You are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

20229549? ago

Interesting - just reading this:

It is interesting to note that the Geneva Reformers- men such as John Calvin - expressed opinions in the marginal notes that would be simply unacceptable to the "scholars" of today. For example, the passage in Genesis 12:2-3, that reads:

"And I will make of thee a great nation, and will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing.I will also bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

Our ministers today tell us this refers to Jews. That isn't the way the Geneva translators understood it:

The world shall recover by thy seed, which is Christ, the blessings that were lost in Adam. 7

http://www.reformedreader.org/gbn/igb.htm

20232398? ago

This bit was also super interesting.

Geneva was an anomaly in 16th Century Europe. In the days of absolute despotism and constant warfare, Geneva achieved her independence primarily by constant negotiation, playing off one stronger power against another. While other governments allowed lawyers to drag out cases and took months and years to get rid of corrupt officials, the City of Geneva dispatched most civil and criminal cases within a month and threw corrupt officials into jail the day after they were found out.

20234016? ago

Geneva was a state-city then. It seems independence was possible at these times. May be the geography played s role too. Still it is impressive.