From what I have heard about what John Calvin believes, I do not agree with many of his thoughts. I have never read his writings, or anyone else's writings. My only source of study is comparing scripture with scripture and if they do not all harmonize, then I am misinterpreting them.
You are the one that is grossly misinterpreting the Corinthian letter. The natural man cannot discern the things of the Spirit until after he has been quickened with a new fleshy heart whose conscience can be pricked when he breaks a spiritual law.
When Peter, in his sermon on pentecost, accused the Jews of crucifying Jesus, they were "pricked in their heart, and said, "men and brethren, what must we do?" The response of these Jews came from a regenerated heart, unlike the Jews that Steven was preaching to, with the same sermon as Peter was preaching, and these Jews, whose heart had not been changed in regeneration, were "cut to the heart" and stoned Steven to death.
Once a person has been born again, they start their new life as "babes in Christ" in the same manner as we all did in our youth, as we gradually learned things in our growth to maturity..
You are trying to equate the natural man the same as the immature babe in Christ saying that he can understand spiritual things from the milk of the word the same way that the babes in Christ do, and that simply is not true, because his heart has not been changed in regeneration. The newly born babes in Christ have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. as soon as they are born.
There is so many Presuppositions and assumptions in this one comment I barely know where to begin .
/////You are the one that is grossly misinterpreting the Corinthian letter. The natural man cannot discern the things of the Spirit until after he has been quickened with a new fleshy heart whose conscience can be pricked when he breaks a spiritual law./////
This is begging the question . Your assuming the ' Natural man ' is a unsaved man . And your assuming that the ' spiritual man ' is any saved person ( correct me if I'm wrong ) Both of these terms are loaded terms for some. But in the text they are not . Paul is simply talking about Fleshy behaviour from believers and the point that they need to mature . Verse 6 of chapter 2 explains the mature do understand the mature things ( the deeper wisdom of God ) The Holy Spirit has been given to all believers
1 cor 6.19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Clearly these ( non mature ) fleshy belivers are struggling.
1¶It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
Unless they " be transformed by the renewing of their minds they will be stuck on the milk struggling.
chapter 3 explains the Natural/;fleshy/ carnal / babes problems.
1¶And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
NOTICE THEY ARE UNABLE !!!!!!! BELIEVERS UNABLE TO BEAR AND UNDERSTAND THE THINGS OF GOD PAUL WANTS THEM TO GROW IN . THE WISDOM HE SHARES WITH THE MATURE .