Abstract:
Calvin presented his own distinctive method of the hermeneutics of
Scripture in his Commentary on the Epistle of Paul, the Apostle, to the
Romans. It is called the ideal of brevitas et facilitas. Calvin was not
satisfied with both Malanchthon's loci method and Bucer's prolixity
commentary. He took a via media approach. Calvin's method was
influenced by rhetoric of Aristotle, Cicero, Quintilian and Chrysostom.
Calvin, however, confirmed that his own principle came from Scripture
itself. I deal with Calvin's view that the clarity of Scripture was related to
the ideal of brevitas et facilitas. After analyzing Calvin's writing, I
discovered ten component elements of the method of brevitas et facilitas.