John Calvin Commentary Acts 15:10

"Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" — Acts 15:10 (ASV)

Now, therefore, why tempt you? This is the other part of the sermon in which Peter shows how deadly that doctrine is which Paul’s enemies sought to bring in; namely, a doctrine that might drown godly souls in despair. He infers and gathers from the previous part that God is tempted if the Gentiles are forced to keep the law out of necessity; he rises higher and pierces even to the very source.

For he reasons up to this point that the Gentiles would be wronged if more is required from them than God wills. And seeing that he made them equal with the holy people and graciously granted them the honor of adoption, it was an unfitting and inappropriate—indeed, absurd—matter that they should be rejected, and so his generosity would be restricted.

For he says last of all, that this faith is sufficient for them, even if they lack ceremonies. And now he takes a higher principle: that those who tie men’s salvation to the works of the law leave them no solid hope, but rather throw the whole world headlong into horrible destruction if salvation can be obtained by no other means than by keeping the law.

With what arguments he proves this we shall see in their place. Regarding the words, since the Scripture says that God is tempted in various ways, Peter’s meaning is, in this place, that God is provoked as if deliberately when a heavier burden is laid upon men than they are able to bear. His power is confined when that yoke is bound which he loosens, which is nothing else but striving against nature to match ourselves with giants, as they say.

That the yoke should be laid upon their necks. The meaning of the words is plain: God is tempted when a harsher burden is laid upon men’s consciences than they are able to bear, and by this means the salvation of men’s souls is severely shaken, seeing that they must inevitably by this means be drowned in despair, which cannot be without their destruction. But that injury which is done to God is in no way more tolerable when he is robbed of his right, so that he does not have the freedom to deliver us.

But we may easily gather from the matter itself that he does not speak of the ceremonies only. The servitude of the old discipline under the law was hard and laborious; but yet it would be too absurd to call it a yoke that cannot be born. And we know that not only holy men, but also even most hypocrites, did accomplish well and exactly the outward observation of the rites.

Moreover, it would not be any difficult matter to satisfy the moral law if it were content with corporeal obedience only and did not require spiritual righteousness. For many are able to bridle their hands and feet; but to moderate all the affections so that perfect self-control and purity might reign, both in the soul and in the body, this is too difficult a matter.

Therefore, those are too foolish who restrict Peter’s words to ceremonies, words by which the weakness of men to perform the righteousness of the heart is expressed—a righteousness which not only far surpasses their strength but is altogether contrary to nature. These men were, I assure you, deceived by one reason: because the question was raised concerning ceremonies only. But they should recall that Peter, as was fitting for him, considered more attentively and wisely what a labyrinth this error, seemingly insignificant, brought with it.

The false apostles asserted that no one could attain salvation unless he kept the ceremonies. If man’s salvation is tied to works, it will no longer be grounded in the grace of Christ, and so, by this means, free reconciliation will fall flat to the ground. Now, since man’s strength is unable to keep the law, all men are subject to the curse which the Lord there pronounces against the transgressors. And so, by this means, all men will come into danger of despair, since they see themselves guilty of eternal death by the law.

Perhaps the false apostles understood these things craftily. But Peter pierces the very source, so that he might bring to light the deadly poison of that doctrine. And thus we must do, as often as Satan craftily thrusts in wicked errors.

In our day, we seem to some to be too contentious when we so firmly maintain that men must not pray for the dead. For it is a most ancient custom, nor is it an apparently very dangerous thing, even if men pour out superfluous prayer; yet it is indeed a plausible opinion, because it carries some semblance of human godliness.

Furthermore, ignorant men judge thus because they do not seek out the primary source. For, if we grant that men may pray for the dead, we must also admit this: that they are now punished by the judgment of God because they did not make satisfaction in this life for their sins.

And so, by this means, the force of Christ’s satisfaction is transferred to the works of men. Secondly, the rule of praying correctly is overthrown if men may pray haphazardly, without the word of God. This is also too great an absurdity for us to pass over lightly.

In sum, we can never give true judgment on any question unless, having thoroughly examined the source of that doctrine which is called into question, we deduce all consequences which it brings with it.

Therefore, it is no wonder if Peter, so that he might pull the false apostles out (by the ears, as it were) from their lurking dens, disputes generally concerning the whole law. He does nothing else but reveal the matter itself, of which the simple were ignorant, so that they may all see what a deadly doctrine it is, which both extinguishes the grace of Christ and drowns souls in the horrible dungeon of despair.

Neither we nor our fathers. Peter does not only dispute what men have actually done, but what they were able to do; nor does he speak only of the common riff-raff, but of the holy fathers. Seeing that he denies that they were able to bear the yoke of the law, it is clear that the law cannot possibly be kept.

I know that Jerome’s saying is so generally accepted that it is, as it were, an undoubted and most certain maxim: If any man says that it is impossible to keep the law, let him be accursed. But we must not listen to any voice of man which is contrary to the judgment of the Spirit of God.

We hear what the Spirit pronounces in this place by the mouth of Peter, not concerning the will and works of men, but concerning their ability and power. And to this Paul agrees, affirming that it was an impossible thing for the law to give us life, because it was weak through the flesh.

Indeed, if any man were able to fulfill the law, he would find the life which is there promised. But since Paul denies that life can be obtained by the law, it follows that a further and higher righteousness is required there than man is able to perform.

I confess, indeed, that Jerome does not wholly grant to the strength of nature power to fulfill the law, but partly also to the grace of God, as he afterward expounds himself: that a faithful man, helped by the grace of the Spirit, can be said to be able to fulfill the law.

