Lectionary Calendar
Monday, October 7th, 2024
the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

聖書日本語

テトスへの手紙 3:5

5 わたしたちの行った義のわざによってではなく、ただ神のあわれみによって、再生の洗いを受け、聖霊により新たにされて、わたしたちは救われたのである。

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ablution;   Baptism;   God Continued...;   Holy Spirit;   Regeneration;   Salvation;   Testimony;   Trinity;   Washing;   Works;   Scofield Reference Index - Holy Spirit;   Thompson Chain Reference - Cleansing;   Defilement-Cleansing;   Divine;   Favours, Unmerited;   Good;   Grace;   Holy Spirit;   Life-Death;   Mercifulness-Unmercifulness;   Mercy;   New;   Promises, Divine;   Purification of Heart;   Regeneration;   Renewal, Spiritual;   Unmerited Favours;   Work, Religious;   Work-Workers, Religious;   Works;   Works, Good;   The Topic Concordance - Goodness;   Grace;   Inheritance;   Justification;   Kindness;   Love;   Profit;   Salvation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Baptism;   Baptism with the Holy Spirit;   Laver of Brass;   Love of God, the;   Loving-Kindness of God, the;   Mercy of God, the;   New Birth, the;   Righteousness;   Salvation;   Trinity, the;   Works, Good;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Regeneration;   Washing;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Covenant;   Forgiveness;   God;   Good works;   Grace;   Holy spirit;   Mercy;   Regeneration;   Salvation;   Trinity;   Virgin;   Water;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Baptize, Baptism;   Church, the;   Holy Spirit;   Inheritance;   Mercy;   New Birth;   Restore, Renew;   Sanctification;   Scripture, Unity and Diversity of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Death;   Mercy of God;   Merit;   Sanctification;   Works, Good;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Birth;   Regeneration;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Adoption;   Baptism;   Birth;   Laver;   Paul;   Regeneration;   Titus, the Epistle to;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Divine Freedom;   Hymn;   Regeneration;   Salvation;   Trinity;   Works;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Baptism;   Kindness;   Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Regeneration;   Timothy, Epistles to;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Arts;   Assumption of Moses;   Atonement (2);   Attributes of Christ;   Baptism;   Baptism ;   Benedictus;   God;   Grace;   Holy Spirit;   Immortality;   Laver;   Love;   Mercy;   Paul;   Regeneration;   Regeneration (2);   Repentance;   Righteousness;   Sacraments;   Salvation Save Saviour;   Sin (2);   Timothy and Titus Epistles to;   Trust;   Turning;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Regeneration;   Washing of Regeneration;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Feasts;   Holy ghost;   Regeneration;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Trinity;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Baptism;   Calling;   Justification;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Acceptance;   Accord;   Assurance;   Baptism (Non-Immersionist View);   Baptism (Lutheran Doctrine);   Baptismal Regeneration;   Election;   Grace;   Laver;   Pastoral Epistles, the;   Regeneration;   Renew;   Sanctification;   Tabernacle;   Wash;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Birth, New;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for November 13;   Every Day Light - Devotion for November 9;  

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

by works: Job 9:20, Job 15:14, Job 25:4, Psalms 143:2, Isaiah 57:12, Luke 10:27-29, Romans 3:20, Romans 3:28, Romans 4:5, Romans 9:11, Romans 9:16, Romans 9:30, Romans 11:6, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:16-21, Ephesians 2:4, Ephesians 2:8, Ephesians 2:9, 2 Timothy 1:9

according: Titus 3:4, Psalms 62:12, Psalms 86:5, Psalms 86:15, Psalms 130:7, Micah 7:18, Luke 1:50, Luke 1:54, Luke 1:72, Luke 1:78, Ephesians 1:6, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 4:16, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Peter 2:10

washing: John 3:3-5, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Ephesians 5:26, 1 Peter 3:21

