I appreciate the work that Wyatt Houtz has done in demonstrating John Calvin’s approach to various apparent discrepancies in the Bible.

Here’s briefest of summaries.  In most cases, I have elaborated in my Bible Commentary on the various passages.

Gen 1:14:16 – Calvin knows that the Moon is not larger than Saturn, and that the Moon is a dark opaque body and not a luminary.  Calvin concludes that the author of Genesis is justified in using unscientific language, in order for God’s revelation to be understood by ordinary people.

Num 8:26 – On this occasion, Calvin attributes the error to a careless scribe (although no textual evidence exists for this conjecture).

Mt 23:35 – Calvin is at a loss to explain why the wrong surname has been attributed to Zechariah.

Mt 27:9 – The name of Jeremiah has obviously been put down by mistake.  Calvin confesses that he does not know how, nor is he particularly bothered by it.

Acts 7:16 – the name Abraham is wrongly inserted into the text.  Calvin is unsure how this has occurred.

Romans 3:4 – According to Calvin, Paul has quoted the Greek version of Psa 51:4, as this better suited his purpose.

1 Cor 10:8 – Paul records 23,000, where the source (Num 25:9) records 24,000.  Calvin suggests that both numbers are approximate, and there is no real difference.

Eph 4:8 – Paul has intentionally altered one line of Psa 68:16 (from ‘received gifts’ to ‘gave gifts’) in order to underline the glorous effects of Christ’s ascension.

Heb 11:21 – The author has quoted the Greek version of 1 Kings 1:47, which contains an error in its translation of the original Hebrew.  The author of Hebrews has not troubled to correct the error (which does not alter the main sense in any case).

Wyatt Houtz’ point, I suppose, is that Calvin was not an inerrantist in the way that many Evangelicals today are.  But the examples of the great Reformer conceding biblical errancy are so few, and generally so trivial, as to make me want to label Calvin as a ‘virtual inerrantist’ (like me!).