But even that mitigation is not true. For, if we weigh only the strength of nature, men will not only be unable to bear the yoke of the law, but they will not be able to move even a finger to perform the least jot of the law.

And surely if it is true that all the thoughts of man’s mind are wicked from his childhood (Genesis 8:21); that all the inclinations of the flesh are hostile to God (Romans 8:7); that there is none that seeks after God (Psalms 14:3, compare to Romans 3:11); and other such passages which are common in Scripture, tending to the same end, but especially those cited by Paul in Romans chapter 3, then man’s power and ability to fulfill the law will not only be weak and lame, but altogether non-existent to begin with.

Therefore, we must understand that even the very faithful, after being regenerated by the Spirit of God, though they study to attain to the righteousness of the law, nevertheless perform only half, and far less than half, not the whole.

For doubtless Peter does not speak in this place of the epicurean or profane men, but of Abraham, of Moses, and of other holy fathers who were the most perfect in the world; and yet he says that these fainted under the burden of the law because it surpassed their strength.

It is hatefully objected that the Spirit of God is blasphemed when ability to fulfill the law is taken away from his grace and help. But we may readily answer that the question is not what the grace of the Spirit is able to do, but what that measure of grace is able to do which God divides to every one in this life.

For we must always consider what God promises to do; nor should we unadvisedly ask this question: whether that can be done which he himself testifies will never be, and which he does not intend to be done? He promises the grace and aid of the Spirit to the faithful, by which they may be able to resist the lusts of the flesh and to subdue them; yet they will not quite abolish and drive them away.

He promises them grace, by which they may walk in newness of life; yet they will not be able to run as swiftly as the law requires. For he will have them kept humbled during their whole life, so that they may flee to beg for pardon.

If it is unlawful to separate God’s power from his counsel and the order he has established, it is a foolish and vain objection by which the adversaries try to burden us when they say that we diminish the power of God. On the contrary, they transform God when they hold that his counsel and purpose can be altered.

The Pelagians formerly, in a similar way, burdened Augustine. He answered that though it is possible for the law to be fulfilled, yet it is sufficient for him that no man has ever fulfilled it, and that the Scripture does not testify that it will be fulfilled until the end of the world.

By these words, he delivers himself from their persistent subtlety. But there was no reason for him to doubt; rather, he should have freely and flatly granted that it could be fulfilled, with the Holy Spirit as the author. For we must understand the grace of the Spirit in accordance with the promises. Furthermore, we have already stated how far the promises extend.

There is no one who raises any question concerning this: whether God is not able, if he wills, to make men perfect. But those act foolishly who separate his power from his counsel, of which they have an evident and plain testimony in the Scripture. God plainly declares a hundred times what he wills and what he has determined to do: to go any further is sacrilege.

Jerome was compelled by reason of philosophy to hurl out the thunderbolt of his curse against Peter and Paul, because laws must be suited to the ability of those for whom they are appointed. This principle, I confess, applies to man’s laws, but I utterly deny that it holds true regarding the law of God, which, in exacting righteousness, does not consider what man is able to do, but what he ought to do.

Though here a harder question arises: “Was not the law given for this purpose, that it might enforce men to obey God? And this would be in vain, unless the Spirit of God should direct the faithful to keep it. And the solemn protestation of Moses seems to put the matter out of doubt when he says that he gives precepts to the Jews, not such as they may only read, but indeed fulfill (Deuteronomy 30:12). From which we gather that the yoke was laid upon the neck of the Jews when the law was given, so that it might make them subject to God, that they might not live as they pleased.”

I answer that the law is considered a yoke in two ways. For, insofar as it bridles the lusts of the flesh and delivers a rule of godly and holy life, it is fitting that the children of God take this yoke upon themselves. But, insofar as it exactly prescribes what we owe to God, and does not promise life without adding the condition of perfect obedience, and again pronounces a curse if we should offend in any point, it is a yoke which no man is able to bear. I will show this more plainly.

The plain doctrine of a good life, in which God invites us to himself, is a yoke which we must all willingly take up; for there is nothing more absurd than that God should not govern man’s life, but that man should wander at pleasure without any bridle. Therefore, we must not refuse the yoke of the law, if the simple doctrine of it is considered. But these sayings otherwise qualify (that I may so term it) the law.

He who shall do these things shall live in them, etc.
(Leviticus 18:5)

Again, Cursed is he who does not continue in all things which are written
(Deuteronomy 27:26),

so that it may begin to be a yoke which no man can bear.

For, as long as salvation is promised to the perfect keeping of the law alone, and every transgression is called into judgment, mankind is utterly undone. In this respect Peter affirms that God is tempted when man’s arrogance burdens the consciences of men with the law.

For it is not his purpose to deny that men must be governed by the doctrine of the law, and so he grants that they are under the law not simply to teach, but also to humble men with the guilt of eternal death. Considering that this quality was annexed to doctrine, he affirms that the souls of the godly must not be tied with the yoke of the law, because by this means it would necessarily follow that they should be drowned in eternal destruction.

But when not only the grace of the Holy Spirit is present to govern us, but also free forgiveness of sins to deliver and acquit us from the curse of the law, then that saying of Moses is fulfilled, that the commandment is not above us (Deuteronomy 30:11). And then we also perceive how sweet the yoke of Christ is, and how light his burden is (Matthew 11:30).

For, because we know that through the mercy of God what is lacking in us through the infirmity of the flesh is forgiven, we cheerfully and without any grief take upon ourselves what he enjoins us. Therefore, so that the rigor of the law is taken away, the doctrine of the law will not only be tolerable but also joyful and pleasant; nor must we refuse the bridle which governs us mildly and does not urge us more harshly than is expedient.