What is palingenesis?

The term "regeneration," (regeneratio, anagennesis), according to this its etymological signification means being born again. In this sense also the term is used by theological writers. But such is not the Scripture sense of the term. The word translated "regeneration" is in Scripture not anagennesis, but paliggenesia, which name means being "born again." It occurs twice only in the New Testament, viz., in Matt. 19:28, and Titus 3:5, and means a renewed or reconciled state of things — in fact, the Millennium, (compare 1 Cor. 4:8; 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 20:4; with Matt. 19:28). In their raised and glorified bodies the saints are destined to reign, during the Millennium, over (we do not say on) the earth. This is the period of the regeneration. The words used in Scripture for "born again" are gennao anothen, John in. 3; and anagennao, 1 Peter 1:23. Philo uses the term paliggenesia for the renewal of the earth after the deluge, — the latter being, as it were, the washing of regeneration. Doubtless in order to have part in the paliggenesia spoken of by our Lord, a person must be born again, as we learn from John 3:3. Still a new birth is not the scriptural meaning of the word, and the baptismal service of the Church of England is grossly in error in confounding regeneration and the new birth, and still more so in attributing the latter to the ordinance of baptism.

Baptism, like regeneration, imparts, not a change of inward state by the communication of life, but a change of status or position. In Titus 3:5-6, we read, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour." We have here three very distinct statements: 1st, He has saved us; 2nd, "by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, (i.e., as in John 3, "born of water, and of the Spirit"), moral cleansing or purification, and a new life or nature; 3rd, "which He shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Here we have more than the life-giving agency of the Holy Spirit, — we have the special Christian privilege, the Spirit of adoption, whereby we are enabled to address God as Abba, Father! the gift of the Spirit with all the fulness of spiritual blessing connected with His abiding presence in and with us. The order in Acts 2:38, is, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins," and then, as a subsequent thing, "Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Compare Galatians 4:6; Eph. 1:13. For a special reason in Acts 10:44 the gift of the Spirit preceded baptism, but this was an exception, — both cases proving the distinctness in time and in fact, between baptism and the gift of the Spirit.

The word is παλιγγενεσία, lit. 'new birth,' a renovation as in the return of spring. The word occurs but twice in the New Testament. In Matt. 19:28 it speaks of the time when Christ will sit on the throne of His glory; and in Titus 3:5 it refers to the new order of things, in connection with the presence of the Spirit, into which believers were brought. The word does not occur in the LXX. Josephus (Ant. xi. 3, 9) uses it for the 'restoration' of the Jewish nation after the exile. It will be seen that the word regeneration has not in scripture the sense of 'new birth,' to which the term has been commonly applied. Intimately connected with regeneration is the idea of 'washing,' referring probably to a cleansing, or separation from old associations, which is essential to the idea of regeneration.

But even if a wrong thought was running in the mind of the apostle, this did not hinder the Lord from showing that a positive reward was in store for them for their attachment to His person in His humiliation. "Verily, I say to you, that ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:28). The "regeneration" here is "the world to come" of Heb. 2:5, "the restitution of all things" of Acts 3:21 — in other words, the Millennial kingdom. It is called the "regeneration" because in that age evil will be put down and righteousness will be exalted. In that age all the saints will reign (even the faulty Corinthians 1 Cor. 6:2-3), but places will be allotted according to the fidelity of each in the present life, a special place being reserved for the apostles in connection with the twelve tribes of Israel, as the Saviour informed Peter in the passage before us. The portion of the apostles is indicated in v. 28; the more general portion of all believers in the verse following, with the significant addition, "but many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first."

Answer: No. This word is used twice in the New Testament, here and in Matthew 19:28, where it is evident that "new birth" cannot be the meaning. Regeneration suggests an outward change, not the beginning of something entirely new as new birth quite evidently is. It conveys the thought of restoration rather than that of new birth, and in Matthew 19 it evidently refers to the kingdom in the world-to-come. All will then be restored by Christ when He takes His power and reigns.

The word used here, is not being born again. It is used, besides this passage, only in the end of Matthew 19 for the millennium. The renewing of the Holy Ghost is a distinct thing from the regeneration. This last is a change of one state of things to another.

1899 320 "Regeneration" (paliggenesia, Titus 3:5) does not mean "being born again" (anagennao, or g. anothen). It is used, besides the passage about "the washing of regeneration," only in the end of Matt. 19. for the millennial state. The "renewing of the Holy Ghost" is a distinct thing from the "regeneration," which last signifies a change from one state to another.

Regeneration is a word used with little apprehension of its meaning. It occurs but twice: in Matthew 19:28, where it indicates the new condition of things on the earth; and then in Titus 3:5, where "the washing of regeneration" refers, I believe, to a change of state or condition, not to life at all.

As to the washing of regeneration, the priests were not washed at the laver at their first consecration; but they had to wash their hands and their feet at the laver every time when they came to serve. "Regeneration" in Titus is the same word as in Matthew 19, and not used elsewhere. It is the millennium in Matthew, instead of the present state of things. It is a change of state in both places. It is connected with what you are brought into, and what you are brought out of; for you are brought out of one, and into the other.

"Regeneration" is a new state of things, and not merely "to be born again," as anyone can see in Matt. 19:28. "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." It is the changed state of the earth which the Lord will introduce at His appearing, as the kingdom of God pre-supposes according to John 3. That state is not yet come. But there is an action of grace which already apprehends a believer for it, the moment he receives Christ and His work proclaimed in the gospel.

Of this new and changed state baptism is the sign — not of the new birth, but of deliverance from sin and its effects by the death of Christ, witnessed in the power of His resurrection which has taken away the sting. Hence it is that in 1 Peter 3:21 we read, "Which figure also now saveth you, baptism." But it is carefully added, "not a putting away of filth of flesh, but request of a good conscience toward God through resurrection of Jesus Christ." Superstitious men, who know not God's grace in Christ, do only misuse the sign and confound it with the thing signified. The gospel may not dispense with the outward side; but it announces an everlasting reality in Christ risen. How blessed to have our part in this new creation even now (2 Cor. 5)! How wondrous to know that "if any one is in Christ, it is a new creation! The old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new, and all things are of God that reconciled us to Himself through Christ." Before this is manifested to every eye, the Christian has both washing of regeneration now and renewing of the Holy Spirit also. This makes the force evident. If the washing of regeneration has an objective force, the renewing is a real and divine work in the soul. In order that it should be so, the Holy Spirit, as He does invariably in the believer, takes His suited and efficacious part, which is no mere token but a reality in power suited to and worthy of redemption.

The word translated "regeneration" also only occurs twice in the New Testament, the other occasion being in Matthew 19:28, where it signifies the new order of things which will be established when the Lord Jesus Christ reigns, and when "a nation" — Israel — will be "born at once" (Isa. 66:8). We learn in Titus that though we have not yet arrived at the hour of this world-wide regeneration yet believers today are the subjects of the washing of regeneration individually. The new birth in all its cleansing power is theirs.