renewing: Psalms 51:10, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23, Colossians 3:10, Hebrews 6:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:16 - the Lord Exodus 29:4 - wash them Exodus 30:18 - a laver Exodus 30:19 - General Exodus 38:8 - the laver Exodus 40:7 - General Leviticus 11:32 - it must be put into water Numbers 31:23 - ye shall make Deuteronomy 9:5 - Not for 2 Kings 5:13 - Wash 2 Chronicles 4:2 - a molten sea Psalms 26:6 - wash Psalms 73:1 - of a clean heart Psalms 104:30 - sendest Proverbs 21:8 - but Proverbs 30:12 - not Isaiah 32:15 - the spirit Isaiah 43:7 - for I Isaiah 44:3 - pour my Isaiah 52:15 - sprinkle Isaiah 54:10 - that hath Jeremiah 33:6 - and will Ezekiel 36:25 - will I Ezekiel 37:14 - shall put Zechariah 12:10 - I will pour Zechariah 13:1 - a fountain Matthew 3:6 - were Mark 1:8 - he shall John 1:13 - of God John 1:33 - the same John 13:8 - If John 14:26 - Holy Ghost John 19:34 - came Acts 1:5 - John Acts 2:38 - be Acts 2:47 - the Lord Acts 8:36 - See Acts 11:16 - but Acts 22:16 - arise Acts 26:18 - sanctified Romans 3:24 - justified Romans 5:5 - shed 2 Corinthians 3:18 - are 2 Corinthians 4:16 - is Ephesians 2:5 - grace ye Philippians 2:13 - to will Philippians 3:9 - not Colossians 2:12 - baptism 1 Thessalonians 1:4 - your election 1 Thessalonians 1:5 - in the Titus 2:11 - the grace Hebrews 10:22 - our bodies 1 John 5:6 - by water and

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Not by works of righteousness which we have done,.... The great instance of the kindness and love of God our Saviour is salvation; which the apostle denies that it is brought about by any works, even the best works of men; for "works of righteousness" are works done according to a righteous law, and in obedience to it; and in a righteous manner, from right principles of grace, in faith, and with a view to the glory of God; or otherwise they are not righteous actions, or works of righteousness; wherefore not works before, but after conversion, are here meant; for works before conversion are not properly works of righteousness: besides, these are such which we have done, who formerly were as before described, but now are regenerated and renewed by the Holy Ghost, and created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Now salvation, neither in whole, nor in part, is by these, either as causes; conditions, or means;

:-; מעשים צדקה, "works of righteousness", is a Jewish phrase used for righteous or good works z

but according to his mercy he saved us; the mercy of God is natural and essential to him, but the actings and exercise of it, towards this or the other objects, are sovereign and free, and according to his will; the effects of it are many, he is rich and abundant in it; and they are channelled in, and flow forth through the blood and righteousness of Christ; and this is the moving cause of salvation: this moved God to make a covenant with his Son, the blessings of which are the sure mercies of David, and in which God is merciful to the sins and unrighteousnesses of his people; it is owing to the tender mercy of God, that Christ, the dayspring from on high, has visited the earth; and the glory of it is very conspicuous in the affair of redemption by him; the pardon of sin is according to the multitude of God's tender mercies; and regeneration springs from the abundance of it; and even eternal life is the effect of it. Now according to this, God has "saved" his people; salvation is not only a thing determined, and resolved on in the mind of God, but is actually and completely accomplished by Jesus Christ, and an application of it is made to the saints in effectual calling; and because of the certain enjoyment of the whole of it, even eternal glory, the saints are said to be saved already; as they are also in faith and hope, as well as in Christ, their head and representative;

:-. It follows, as the means of salvation,

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 Matthew 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,

the renewing of the Holy Ghost, is meant either the fruit and effect of the former, even newness of life and conversation, under the influence of the Holy Spirit; or else the gradual increase and progress of the work of grace upon the soul, renewed day by day in the spirit of the mind, by the Holy Ghost; or rather it means the same thing with regeneration, and is added partly as explanative of the washing of regeneration, showing that that is no other than the new creature, the new man, the new heart, and new spirit, formed in the soul, in the effectual calling; and partly to observe that the Holy Ghost is the author of it. Now it is in this way God saves his people, namely, by regenerating and renewing them; in this is the first appearance and discovery of the love of God to them; this is their open passage into a state of grace, and without this there is no entrance into glory; this is the foundation of all grace and good works, and by which saints appear to be heirs of the heavenly inheritance.

z Seder Tephillot, Ed. Amsterdam, fol. 46. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Not by works of righteousness which we have done - The plan was not based on our own good works, nor are our own good works now the cause of our salvation. If people could have been saved by their own good works, there would have been no need of salvation by the Redeemer; if our own deeds were now the basis of our title to eternal life, the work of Christ would be equally unnecessary. It is a great and fundamental principle of the gospel that the good works of men come in for no share in the justification of the soul. They are in no sense a consideration on account of which God pardons a man, and receives him to favor. The only basis of justification is the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the matter of justification before God, all the race is on a level; see the notes at Ephesians 2:8-9.

But according to his mercy -

  1. It had its origin in mercy;
  2. It is by mere mercy or compassion, and not by justice;
  3. It is an expression of great mercy, and,
  4. It is now in fact conferred only by mercy.

