John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2, Chapter 9

In this reading, Calvin explains that the saints under the Old Testament truly knew Christ, but only dimly and through shadows. The sacrifices, prophecies, and promises all pointed forward to the Messiah, giving the fathers a real—though partial—knowledge of the redemption to come. With the coming of Christ, however, the light of the Gospel shines far more clearly. Calvin then clarifies the meaning of the word Gospel: in its broad sense it includes all God’s promises of mercy throughout the Law and the Prophets, but in its proper sense it refers to the full manifestation of grace in Jesus Christ. He also rejects the error of Servetus, who claimed that the promises ended with the Law, arguing instead that believers still live by hope as we await the full realization of salvation. Finally, Calvin explains that the Gospel does not abolish the Law but fulfills what it foreshadowed, and he places John the Baptist at the turning point between the two covenants—greater than the prophets who preceded him, yet surpassed by the clearer proclamation of Christ that followed.

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