds themselves. God is truly righteous and purely good. He is perfect and nothing in the entire world can compare to him. To know God is to understand his complete goodness and that He is free of sin. Knowing God means knowing what sin is. Humans are tainted with wickedness
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If one is self aware of their own corruption then they must be comparing oneself to a perfect being without any faults. How else would one know his own faults without a faultless figure to compare to. Calvin confirms this by saying “Thus, from the feeling of our own ignorance, vanity, poverty, infirmity, and -- what is more-- depravity and corruption, we recognize that the true light of wisdom, sound virtue, full abundance of every good, and purity of righteousness rest in the world alone” To know one is a sinful being if to understand they are inadequate. In order to be inadequate there must be something adequate to base judgement upon. This sufficient thing is God. Calvin also states that our talents are proof of God. Knowing oneself means knowing where one excels and where they fail to excel . “The mighty gifts with which we are endowed are hardly from ourselves, indeed, our very being is nothing but the substinance in the one God” (211). When a girl has a beautiful singing voice, she did not do anything to earn that voice. She was born with a talent of signing. Likewise if a girl is born with a bad singing voice, she did nothing to recieve the lack of the gift of singing. These gifts are bestowed upon people. Therefore there must be a bestower. If someone knows themself well enough to know their talents, they know that something must have given that talent to
If one is self aware of their own corruption then they must be comparing oneself to a perfect being without any faults. How else would one know his own faults without a faultless figure to compare to. Calvin confirms this by saying “Thus, from the feeling of our own ignorance, vanity, poverty, infirmity, and -- what is more-- depravity and corruption, we recognize that the true light of wisdom, sound virtue, full abundance of every good, and purity of righteousness rest in the world alone” To know one is a sinful being if to understand they are inadequate. In order to be inadequate there must be something adequate to base judgement upon. This sufficient thing is God. Calvin also states that our talents are proof of God. Knowing oneself means knowing where one excels and where they fail to excel . “The mighty gifts with which we are endowed are hardly from ourselves, indeed, our very being is nothing but the substinance in the one God” (211). When a girl has a beautiful singing voice, she did not do anything to earn that voice. She was born with a talent of signing. Likewise if a girl is born with a bad singing voice, she did nothing to recieve the lack of the gift of singing. These gifts are bestowed upon people. Therefore there must be a bestower. If someone knows themself well enough to know their talents, they know that something must have given that talent to