John Calvin Commentary Luke 17:19

"And he said unto him, Arise, and go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." — Luke 17:19 (ASV)

Thy faith hath saved thee. The word save is restricted by some commentators to the cleanness of the flesh.³³⁹ But if this is the case, since Christ commends the lively faith of this Samaritan, it may be asked, how were the other nine saved? For all of them without exception obtained the same cure.³⁴⁰

We must therefore conclude that Christ has here pronounced a different estimate of God's gift from that which is usually pronounced by ungodly men; namely, that it was a token or pledge of God’s fatherly love. The nine lepers were cured; but as they wickedly erase the remembrance of God's grace, the cure itself is debased and contaminated by their ingratitude, so that they do not derive from it the advantage that they should.

It is faith alone that sanctifies God's gifts to us, so that they become pure and, when lawfully used, contribute to our salvation.

Lastly, by this statement, Christ has informed us how we lawfully enjoy divine favors. From this, we infer that He included the eternal salvation of the soul along with the temporal gift.

The Samaritan was saved by his faith. How? Certainly not because he was cured of leprosy (for this was likewise obtained by the rest), but because he was admitted into the number of God's children and received from His hand a pledge of fatherly kindness.

³³⁹ “Le mot dont a ici use l’Evangeliste est celuy mesme que quasi par tout on tourne, Sauver.” — “The word which the Evangelist has here employed (σέσωκε) is the same word which is almost always rendered save.”

³⁴⁰ “Une mesme guairison corporelle;” — “the same bodily cure.”;” — “the same bodily cure.”