Being born again is LITERALLY connected to = "SPIRITUAL" Baptism.....
As this is the "new creation" by the Holy Spirit, whereby God birth's the spirit of the believer into the Holy Spirit of God.
This is the "washing of regeneration", SPIRITUALLY, as water can't do that for you.
If it could then we'd all be born again, when we took our first BATH or SHOWER.
Water baptism, follows salvation......it does not cause it.
If you read Acts 8, you'll notice that "all that believe are saved"........
Notice that Philip tells the Eunuch that he can get in the water, "If you have BELIEVED with all your heart, = FIRST"..
That is "As many as believe in Jesus.....God gives to THE BELIEVER, the power to become a Son/Daughter, of God".
By the washing of regeneration (διὰ λουτροῦ παλινγενεσίας)
Λουτρόν only here and Eph_5:26. It does not mean the act of bathing, but the bath, the laver. Παλινγενεσία only here and Mat_19:28, where it is used of the final restoration of all things.
The phrase laver of regeneration distinctly refers to baptism, in connection with which and through which as a medium regeneration is conceived as taking place. Comp. Rom_6:3-5. It is true that nothing is said of faith; but baptism implies faith on the part of its recipient. It has no regenerating effect apart from faith; and the renewing of the Holy Spirit is not bestowed if faith be wanting.
Renewing (ἀνακαινώσεως)
Only here and Rom_12:2. Comp. 2Co_5:7. Paul has ἀνακαινοῦν to renew, 2Co_4:16; Col_3:10 : ἀνακαίνωσις renewing, Rom_12:2. Ἁνακαινίζειν to renew, only Heb_6:6. The connection of the genitive is disputed. Some make it dependent on λουτροῦ bath, so that the bath of baptism is conceived as implying regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Others construe with renewing only, ἀνακαινώσεως being dependent on διὰ; through the laver of regeneration and (through) the renewing, etc. The former seems the more probable. The phrase renewing of the Holy Spirit only here. In N.T. the Spirit or the Holy Spirit is joined in the genitive with the following words: comfort, joy, power, love, demonstration, manifestation, earnest, ministration, fellowship, promise, fruit, unity, sword, sanctification.
Vincent.
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"by the washing of regeneration" This is literally "through the bath of regeneration." The term washing (loutron) is used only twice in the NT (Eph. 5:26 and here). It was rarely used in the Septuagint. It can refer to
1. the place of bathing
2. the water of bathing
3. the act of bathing
In Leviticus washings were a symbol of cleansing or purifying persons or things (cf. Dead Sea Scrolls).
In Eph. 5:26 the bathing refers to a ritual bath before marriage.
The term "regeneration" (palingenesia) is also a rare term, found only in Matt. 19:28 and here. It is a compound from "again" (palin) and "birth" (genesis).
Therefore, it refers to the new birth brought about by the finished work of Christ and the wooing of the Spirit.
The occasion of the new birth is water baptism, the agent is the Holy Spirit (cf. Titus 3:5-6), the means is the death and resurrection of Christ (cf. Titus 3:6), and the basis of it all is the love and mercy of the Father (cf. Titus 3:4).
This is not a text that supports baptismal regeneration.
Baptism was the occasion for the public confession/profession (cf. Acts 2:38) and the symbol of the believer's death, burial, and resurrection with Christ in symbolic action (cf. Rom. 6:3-9; Col. 2:12). In the early church baptism was the opportunity for a person's public profession of faith ("Jesus is Lord" cf. Rom. 10:13). The focus is the action of the Holy Spirit (i.e. birthing and renewing).
"renewing"
This is also a rare term used only twice in the NT, here and Rom. 12:2. It means to cause someone or something to become new. A related term is found in Col. 3:10. Grammatically it is synonymous with "rebirth." There is only one preposition (dia) for both of them. Therefore, this is not two works of grace, but two aspects of one work. This implies they are one event administered by the Holy Spirit. This would be similar to John 3:5-8 and 1 Pet. 1:23.
3:6 "poured out" This could refer to the Father (cf. Titus 3:4) or the Holy Spirit (cf. Titus 3:5). The same verb with the same ambiguity is used in Acts 2:17-18,33; 10:45, which is taken from Joel 2:28-30.
