OK!
"The natural man receives NOT the things from/of the Spirit, for they ARE spiritually discerned!"
Thank you. I will agree that on first glance this verse supports your view, however it does not say a person must be regenerated to believe. But more than that, if you read this verse in context you will see it is not speaking of faith
at all, but knowing the "things of the Spirit of God". There is a difference. Let's look at one verse at a time starting with vs. 11
1 Cor 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
This verse does seem to support your view at first glance. But what is it speaking of? Is it speaking of faith? No. It is speaking of knowing "the things of God".
1 Cor 2:12 Now
we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Now, this verse refutes your doctrine. It says that they have received the Spirit "that we might know
the things that are freely given to us of God".
Now read that again carefully, which came first, receiving the Spirit, or knowing the things of God?
It says they first received the Spirit doesn't it? And we know from Gal 3:2 that we receive the Spirit by faith.
Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you,
Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?
So, obviously these persons had believed BEFORE they could understand the things of God. Isn't that correct? Yes, or no?
Now go to your famous vs. 14 and read in context.
1 Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Is this verse speaking about faith? NO! It is speaking about receiving "the things of the Spirit of God". It is not speaking of faith at all.
So, going back to vs. 12 we see a person can believe and receive the Spirit by faith, and only after doing so can he "receive the things of the Spirit" or know "the things" that are freely given to us of God.
So, Calvinism pulls 1 Cor 2:14 out of context to prove natural man does not have the ability to believe, when that is not what this verse says at all. It is not talking about faith, it is talking about "the things of the Spirit of God". This is a deeper knowledge of God.
But it is not faith, and this verse is not saying the natural man does not have the ability to believe. It does not mention faith whatsoever.