Brevitas et facilitas

Even though the Latin terminology may paint Calvin's approach as irrelevant or archaic, the heart of this method is the basis of evangelical interpretation today.

This point is well taken and suggests even more convincingly that brevitas characterizes Calvin’s approach to exegesis as he discerns biblical meaning in his study, apart from oratorical influence.

Calvin believed that Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel employed a simple and easy style in order for ordinary people to understand God's Word more easily.

[4] In the dedication in the Commentary on Romans published in 1540 to Simon Grynaeus his friend and Hebrew teacher, John Calvin says "we both thought that the chief excellency of an expounder consists in lucid brevity.

Hence we expressed a hope, that from the number of those who strive at this day to advance the interest of theology by this kind of labour, some one would be found, who would study plainness, and endeavour to avoid the evil of tiring his readers with prolixity.

But as there is such a variety, found in the minds of men, that different things please different persons, let every one in this case follow his own judgment, provided that no one attempts to force others to adopt his own rules.

Et sane, quum hoc sit prope unicum illius officium mentem scriptoris quem explicandum sumpsit patefacere, quantum ab ea lecturos abducit, tantundem a scopo suo aberrat, vel certe a suis finibus quodammodo evagatur…unum aliquem exstare qui et facilitati studeret, et simul daret operam ne prolixis commentariis studiosos ultra modum detineret…ego tamen dimoveri non possum ab amore comendii".