John Calvin Commentary Acts 3:25

"Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." — Acts 3:25 (ASV)

You are the children. He signifies that the grace of the covenant was appointed principally for them, the covenant that God made with their fathers. And so, just as he spurred them on to obey the gospel by terrifying them with the terror of punishment, so he now allures them again to receive the grace that is offered them in Christ; so that we see how God omits nothing by which he may bring us to himself.

And it is the duty of a wise minister to so spur on the sluggish and indolent that he gently leads those who are teachable. We must also diligently note this course of teaching, where Peter shows that the gospel is assigned and appointed to the Jews.

For it is not sufficient to have the mercy of God preached to us generally, unless we also know that it is offered to us by the specific ordinance of God. For this reason Paul insists so much on affirming the calling of the Gentiles (Romans 15:18; Ephesians 3:3–4), because, if anyone should think that the gospel came to him by chance, when it was scattered here and there, faith would falter; indeed, there would be a doubtful opinion instead of faith.

Therefore, so that we may steadfastly believe the promise of salvation, this application (as I may so term it) is necessary: that God does not cast forth uncertain voices, such that they hang in the air, but that he directs them to us by his certain and determinate counsel. Peter tells the Jews that Christ is promised to them in this manner, so that they may more willingly embrace him. And how does he prove this? Because they are the children of the prophets and of the covenant. He calls them the children of the prophets, who were of the same nation and therefore heirs of the covenant, which belonged to the whole body of the people. For he argues thus: God made his covenant with our fathers; therefore we, who are their posterity, are comprehended in the covenant.

By this the doting subtlety of the Anabaptists is refuted, who expound "the children of Abraham" only allegorically, as if God had no respect for his offspring when he said, I will be the God of thy seed (Genesis 17:7). Certainly, Peter does not speak in this place of the shadows of the law; but he affirms that this holds true under the kingdom of Christ, that God adopts the children together with the fathers. Consequently, the grace of salvation may be extended to those who are not yet born (Romans 9:7). I grant, indeed, that many who are the children of the faithful according to the flesh are counted bastards, and not legitimate, because they exclude themselves from the holy progeny through their unbelief.

But this in no way hinders the Lord from calling and admitting the seed of the godly into fellowship of grace. And so, although the common election may not be effectual in all, yet it may open a gate for the special elect. As Paul discusses in Romans 11 (Romans 11:23), from where we must seek an answer for this question.

And in thy seed. He proves that the covenant was made with the fathers, because God said to Abraham,

In thy seed shall all nations be blessed, (Genesis 22:18).

But if we admit Paul’s interpretation, this testimony will not support the present argument. Paul teaches that Christ is this seed (Galatians 3:16). If the blessing is promised to all mankind by Christ, what is this to the special or particular privilege of one nation? Secondly, Peter himself seems shortly after to subscribe to this exposition of Paul, when he says that Christ was sent so that in him the Jews may be blessed.

For this could not be, unless Christ were that blessed seed. I answer, when Paul refers it to Christ, he does not focus on the word seed, but he has respect to a higher thing; namely, that it cannot be one seed unless it is united and knit together in Christ, as in the Head.

For Ishmael and Isaac, although both of them are the sons of Abraham, yet they do not make one seed, because they are divided into two peoples. Therefore, though many are estranged from the family of Abraham, who came from him according to the flesh, yet Moses notes one certain body when he promises the blessing to the seed of Abraham. And from where does the unity come, except only from the Head, which is Christ? In this sense Paul understands this word seed of Christ, although it is a collective noun; because, if you depart from him, the posterity of Abraham will be like torn members, nor will there be anything else in them except mere ruin and scattering abroad. Peter agrees with that doctrine, because he so extends the blessing to all the people, that he nevertheless seeks the fountain in Christ.

Secondly, inasmuch as the Jews do what they can to wrest this testimony from us, godly readers must arm themselves against their cavils; and all the more so because Christian writers have been too slack in this point, as I have said in the Epistle to the Galatians.

First, concerning the word seed, there is no cause why they should prattle that Paul does not rightly restrict it to Christ; for he does not do this simply, but in that respect of which I have spoken. In this point, I confess, both our Latin and Greek interpreters have erred.

Now, we must see what this manner of speech imports. "The Gentiles shall be blessed in the seed of Abraham." Our commentators think that some cause is noted; namely, that through that seed the Gentiles shall be blessed. The Jews toss this to and fro, because this phrase signifies everywhere in the Scriptures an example or similitude; as, on the other hand, to be cursed in Sodom, in Israel, or in another people, is to take them for a notable example of a curse.

I answer that it is an ambiguous phrase, and interpreted in various ways according to the context of the passages, a fact which the Jews craftily conceal. For they gather many passages from which they prove that a comparison is made, as if to say, "The Gentiles shall desire to be blessed like the seed of Abraham."

But when the Scripture says elsewhere, They shall bless themselves in the living God (Jeremiah 4:2; Isaiah 65:16), and again, Do bless in the name of the Lord (Deuteronomy 10:8), and in other similar passages, who does not see that a cause is expressed? Therefore, I say that this form of speech should be understood according to the context of the passages.

And now, since I have declared that the seed of Abraham can be found nowhere else but in Christ, it remains for us to consider the nature of Christ's office. So it will appear, undoubtedly, that he is not made a mere example or pattern, but that the blessing is truly promised to him, because without him we are all accursed. Yet one doubt remains: for certainly both these are spoken in one sense, They shall be blessed in thee, and in thy seed. But Abraham was nothing more than a type or mirror of the blessing. I answer that in the person of Abraham, that body is also indicated which depends upon one head and is knit together in him.

All the families. The Jews grossly expound this as meaning that all nations will desire to be blessed like the seed of Abraham. But we say otherwise: that they will be grafted into the society. For the name of Abraham tends to this end, because it was to come to pass that God would gather all people to him.

Also, when the prophets wish to declare the force of this, they foretell everywhere that the inheritance of salvation will be common to the Gentiles. And by this it appears that the covenant of God, which then belonged to the Jews alone, is not only common to all people but is expressly made with us; otherwise, we could not conceive from the gospel that hope of salvation which is sufficiently firm.

Therefore, let us not allow this promise to be wrested from us, which is, as it were, a solemn declaration by which the Lord makes us his heirs together with the fathers. Peter also had regard to this when he says shortly after that Christ was first sent to the Jews, for he signifies that the Gentiles also have their order, though it is secondary.