John Calvin on 'Before All Ages'

Abstract

This brief paper argues that John Calvin’s exegesis of πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων in 2 Timothy 1:9 and Titus 1:2 provides no reason for thinking that he rejected the Augustinian account of God’s timeless eternity. On the contrary, there is clear evidence in the Institutes that he took Augustine’s view. His exegesis concerns whether the phrase means ‘before time’ (as he thinks is the case in 2 Tim. 1:9) or ‘a very long time ago’ (its meaning in Tit. 1:2).