Utley.
Just my 2 cents-before being subjected to another verbal assault.
But I have to admit I am learning a lot from this pastor-with Scriptures to give a balanced, unbiased view on the various interpretations and I love his knowledge re the rabbinical writings and the Targums as well as the Morphology and Syntax as it stands written-in Koine Greek and the Hebrew Scriptures.
Some believe in baptismal regeneration-some don't-the burden of proof is on you to convince others-with Scripture references-whether it is false, or not-without attacking the PERSON
here is Gill
by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; by the former is meant, not the ordinance of water baptism; for that is never expressed by washing, nor is it the cause or means of regeneration; the cause being the Spirit of God, and the means the word of God: and besides, persons ought to be regenerated before they are baptized; and they may be baptized, and yet not regenerated, as Simon Magus; nor is it a saving ordinance, or a point of salvation; nor can it be opposed to works of righteousness, as this washing is; for that itself is a work of righteousness; see Mat_3:15 and if persons were saved by that, they would be saved by a work of righteousness, contrary to the text itself: but regenerating grace is meant, or a being born of water, and of the Spirit; that is, of the grace of the Spirit, comparable to water for its purity and cleansing virtue: hence such who are regenerated and sanctified, are said to be washed and cleansed, having their hearts purified by faith, and their consciences purged from sin by the blood of Christ: by the latter,
Exp-Greek
God saved us by Baptism, which involves two complementary processes, (a) the ceremony itself which marks the actual moment in time of the new birth, and (b) the daily, hourly, momently renewing of the Holy Spirit, by which the spiritual life is supported and fostered and increased. And the moving cause of this exceeding kindness of God was not any merits of our own, but His mercy.
Another source-
According to the context, Paul calls baptism the bath of the new birth, not meaning that it pledges us to the new birth (“to complete the process of moral purification, of expiation and sanctification,” Matthies), -
nor that it is a visible image of the new birth (de Wette), for neither in the one sense nor in the other could it be regarded as a means of saving (ἜΣΩΣΕΝ ἩΜᾶς ΔΙΆ). Paul uses that name for it as the bath by means of which God actually brings about the new birth.[13] Comp. with this the apostle’s expressions elsewhere regarding baptism, especially Rom_6:3 ff., Gal_3:27, Col_2:12, which all alike assign this real signification to baptism.
καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως πνεύματος ἁγίου] The genit. πν. ἁγ. is the genit. of the efficient cause: “the renewal wrought by the Holy Spirit” (de Wette, Wiesinger, van Oosterzee). This may be taken as the continuing influence of the Spirit working in the regenerated Christian, or as the single act of inward change by which the man became a καινὴ κτίσις (2Co_5:17), a τέκνον Θεοῦ.
Here the word is to be taken in the latter signification, as is clear from its connection with ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς;[14] otherwise in Rom_12:2; Eph_4:22-24. According to some expositors, the genit. ἀνακαινώσεως is dependent on ΔΙΆ; Bengel: duae res commemorantur: lavacrum regenerationis, quae baptismi in Christum periphrasis et renovatio Spiritus sancti. According to others, it depends on ΛΟΝΤΡΟῦ, and is co-ordinate with ΠΑΛΙΓΓΕΝΕΣΊΑς; Vulgate: per lavacrum regenerationis et renovationis (de Wette, Wiesinger).
The latter is the right view, for “what else could ἈΝΑΚΑΊΝΩΣΙς ΠΝ. ἉΓ. be than the new birth denoted by ΠΑΛΙΓΓΕΝΕΣΊΑ?” (Wiesinger). In this way ἈΝΑΚ. ΠΝ. ἉΓ. is added epexegetically to the previous conception ΠΑΛΙΓΓΕΝΕΣΊΑ, explaining it, but not adding any new force to it.[15] Heinrichs quite wrongly thinks that ΠΝ. ἉΓ. here is the ΠΝ. hominis, ipsius, which (quatenus antea fuit ΨΥΧΙΚΌΝ, ΣΑΡΚΙΚΌΝ, ἘΠΊΓΕΙΟΝ) becomes holy by the ἈΝΑΚΑΊΝ.
But-knowing you by now-you will not read the info.
J.
