Scholars have illumined ways in which John Calvin's exegesis reflects his and others' lived experiences, even resulting in distinctive contributions to the history of biblical interpretation. One example is the convergence of early modern religious persecution, migration, and political exile, which appears in ways both expected and counterintuitive. Calvin's sermons, lectures, and (less frequently) biblical commentaries name such external circumstances. Yet these occasional references are frequently oblique, leaving an imprecise picture of the interplay between Calvin's contexts and exegesis. The reformer's correspondence offers another important source for exploring this connection between exegesis and social realities. This paper examines the relationship between Calvin's biblical exegesis and pastoral approach in letters to individuals facing diverse situations throughout the 1540s and 1550s, demonstrating the mutually informing nature of these practices. Calvin did not simply reproduce teaching in his letters; they could also serve as spaces of innovation through improvisation, with concrete circumstances inviting ways of thinking about biblical texts that would only later emerge in Calvin's public teaching and preaching. The materials currently being edited and digitized for access through the Epistolae John Calvin project will be an important asset for advancing research into the formative loci and activities of Calvin's biblical exegesis.