Calvinism in Paul's Case
...g the phrase "Feed my Lambs." Calvinism strongly believes in a life of predestination, so that no matter what a person does throughout their life they will be destined to go either to Heaven or Hell and there is no straying from the path set before themby God. Calvin wrote to Farel in one of his many letters that this phrase was told to Peter as instructions to give the "lambs" (followers of God) everything they need to survive an earthly existence on their path to Heaven. This may seem to go against some of Calvin's ideals as emphasized in the main works of Calvinism but upon a closer look into his personal life his interpretation may have been more self-serving than for the spiritual enlightenment of others. While John Calvin claimed to have no need for wealth himself in public, he was born into an upper middle class family and educated in law and had amassed quite a respectable amount of wealth in his own right before his death. John Calvin was also never ordained in the Church in any way, shape, or form; he joined the Protestant movement early in the game due to an invitation by Farel but was never an actual member of any church nor inherently religious. His interpretation of the phrase "Feed my Lambs" to Farel signifies that he enjoyed his social status and monetary funds and did not desire to change them, thus in one of his later works which he published he presented this belief at a time when many of his antagonists were attacking him publicly regarding his lifestyle. This helped quiet most of them and thus provides evidence that Calvin's interpretation is possibly more for his own benefit than for those of the Calvinist faith. This applies to the story "Paul's Case" in a number of ways, both subtle and aptly presented. A picture of John Calvin hangs near Paul's bed, and it is quoted in the story that he was raised in a Calvinist upbringing. The phrase "Feed my Lambs" is also framed above his bed, and since he is of the Calvinist faith, the interpretation that those who are chosen by God should be provided with everything they need to survive an earthly existence is relevant to his situation. Whether Paul was faithful to the Calvinist religion or not, he still retained those materialistic ideals that made him resent his life as it was one filled with drudgery. He longed for a life of fine wine, chandeliers, expensive clothing, and the like as evidenced by his daydreaming about following the German soprano singer into the ritzy hotel and his fondness for the theater and the atmosphere it provided. This desire...