The commentaries of M. John Calvin upon the Acts of the Apostles, faithfully translated…The commentaries of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the Actes of the Apostles, faithfully translated…

18 That thou mayest open their eyes. Paul in taking to himself that which is proper to God, doeth seem to exalt himself too high. For we know that it is the holy Ghost alone which doth lighten the eyes. We know that Christ is the only redeemer which doth deliver us from the tyranny of Satan. We know that it is God alone who having put away our sins, doth adopt us unto the inheritance of the Saints. But this is a common thing, that God doth translate unto his ministers that honour which is due to himself alone, not that he may take any thing from himself, but that he may commend that mighty working of his spirit which he doth show forth in them. For he doth not send them to work, that they may be dead instruments, or as it were stage players: but that he may work mightily by their hand. But it dependeth upon the secrete power of his Spirit that their preaching is effectual, who worketh all things in all men, and which only giveth the increase.

18 That thou maiest open their eyes. Paul in taking to himselfe that which is proper to God, doeth seeme to exalt himselfe too high. For we knowe that it is the holy Ghost alone which doth lighten the eyes. We know that Christ is the only redeemer which doth deliuer vs from the tyrannie of Satan. We know that it is God alone who hauing put away our sinnes, doth adopt vs vnto the inheritance of the Saints. But this is a cōmon thing, that God doth translate vnto his ministers that honor which is due to himselfe alone, not that hee may take any thing from himselfe, but that hee may commend that mightie working of his spirite which he doth shew foorth in them. For he doth not send them to worke, that they may bee dead instruments, or as it were stage players: but that hee may worke mightily by their hande. But it dependeth vppon the secrete power of his Spirite that their preaching is effectuall, who worketh all thinges in all men, and which onelie gyueth the encrease.

Therefore teachers are sent, not to utter their words in vain in the air, or to beat the ears only with a vain sound, but to bring lively light to the blind, to fashion again mens hearts unto the righteousness of God, and to ratify the grace of salvation which is gotten by the death of Christ. But they do none of all these, save only in as much as God worketh by them, that their labour may not be in vain, that all the praise may be his, as the effect cometh from him.