***When people privately interpret Scripture; hunting and pecking verse in order to construct a theology that is different from all previous theologies, it seems to me that this is constructing one’s own personal god.***
Name someone who did this. I can think of a couple, but neither name is Calvin. Who did you have in mind?
I most certainly would include Calvin, Luther and Zwingli, probably more as developers of ancient heresies, and somewhat less as inventors of new ones.
But let us go back to the first millennium:
Simon Magus (the development of “Christian” Gnosticism)
Manichaeus (Manichaenism ensnared Saint Augustine for 9 years)
Ammonius Saccas (neo Platonism)
Montanus
Paul of Samosata (Monarchianism)
Sabellius (Modal Monarchianism)
Arius
Nestorius
Elipandus of Toledo (Adoptionism)
to name a few.