Spirit in Sacrament & Sermon

Both of my readers will perhaps recall that for what seems like for ever, I have been working away off and on, on the doctrines of the Supper and Scripture and relations between them.

Ralph Cunnington helpfully argues that Calvin's doctrine of the sacraments can help us understand the relationship between Word and Spirit in preaching. As in the sacraments, God's Spirit always accompanies the Word and makes it efficacious. If received by faith, to blessing, otherwise in judgement.

Here is one of Cunnington's summary passages:

“We have seen that Calvin’s understanding of the relationship between Word and Spirit in preaching is closely analogous to his understanding of the relationship between the sacramental signs and the realities to which they point. As a means of grace, neither are bare signs. They hold out the realities to which they point and that reality is always available to be received by Spirit-wrought faith. Far from separating Word and Spirit in preaching as Strivens and Olyott suggest, Calvin insisted that Word and Spirit are distinct but inseperable. The preached Word is never separated from the Spirit in that it retains its inherent nature and power regardless of how it is received. Moreover, the Spirit always accompanies the Word whether in judgement or blessing. This means that believers can approach the preached Word with hungry expectation knowing that it will be a source of blessing if received by faith. It is Christ’s means of sustaining his Church and the Church will never be deprived of it.” (p117)


Ralph Cunnington, Preaching with Spiritual Power: Calvin’s Understanding of Word and Spirit in Preaching (Fearn, Mentor Chistian Focus, 2015)