John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 23:22

"But if they had stood in my council, then had they caused my people to hear my words, and had turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings." — Jeremiah 23:22 (ASV)

This verse is, so to speak, an explanation of the previous one. Many might have been perplexed if it had only been said to them that no one is a fit and legitimate teacher except those who had been sent and entrusted with what God had commanded.

Therefore, the Prophet here calls our attention to the truth which is certain and manifest, for God had delivered the sum of all truth in his Law.

Since, then, the perfection of wisdom was found in the Law, from which the prophets drew whatever we read in their writings, no excuses, such as the following, could be admitted— “How can we know that the prophets speak from God’s mouth, that they bring nothing devised by themselves, that they have the instructions which God approves?”

The Prophet then calls the attention of the Jews to the Law, as if he were saying what Moses said:

“There is no need to ascend above the clouds, or to descend into the depths, or to run beyond the sea; for the Law and the word is near in your mouth.” That is, God has set before you whatever is necessary and useful to be known (Deuteronomy 30:12–14; Romans 10:6).

This, then, is fully made known to you, nor will the knowledge of anything necessary be obscure, if you attend to the Law. Therefore, the cause of error is not only your sloth, but also your perverseness; for you willfully neglect the Law, and remain doubtful and ask, “Which is the way?”

“This is the way,” said Moses, “walk in it” (Deuteronomy 5:33).

So now we perceive what Jeremiah had in view. He had previously said that no one should be heeded except those who were sent and spoke from God’s mouth.

But he now explains what he meant: namely, that the Law contained the whole sum of wisdom.

However, he had previously introduced the false prophets boldly deriding the true and faithful servants of God—objecting to them and saying, “Who has stood in the counsel of God? These men imagine they have fallen from the clouds; they terrify you with dreadful threats, as though they were angels from heaven!”—and the false prophets were thus accustomed to speak disdainfully of God’s servants.

They alleged that God's true servants did not stand in his counsel. Jeremiah now retorts to them, speaking in God’s name: If they had stood in my counsel, they would undoubtedly have spoken from my Law.

It is as if he had said, “They do not believe my servants because they are men and not angels; they therefore deny that they are of my counsel. Thus they persuade the whole people to despise the doctrine of salvation. There are, however, some prophets whom I have sent. Now, if they wish to be considered sent, let them prove themselves to be so.”

What is the true proof? If they had stood in my counsel, they would undoubtedly have made known my word to my people. What is that word? The definition follows, namely, the word of the Law: They would have turned the straying people from their evil way.

The passage may seem obscure, but from the context itself we can gather that the Prophet’s real intention was to convict the false teachers, so that they might no longer boast of God’s name, falsely pretend that they were endowed with the prophetic office, and glory in that distinction. He says that it was clear proof that they were not God’s prophets, because they did not faithfully teach what they should have derived from the Law.

It is indeed certain that no one has been God’s counselor, according to what Scripture says in many places, when the object is to check the arrogance of those who, in their curiosity, attempt to penetrate into the hidden judgments of God (Isaiah 40:13). And Paul, while speaking of God’s eternal election, it being incomprehensible, exclaims, Who has been his counsellor? (Romans 11:34).

He uses similar language in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 2:16). And why? So that he might check the temerity of the human mind, which ventures further than is lawful.

But afterwards Paul adds by way of correction, “But we have the mind of Christ.” How so? Because he has made known his counsel to us.

When, therefore, the false prophets denied that God’s servants were his counselors, they might indeed have said so, viewing them only as mortal men. But their object was to discredit and nullify the word of God, so that they wished to put a restraint not only on men but also on God himself. This was an intolerable insult to God.

Moreover, the Prophet now turns, so to speak, upon them: “Then there is no Prophet of God in the world!” But the saying was established that there would always be some prophets, and no Jew could have dared to deny that Moses was divinely inspired.

This, then, being granted, the Prophet now indirectly reproves them: “Where are the prophets of God?” And as they laid claim to this distinction, he says, “Doubtless you do not stand in God’s counsel.”

How so? Because the counsel of God is included in his Law. And as you have departed from the doctrine of true religion, as you have no concern to convey instruction, as your doctrine does not teach people the fear of God nor lead to repentance, it follows that you are not God’s counselors nor his prophets.”

But so that this may appear more clearly, we must bear in mind what Moses said: that God has his own secret things, but that whatever is taught in the Law belongs to us and to our children (Deuteronomy 29:29).

Therefore, there is no reason why the inquiry concerning the true prophets of God should be difficult. For they, without dispute, deserve to be heard as angels of God, who are faithful interpreters of his Law; but those who lead us away from the Law should be firmly and boldly rejected.

But we must also bear in mind the definition that is given when it is said that they ought to have turned the people from their evil way, and from the wickedness of their doings.

We indeed know that the worst men insolently pretend to preach God’s word, as the Papists do today. Though they have intoxicated the whole world with their ungodly and delirious doctrines, yet they boast that they are the servants of God.

Therefore the Prophet, after having spoken generally of God’s word, adds a special distinction: that the doctrine of God is that which edifies, which teaches and leads people to repentance and the fear of God, according to what Paul says, that the Scripture is useful for these purposes (2 Timothy 3:16). For in saying so, he intended to condemn all false interpreters of Scripture, as there were many then who boasted that they were the best teachers, while they only pleased itching ears.

Since, then, there were many who valued display and not edification, Paul says that the Scripture is useful; and therefore he rejected with contempt all expositions in which there was nothing useful. So also in this place the Prophet shows that the right and legitimate use of Scripture was when it was employed to restore people from their evil way.

There is, indeed, here an instance of a part representing the whole. For if we only exhort people to repent, there will not be much fruit, and our teaching would be incomplete, because the doctrine of repentance would be ineffective without faith and without calling on the name of God.

But the Prophet did not intend here to mention every part of a sound and useful doctrine; he considered it enough to refute the false teachers who wished for exclusive renown, while they had no concern to edify the people.

For they saw all things in disorder, they saw crimes prevailing everywhere, they saw a dreadful contempt of God, but to these things they were wholly blind.

From this it could then be easily inferred that they neither faithfully labored for God nor showed any concern for the safety of the Church, for they thus betrayed miserable souls whose ruin they saw was near.

So now we see the Prophet’s entire purpose. But there is no doubt that to evil way he added the wickedness of their doings, so that he might more fully expose the insensibility of those who, in such urgent circumstances, were silent and remained inactive.

There is sometimes the need for moderate reproof. But when people allow themselves extreme license in their wickedness, when impunity is permitted everywhere, and when such corruptions are so commonplace that nothing remains untainted—if then the tongue of the teacher is silent and, so to speak, tied, is he not rightly called an idle and a dumb dog?

And thus the Prophet emphasizes the insensibility for which he condemns the false teachers: they were silent, as if things were in good order, while they had to witness not only common crimes but even a vast accumulation of every kind of crime.

For the people gave themselves over not only to one kind of wickedness but to all kinds, and completely despised God and his Law.