Farel goes up to Paris around 1509 and made studies of letters. Professor of grammar to the college Cardinal-Lemoine, it is influenced by humanistic Lefèvre d' Etaples. He takes part in the evangelic movement in the diocese of Meaux (1521-1523); its religious convictions, close to those of Zwingli, oblige it to emigrate. In Basle, the hostility of Erasme, which is opposed to the Reform, is worth to him to be excluded from the city; he becomes preacher in Montbeliard.

After visits in Strasbourg, where it comes into contact in particular with Martin Bucer, and in Metz, Farel undertakes an itinerant mission with Aigle, Lausanne, Orbe, Grandson, Yverdon, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Under its impulse, Neuchâtel passes to the Reform in 1530. With the synod of Chanforan (valley of Angrogne to Piedmont), in 1532, it is present at the discussions which lead to the fusion of of Vaud with the Reform.

From 1532 to 1536, he preaches in Geneva on several occasions. After a hostile initial reception, it gains followers and the General advice of Geneva adopts the Reform in May 1536. Farel, impassioned preacher, did not have the gifts of vision and organization necessary for the construction of the reformed city.

Two months after the vote of May, he convinces Calvin, of passage to Geneva, there to remain and take part in the task of evangelization. In October 1536, Farel leads the delegation of pastors to the argument of Lausanne, which allows the installation of the Reform in the Country of Vaud.

In Geneva, Farel and Calvin are quickly in conflict with the government (on questions of respective authority of the Church and State) and with the population (which hardly appreciates that two foreign preachers encroach on his freedom). At Easter 1538, they are banished city. Farel goes to Neuchâtel, where he becomes first Pasteur and where it will remain until the end of his life, while often travelling to Germany, Switzerland and France.

The pioneer of the movement of reform

With Calvin and Viret, Farel forms the “triumvirate” (the word is of Bucer) French-speaking Reform. While the two first are characterized by their prolific activity writers, the importance of Farel is different. He is the pioneer of the movement of reform: in Meaux, in Basle, in Metz, in Strasbourg, in Neuchâtel, in Geneva, in Lausanne, Farel gives the first impulse.

It is him also which brings Calvin and Viret to the pastorate. Conscious like Luther of the power of the printed paper form, it installs in 1533 in Neuchâtel the first fully reformed printer, Pierre de Vingle, and it attracts in Geneva in 1536 that which was going to become the printer of Calvin, Jean Girard. Farel published about fifteen works, all in French. There still it makes work of pioneer: first writing of the French-speaking Reform (the Lord's Prayer noster and the Creed in françoys, 1524), first systematic talk of the doctrines reformed in French (Summaire and briefve declaration… in 1529, and not 1525), first liturgy reformed in French (manner and fasson which one holds by yawning the sainct baptesme, 1528?). Its doctrines are christocentric (Jesus on all and nothing on him, title of a manuscript of 1530); on the Holy Communion, it underlines, like Zwingli, the idea that the bread and the wine mean the body and the blood of the Lord.

In 1558, its union with a 18 year old young girl makes scandal. It is the end of the cordial relationship between him and Calvin (who refuses to come to bless the marriage), but it is an illustration of the whole character of Farel which refuses to yield. This total engagement still appears during the winter 1565, when the faithful ones of Metz request it to come to them to assistance. The tiredness of this long voyage in full winter will be fatal for him. 

Principal works

Its principal works are:
- Summaire briefve declaration of auscuns places extremely necessary to ung chrestien (1525);

- Manner and Fasson which one holds by yawning the Holy Baptism (1533);

- Letters of aucuns great disorders occurred in Geneva (1534);

- Epistle exhortatoire (1542);

- The Sword of the Word (1550).