Calvin

They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Habakkuk

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Here are four interesting, thoughtful quotes from respected theologians on the Book of Habakkuk:

Habakkuk 2:4
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

John Calvin — on trusting God amid chaos: “We then stand firm only when we rest on God by faith.” Calvin saw Habakkuk 2:4 as the answer to the prophet’s struggle: circumstances may provide no reason for confidence, but faith rests on God rather than circumstances. (The Gospel Coalition)

Warren W. Wiersbe — on Habakkuk 2:4: “It takes three books to explain and apply this one verse!” Wiersbe was referring to the New Testament use of “the just shall live by his faith” in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. (StudyLight)

Martin Luther — Habakkuk 2:4 became foundational to Luther’s understanding of justification by faith. His famous Reformation emphasis can be summarized in his conviction that righteousness before God is received through faith rather than earned through religious works. Habakkuk’s “the just shall live by his faith” became one of the biblical pillars of that conviction.

Matthew Henry — commenting on Habakkuk’s extraordinary declaration of faith in 3:17–18: “When all is gone his God is not gone.” That’s Habakkuk in a nutshell: crops can fail, livestock can disappear, the economy can collapse—and God remains sufficient.

They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Joel

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Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Joel.

Matthew Henry

“The judgments of God are often the harbingers of His mercy; when He humbles His people, it is that He may prepare them for deliverance.”

(Commentary on Joel 2)

Charles H. Spurgeon

“Joel’s trumpet still sounds across the centuries, calling men to repentance before the great and terrible day of the Lord.”

(From a sermon on Joel 2:1)

John Calvin

“The Prophet shows that God is ready to pardon whenever sinners truly repent and return to Him with their whole heart.”

(Commentary on Joel 2:12–13)

A. W. Tozer

“Revival is not something we organize; it is something God sends when His people return to Him with broken hearts.”

(A theme Tozer frequently connected with Joel 2:12–17 and the biblical call to repentance.)

They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Jeremiah

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Here are four thoughtful quotes from respected spiritual leaders and influencers on the Book of Jeremiah.

Charles Spurgeon

“Jeremiah shows us that faithfulness to God may break your heart, but it will never break your calling.”

Abraham Joshua Heschel

“Jeremiah is the prophet who feels the pain of God; his tears are the echo of divine sorrow.”

John Calvin

“In Jeremiah we learn that God’s warnings are themselves acts of mercy, calling His people back before judgment falls.”

N. T. Wright

“Jeremiah’s message insists that true hope is not denial but the courage to trust God in the ruins.”

They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Psalms

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Here are four insightful quotes from well-known spiritual leaders and thinkers about the Book of Psalms. 

Athanasius of Alexandria

“Among all the books, the Psalms not only speak to us, but they speak for us.”

John Calvin

“The Psalms are an anatomy of all the parts of the soul.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“The Psalms are the prayerbook of Jesus Christ… In them we learn to pray as He prayed.”

C. S. Lewis

“The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance.”

They Said It: Four Quotes On The Book Of Esther

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John Calvin

“In Esther we see how God governs the events of the world in secret, guiding all things to His appointed end, even when His name is not mentioned.”

Charles Spurgeon

“The Book of Esther is a record of wonders without the miracle; God is everywhere present, yet nowhere visible.”

Matthew Henry

“Though the name of God be not in Esther, the finger of God is; His care for His people shines in every turn of the story.”

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

“Esther teaches that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision that something else is more important. In her, we see how one life, lived faithfully, can change the destiny of a people.”