John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 23:21

"I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I spake not unto them, yet they prophesied." — Jeremiah 23:21 (ASV)

The Prophet again warns the Jews not to be perverted by the flatteries of false teachers, and not to disregard the threats of God. We have already said that the minds of the people were then lulled to sleep by false teachers, who promised them impunity. And there is no evil worse than when false teachers, under the name of God, flatter us, and drive away every fear and concern for our souls.

This evil prevailed among the ancient people, as it does also today. Indeed, the greater part of the world has always sought flatterers, and when God sees that men thus indulge themselves, and in a manner seek snares for themselves, He gives free rein to Satan and his ministers, that they may deceive those miserable men who thus willfully seek to be deceived.

The object, then, of Jeremiah was to remind the people often that all flatteries were nothing but the wiles of Satan, or some deadly poison which stupefied all their senses. For when one gives a person poison, which extinguishes the senses of the body and the faculties of the mind, it is all over with the miserable being who has been thus drugged.

We see a similar thing done by false teachers, who soothe miserable sinners and promise peace to them, as we saw in our last lecture. As, then, it was difficult to awaken men out of this stupor, which became, as it were, innate in them, and as Satan always employs the same intrigues, it was necessary for the holy Prophet to urge his doctrine more and more.

God now says that He did not send the Prophets, and yet they ran. For this objection might have appeared sufficient against Jeremiah—that he was alone, and that the other prophets were many in number. It is, indeed, the dictate of common sense, that we ought to believe a hundred persons rather than one.

Jeremiah, then, was alone, and there was a great number of false prophets; and the prophetic name was common to them all. It was therefore necessary to meet this objection, which was calculated to render God’s faithful servant contemptible.

Hence he mentions the difference between the false teachers with whom he contended and himself, as though he had said, “I indeed am alone, but sent by God; and I am thoroughly convinced of my legitimate calling, and am also ready to prove that I bring no inventions of my own brain. Therefore, do not let a false comparison of one man with a great multitude deceive you. For the question here is not of men or of their authority, but what we ought to inquire is, who sends them? If God is the author of my mission, then I, though alone, am superior to the whole world; and if they have not been called by God, even if they were a hundredfold more numerous than they are, yet all that they boast of means nothing, for we ought to believe in God alone.”

We now see the design of the Prophet in saying that the prophets ran, but were not sent, that they prophesied, but had received no commands from God.

Now this passage especially teaches us that no one is worthy of being heard unless he is a true minister of God. But there are two things necessary to prove a person to be such: a divine call, and faithfulness and integrity. Whoever, then, thrusts himself in, however he may pretend to a prophetic name, may be safely rejected, for God claims for Himself alone the right of being heard.

Yet a simple call by itself is not sufficient; but the one who is called must also faithfully labor for his God. Both these things are intimated here, for He says that the prophets ran, though they were not sent, and that they prophesied, though they were without any command from God.

I indeed grant that the same thing is repeated here, according to common Hebrew usage, in different words; yet the stronger expression is found in the second clause, for “to send” properly belongs to the call, and “to command” to the execution of the office.

For God in the first place chose His prophets and committed to them the office of teaching; then He commanded them what to say, and dictated to them, as it were, His message, that they might not bring forward anything devised by themselves, but be only His heralds, as has appeared elsewhere.

We therefore also learn that our ears should not be open to impostors who boldly lay claim to God's name, but that we ought to distinguish between true and false teachers. For Jeremiah does not here speak to a few men, but he addresses the whole people.

And what he designed to show was that those who were not attentive to sound doctrine sought in vain to escape under the pretense of ignorance; for unless they deliberately neglected God and His word, they might have known whom to believe.

Hence it follows that the excuse which many today consider to be, as it were, their sacred refuge is frivolous; for they plead on their own behalf that they have been deceived by false teachers.

But we ought to see and inquire whether God has sent them, and whether they teach as coming from His school, and bring anything but what they have received from His mouth.

I will not speak here at length of God’s call; but if anyone wishes for a very short definition, let him take the following: There is a twofold call. One is internal, and the other belongs to order and may, therefore, be called external or ecclesiastical. But the external call is never legitimate unless it is preceded by the internal; for it is not for us to create prophets, or apostles, or pastors, as this is the special work of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, though one may be called and chosen by men a hundred times, he still cannot be deemed a legitimate minister unless he has been called by God; for there are peculiar endowments required for the prophetic, the apostolic, and the pastoral office, which are not in the power or at the will of men.

Hence we see that the hidden call of God is always necessary in order for anyone to become a prophet, or an apostle, or a pastor. But the second call belongs to order, for God wills that all things be done by us in an orderly manner and without confusion (1 Corinthians 14:40). Hence, the custom of electing has arisen.

But it often happens that the call of God is sufficient, especially for a time. For when there is no Church, there is no remedy for the evil, unless God raises up extraordinary teachers. Then the ordinary call, of which we now speak, depends on a well-ordered state of things.

Wherever there is a Church of God, it has its own laws and a certain rule of discipline: there no one should thrust himself in, so as to exercise the prophetic or the pastoral office, even if he equaled all the angels in sanctity. But when there is no Church, God raises up teachers in an unusual way, who are not chosen by men, for such a thing cannot be done where no Church is formed.

This subject indeed deserves to be treated more extensively; but as I am not accustomed to digress into particular points, it is enough for me to state what the present passage requires.

This seems to be that no one ought to be acknowledged as God’s servants and teachers in the Church unless they have been sent by God and are those to whom He has, as it were, stretched forth His hand and given them their commission.

But as the internal call of God cannot be surely known by us, we ought to see and ascertain whether the one who speaks is the organ or instrument of the Holy Spirit. For whoever brings forward his own fabrications and inventions is unworthy of being listened to.

Hence, let the one who speaks truly show that he is God’s ambassador. But how can he show this? By speaking from the mouth of God Himself; that is, let him not bring anything of his own, but faithfully deliver, as if from hand to hand, what he has received from God.

But as there might still be some perplexity on the subject,