Emily: “Welcome back to Love Notes: Timeline Edition. I’m Emily Cox. Today I’m broadcasting from Number 11 Rue de Chanoine, where I’m interviewing the famous or infamous theologian John Calvin (depending on who you ask), along with his wife Idelette. Wow, it’s such an honor to have you both on the show today!”

John: “The honor is ours.”

Emily: “I have to say, I really like your house. It’s just so charming – the back garden, the view over the water..”

Idelette: “Thank you. I think it’s charming too. When John first accepted the pastorate of the cathedral, I wasn’t too excited about moving here, but this house has been a definite blessing.”

Emily: “How did you and John first meet?”

Idelette: “Well, he was actually a friend of mine and my late husband Stordeur’s. When we attended church in Strasbourg, he was our pastor, and he baptized our son Charles.”

Emily: “So your first husband passed away? I don’t want to discuss that if it’s a painful topic for you.”

Idelette: “No, it’s fine – it’s a sad memory for me, but now I’m in a new season of life.”

Emily: “At the time you were widowed, did you ever expect to get remarried?”

Idelette: “That’s a good question. Honestly I was just trying to cope in the moment. I was alone with two kids and I didn’t really know what the future would be. I just had to trust that the Lord would take care of us.”

Emily: “John, when did you start thinking of Idelette as ‘wife material’?”

John: “That’s an interesting story. For several years during my pastorate in Strasbourg, my friends had been trying to set me up with other women. At one point, I agreed to meet one of them on the condition that she would learn French, but that didn’t work out..”¹

Idelette: “Monsieur Calvin aime-t-il le mieux Français rosiers?”

John: “Idelette est ma seule rosier, la plus douce de toutes.”

Emily: “What?”

Idelette: “Just something between us.”

Emily: “Maybe I should learn French.”

John: “Not a bad idea.”

Idelette: “Monsieur Calvin thinks everyone should learn French!”

Emily: “It sounds like French is really important to you, John.”

John: “What can I say? It is the language of my native land, the place where I was born. Perhaps other tongues stand alongside it, but I know of none more beautiful.”

Emily: “You were born in France, then?”

John: “Yes, in Picardy. But I had to flee because of religious persecution. Perhaps I know something of the love and sorrow that Christ felt for Jerusalem, the city that killed the prophets.”

Emily: “Wow. Thanks for sharing that. There are so many countries that have persecuted Christians, yet the Bible also promises that all nations will sing the praises of the Lamb, and the ends of the earth will be his possession.”

John: “That’s true. I have to keep reminding myself that God’s promises will be fulfilled, even if they seem to be in conflict with what I see with my eyes.”

Emily: “Absolutely. Now back to your love story with Idelette – when did you finally start dating her?”

John: *puzzled* “Dating?”

Emily: “Oh..I suppose you’re not familiar with that term. Courting, I mean?”

John: “Ah yes. As I told you before, my friends had tried to make matches for me without much success. I would like to forget those misadventures entirely! At the end, I felt like something of a fool, and I decided that maybe I was called to singleness after all. But then my friend Martin Bucer suggested I consider Idelette.”²

Emily: “Tell me about your courtship.”

John: “There isn’t much to tell, really -”

Idelette: “It was short and sweet. *laughing* Monsieur Calvin has a systematic way of doing everything. He gets to the point.”

Emily: “How long have you been married?”

John: “Seven years now.”

Idelette: “We have shared much joy and much sorrow, but through it all God has been faithful.”

Emily: “I don’t mean to sound depressing, but could you tell us how you have navigated sorrowful times as a couple? I know a lot of our listeners have gone through difficult experiences as well, and sometimes people get the idea that being a Christian means being happy and healthy all the time. What would you say to that?”

John: “First of all, that view of the Christian life is not at all biblical.”

Idelette: “Definitely not.”

John: “Jesus never promised his followers that they would never have difficulties. He even warned us that we would have trials and tribulations. But we need not lose heart – he has overcome the world, and we share in his victory.”

Emily: “That’s encouraging to know.”

Idelette: “Yes. I don’t know what I would have done when we lost our children, if I didn’t believe that.”

John: “God has seen fit to take three of our children to himself – all the children we have been able to have together so far.”³

Emily: “I’m so sorry for your loss. I’ve never had a child but I know that must have been incredibly painful.”

Idelette: “It has been a bitter cup for us.”

(sound in the distance: *bark bark*)

Man’s voice: “CALVIN!”

Emily: “John, is someone calling your name?”

John: “Maybe, but I don’t think they’re calling for me. A lot of people name their dogs ‘Calvin’ to make fun of my teaching about God’s sovereignty.”⁴

Emily: “What do you teach about God’s sovereignty, and why are people so opposed to it?”

John: “I believe that the sovereignty of God is his total control and power over everything that he uses for the good of those who love him. But some people think this doctrine is unfair or just plain silly. Personally, I think the main reason people don’t like it is because it takes the world out of their hands – as if we were ever in control in the first place.”

Emily: “Hm. The way you explain it sounds so reasonable. But how do you reconcile your beliefs about God’s sovereignty with the pain in your life?”

John: “I think a better question is, how do we make sense of our pain apart from God’s sovereignty?”

Emily: “What do you mean?”

John: “God is a father too, and he knows what is best for his children.⁵ The sad things in our lives are not just things that happen to us – every moment in our lives, even the sad moments, are orchestrated by our heavenly Father to a greater end. And that gives us hope.”

Idelette: “Yes – according to the Bible, not only can nothing separate us from God’s love, but everything actually works for our good. And that doesn’t necessarily mean our physical comfort in the moment. It means so much more than that. It has to do with the eternal delight of communing with our Triune God and being changed from glory into glory.”

Emily: “That sounds like some deep stuff.”

Idelette: “It is! And we will have eternity to explore it.”

Emily: “With God’s help, I look forward to that.”

John: “So do we.” *clasping Idelette’s hand*

Emily: “Before we go, I’m going to ask two more questions. First, Idelette, what is something you love about your husband?”

Idelette: “I love his fortitude. Despite his health problems and the many challenges of pastoral work, he continues to be an example of resting in the Lord through it all.”

John: “Idelette is an example to me as well – she has such a gentle and quiet spirit before the Lord, and the trials we have experienced have actually strengthened that in her. Her faith is an encouragement to me. She is a support to my ministry and the best companion of my life.” ⁶

Emily: “That’s such a blessing. And you just answered my second question!  Thanks for being on the show today, Mr. and Mrs. Calvin. It’s been a joy to talk with you.”

Idelette: “Thanks for doing this with us.”

Works Referenced.

1,2,4,5,6.

Haykin, Michael A.G. with Victoria Haykin. The Christian Lover.

3.

Peterson, William J. “Idelette: John Calvin’s Search for the Right Wife.”

https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/idelette-john-calvins-search-for-the-right-wife, accessed 5 October 2022.

4.

Carr, Simonetta. John Calvin from the Christian Biographies for Young Readers Series. Reformation Heritage Books.

Also Referenced:

John Calvin Timeline. Christian History Institute.

Learn more about Christians and suffering:

Hebrews 2: 5-10

“Suffering and Glory” by Alex Mark: https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=6162214341033