Why the Natural Man Cannot Understand God | John Calvin

An episode of the Reformed Thinking podcast, hosted by Edison Wu, titled "Why the Natural Man Cannot Understand God | John Calvin" was published on December 29, 2025 and runs 26 minutes.

December 29, 2025 ·26m · Reformed Thinking

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Summary

Deep Dive into But Spiritual Discernment is Wholly Lost Until we are Regenerated by John CalvinJohn Calvin argues that human reason is fundamentally incapable of understanding the kingdom of God or the nature of divine favor without the intervention of the Holy Spirit. While humans possess the intellect to grasp earthly matters, they are "blinder than moles" regarding spiritual discernment. Calvin acknowledges that some philosophers may offer occasionally accurate remarks about God, but he likens these insights to momentary flashes of lightning in a dark night; they provide a brief glimpse but vanish too quickly to help a traveler find the right path.The sources emphasize that the human soul is "darkness" and lacks the capacity for sublime wisdom. This spiritual impotence means that the "natural man" cannot receive the things of the Spirit, viewing them as foolishness because they require a specific type of illumination that nature does not provide. Even the most diligent human effort is insufficient; spiritual truths remain hidden until they are revealed by the Spirit. Calvin asserts that regeneration is a prerequisite for understanding, meaning one must be "born of God" to apprehend divine mysteries.Furthermore, Calvin posits that even the external preaching of Christ or the existence of the Law is ineffective without an "inner teacher." He notes that even the Apostles required the Holy Spirit to complete their understanding of doctrines they had already heard from Jesus. Ultimately, any spiritual light a person possesses is a gift of grace rather than an inherent ability. True wisdom begins only when one acknowledges their total dependence on God to "open the eyes" of their understanding and grant a heart to perceive.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730

Episode Description

Deep Dive into But Spiritual Discernment is Wholly Lost Until we are Regenerated by John Calvin

John Calvin argues that human reason is fundamentally incapable of understanding the kingdom of God or the nature of divine favor without the intervention of the Holy Spirit. While humans possess the intellect to grasp earthly matters, they are "blinder than moles" regarding spiritual discernment. Calvin acknowledges that some philosophers may offer occasionally accurate remarks about God, but he likens these insights to momentary flashes of lightning in a dark night; they provide a brief glimpse but vanish too quickly to help a traveler find the right path.The sources emphasize that the human soul is "darkness" and lacks the capacity for sublime wisdom. This spiritual impotence means that the "natural man" cannot receive the things of the Spirit, viewing them as foolishness because they require a specific type of illumination that nature does not provide. Even the most diligent human effort is insufficient; spiritual truths remain hidden until they are revealed by the Spirit. Calvin asserts that regeneration is a prerequisite for understanding, meaning one must be "born of God" to apprehend divine mysteries.Furthermore, Calvin posits that even the external preaching of Christ or the existence of the Law is ineffective without an "inner teacher." He notes that even the Apostles required the Holy Spirit to complete their understanding of doctrines they had already heard from Jesus. Ultimately, any spiritual light a person possesses is a gift of grace rather than an inherent ability. True wisdom begins only when one acknowledges their total dependence on God to "open the eyes" of their understanding and grant a heart to perceive.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730