# A question on Calvin and regeneration?



## terry72 (Mar 8, 2006)

I have a question for some of you guys that are much more familar with Calvin than I am.

Did Calvin teach progressive regeneration?

I have read about half way trough Calvin's institutes and don't recall see this teaching so far as I have read. I have read a good amount of his commentaries and this didn't stick out to me there either, but I am no expert on Calvin and still have much to read of his material.

Blessings,
Terry


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## Puritan Sailor (Mar 9, 2006)

No, at least not in the way we define regeneration today. Calvin's use of "regeneration" was more broad covering all the renewing acts of God in the beleiver including sanctification. In later Reformed thinking, regeneration was narrowed down in definition to the initial act being "born again" in order to prevent confusion. So what later Reformed thinkers would call conversion and sanctification, Calvin would have included under his definition of regeneration. That's important to keep in mind since so many folks today leave that fact out and misquote Calvin.


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## Flynn (Mar 9, 2006)

G'day Terry,

The Sailor said: 



> _Originally posted by puritansailor_
> No, at least not in the way we define regeneration today. Calvin's use of "regeneration" was more broad covering all the renewing acts of God in the beleiver including sanctification. [...] That's important to keep in mind since so many folks today leave that fact out and misquote Calvin.



I am not sure how a no can become a yes so quickly. 

There is a neat treatise from Calvin and it has an extended discussion on Regeneration. E.g., see chapter 18, his his treatise against the libertines. Here is one excerpt: 

These fantastic people, however, to support their error arm themselves with this verse of Saint John's: 'Let him who is born of God sin no more' (1 John 3:9). Now I readily concede that if there should be found a totally regenerated man, then there would not be any sin in him. But the point is to know whether regeneration has ever been perfected in a mortal life. I say that since the creation of the world not a single example has appeared." p 269.

Are you one of those fantastic people Terr?

I told ya about the now old and rejected concept of the aorist. 

Take care,
David


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