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I don't understand how Calvin can call baptism an appendage of the gospel and also a work of God.
This is very simple. Baptism is a work of man. Man is the one that does the baptism-he literally does the sprinkling, etc. (don't confuse water baptism with Spirit baptism). The subject submits to being baptized. Baptism is a work of man. However, Calvin calls it "a work of God" in that God administers grace because of obedience to His covenant. However, this is not "saving grace" for then baptism (a work of man) would violate Eph 2:8-9 and other texts. Salvation then would partly be a work of man and man could not longer said to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit alone and thus have root in himself to claim he saved himself.

I don't agree with everything that Calvin ever wrote concerning baptism, however on some of what he wrote I do. As any other theologian he was still growing in his faith and the communication of such. We have to be discerning not to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

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Are not all the works of God in the gospel saving and necessary to salvation?
No! Not all the works of God are salvific in scope. In actuality most aren't. Many of God's works are sanctifying, a matter of obedience, have to do with covenantal blessing/curse, etc. in scope. Saved can also mean different things within the context of Scripture--not all of it regenerative (i.e. Acts 27:31, 1 Cor 3:15).

The Greek term sozo (saved) has several meanings:

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Meaning: 1) to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction 1a) one (from injury or peril) 1a1) to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health 1b1) to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue 1b) to save in the technical biblical sense 1b1) negatively 1b1a) to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment 1b1b) to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance.
The Greek term soteria (salvation) also has different uses:

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Meaning: 1) deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation 1a) deliverance from the molestation of enemies 1b) in an ethical sense, that which concludes to the souls safety or salvation 1b1) of Messianic salvation 2) salvation as the present possession of all true Christians 3) future salvation, the sum of benefits and blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated and eternal kingdom of God.
I have also attached a five page file from the BDAG on the uses of the two words (you may need to download the [Linked Image] Greek (and Hebrew) fonts at BibleWorks to fully read them). These will again show the diversity of the use of the terms and once again WHY one must be discerning in the use of the terms (and many others in Scripture).

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Reformed and Always Reforming,