John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 3:20

"Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand." — Ezekiel 3:20 (ASV)

Here God adds another part of the duty which is required of all Prophets. For they are first sent to bring back into the way those who had been alienated from God, then to retain those who are already within the flock, and to lead those onward to the goal who have already started on the path.

We see, therefore, that Prophets should be occupied with both duties, so that they may not only recall to their obedience to God those who wander after their own lusts, but also confirm those who are, of their own accord, teachable already, and encourage them to persevere, and prevent them from falling away.

Hence, after God has spoken concerning the correction of sinners who had strayed, He now adds another part. If, He says, the righteous man turns aside from his righteousness, and you have not admonished him, he shall die, and I will require his blood at your hand. By this, God signifies that Prophets are guilty, not only if they do not exhort those who have withdrawn from the right way to retrace their steps, but also if they do not retain within their duty those who have already started on the right path.

We must then have two aims in view: to recall those who have fallen into various errors, and to take care that those within the fold should not fall away, but be strengthened in perseverance. Hence it is now added, If the righteous turns aside, he indeed will die, but I will require his blood.

Here it may be asked, how can the righteous turn aside, since there is no righteousness without the Spirit of regeneration? But the seed of the Spirit is incorruptible (1 Peter 1:23), nor can it ever happen that His grace is utterly extinguished; for the Spirit is the earnest and seal of our adoption, for God’s adoption is without repentance, as Paul says (Romans 11:29).

Hence it may seem absurd to say, that the righteous recedes and turns aside from the right way. That passage of John is well known—if they had been of us, they had remained with us (1 John 2:19), but because they have departed, that falling away proves sufficiently that they were never ours.

But we must note here that righteousness is so termed in this context when it has only the outward appearance and not the root; for when once the Spirit of regeneration begins to flourish, as I have said, it remains perpetually. And we will sometimes see men carried along with a wonderful ardor of zeal for the worship of God, and urged to promote His glory beyond even the very best men; indeed we will see this, but, as Paul says, God knows those who are His own (2 Timothy 2:19).

Hence it is not surprising that God, under the name of righteousness, here commends virtues which deserve praise before men, even if they do not spring from a pure fountain. Thus we see it often happens that the righteous are alienated and turn aside from the right way. This passage, then, should stir us up to seek from God continually a spirit of perseverance, because such is our propensity to sin, that we immediately flow in different directions like water, unless God strengthens us.

When therefore we see the righteous themselves depart from the way, let us take heed and become sure of the constancy of our own faith, only let our confidence be founded on the help of the Holy Spirit and not in ourselves. In the meantime, we see that Christ did not pronounce this passage in vain: Happy are those who persevere unto the end (Matthew 24:13), because many fall away in the middle of their course, or reversing their steps, turn their backs upon God.

Now we must carefully note what follows, his righteousness will not be remembered, because some desire to bargain with God, so that if for a time they begin pursuing piety, that may be taken into account and count in their favor. But we hear what God pronounces, all their righteousness will not be remembered in the case of backsliders. There is no encouragement to flatter ourselves into sloth and security, when God shows that unless we continue to the end, even to the goal of our course, whatever else we attain is useless.

He says, as clearly as words will express it, if he falls away, or recedes, or turns aside from his righteousness and commits iniquity. We must note this diligently, because we know that the very best men often fall away; but here a falling away is intended, where anyone casts himself headlong into impiety. Hence to commit iniquity is to give oneself up entirely to impiety; as when John says that those who are born again of the Spirit of God do not commit sin (1 John 3:9), he means they are not addicted to sin, even if they still dwell among many infirmities and failings; as Paul also says, that sin dwells in us, but does not reign (Romans 6:12).

Hence to commit sin is to give oneself up to sin. But God says, I will place—or, interpreting the grammatical form, "for placing," or "if I will have placed"—a stumblingblock before his face. Punishment is here called a stumblingblock when God demonstrates His vengeance against apostates. Although a stumblingblock may also be termed actual admonition, so to speak, I consider that interpretation too far-fetched.

I understand it simply, and punctuate the passage as follows: if the righteous has turned aside, but I will have rendered the reward which he deserved, then he will die; because you have not admonished him: in his unrighteousness he will die. I punctuate it this way because interpreters seem to me to have improperly merged the statements "he will die" and "he will die in his iniquity."

Now the threat we have already seen is repeated: namely, that all prophets who have deserted their office are guilty before God, because their negligence differs little from treachery. For God considered them worthy of the greatest honor, since He committed souls to them, which, as we have said, He esteems so dear and precious.

But if they reject this trust committed to them, we see that they not only cause harm to man, but are also ungrateful to God. And their negligence is not only combined with treachery, but also with sacrilege, because they permit Satan to snatch from God what was His own.

It is just as if any watchman were to desert his post and betray it to the enemy. For when these prophets see some people wander and others desert their faith, it is clear that this situation does not arise from mere ignorance (as we have previously stated); rather, by their failure, those whom Christ has redeemed with His blood are exposed to the snares of Satan and to lust. Hence, as we have said, this treachery of the prophets is without excuse.

Prayer:

O Almighty God, grant that as You appoint the ministers of Your doctrine, whom You raise up as watchmen over us on the condition that they be vigilant for our safety—grant that we also may be attentive to their instructions, and so avoid a twofold destruction through our own fault (by error and obstinacy). If we should happen to wander, may we regain wisdom immediately when we are corrected, and so return to the right way, never to desert it again, but to persevere to the end, that we may at last enjoy that eternal blessedness which is laid up for us in heaven, through Christ our Lord. Amen.