Whatever we have done or can do, when we come to receive salvation from the hand of God, there is no other element which enters into it but mercy. It is not because our deeds deserve it; it is not because we have by repentance and faith wrought ourselves into such a state of mind that we can claim it; but, after all our tears, and sighs, and prayers, and good deeds, it is a mere favor. Even then God might justly withhold it if he chose, and no blame would be attached to him if he should suffer us to sink down to ruin.

He saved us - That is, he began that salvation in us which is to be completed in heaven. A man who is already renewed and pardoned may be spoken of as saved - for:

(1)The work of salvation is begun, and,

(2)When begun it will certainly be completed; see the notes at Philippians 1:6.

By the washing of regeneration - In order to a correct understanding of this important passage, it is necessary to ascertain whether the phrase here used refers to baptism, and whether anything different is intended by it from what is meant by the succeeding phrase - “renewing of the Holy Ghost.” - The word rendered “washing” (λουτρόυ loutrou) occurs in the New Testament only in this place and in Ephesians 5:26, where also it is rendered “washing” - “That he might sanctify and cleanse it (the church) with the washing of water by the word.” The word properly means “a bath;” then water for bathing; then the act of bathing, washing, ablution. Passow and Robinson. It is used by Homer to denote a warm or cold bath; then a washing away, and is thus applied to the drink-offerings in sacrifice, which were supposed to purify or wash away sin. Passow. The word here does not mean “laver,” or the vessel for washing in, which would be expressed by λουτὴρ loutēr and this word cannot be properly applied to the baptismal font.

The word in itself would naturally be understood as referring to baptism (compare notes at Acts 22:16), which was regarded as the emblem of washing away sins, or of cleansing from them. I say it was the emblem, not the means of purify ing the soul from sin. If this be the allusion, and it seems probable, then the phrase “washing of regeneration” would mean “that outward washing or baptism which is the emblem of regeneration,” and which is appointed as one of the ordinances connected with salvation; see the notes at Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” It is not affirmed in this phrase that baptism is the means of regeneration; or that grace is necessarily conveyed by it; and still less that baptism is regeneration, for no one of these is a necessary interpretation of the passage, and should not be assumed to be the true one. The full force of the language will be met by the supposition that it means that baptism is the emblem or symbol of regeneration, and, if this is the case, no one has a right to assume that the other is certainly the meaning.

And that this is the meaning is further clear, because it is nowhere taught in the New Testament that baptism is regeneration, or that it is the means of regeneration. The word rendered “regeneration” (παλιγγενεσία palingenesia) - occurs in the New Testament only here and in Matthew 19:28, - “in the regeneration when the Son of man,” etc. It means, properly, a new birth, reproduction, or renewal. It would properly be applied to one who should be begotten again in this sense, that a new life was commenced in him in some way corresponding to his being made to live at first. To the proper idea of the word, it is essential that there should be connected the notion of the commencement of life in the man, so that he may be said to live anew; and as religion is in the Scriptures represented as life, it is properly applied to the beginning of that kind of life by which man may be said to live anew. This word, occurring only here and in Matthew 19:28, and there indubitably not referring to baptism, should not be here understood as referring to that, or be applied to that, because:

(1)That is not the proper meaning of the word;

(2)There is no Scripture usage to sanction it;

(3)The connection here does not demand it;

(4)The correlatives of the word (see John 3:3, John 3:5-6, Joh 3:8; 1 Peter 1:3,) are applied only to that great moral change which is produced by the Holy Spirit, and,

(5)It is a dangerous use of the word.

Its use in this sense leaves the impression that the only change needful for man is that which is produced by being regularly baptized. On almost no point has so much injury been done in the church as by the application of the word “regeneration” to baptism. It affects the beginning of religion in the soul, and if a mistake is made there, it is one which must pervade all the views of piety.

And renewing of the Holy Ghost - This is an important clause, added by Paul apparently to save from the possibility of falling into error. If the former expression, “the washing of regeneration,” had been left to stand by itself, it might have been supposed possibly that all the regeneration which would be needed would be that which would accompany baptism. But he avoids the possibility of this error, by saying that the “renewing of the Holy Ghost” is an indispensable part of that by which we are saved. It is necessary that this should exist in addition to that which is the mere emblem of it - the washing of regeneration - for without this the former would be unmeaning and unavailing. It is important to observe that the apostle by no means says that this always follows from the former, nor does he affirm that it ever follows from it - whatever may be the truth on that point - but he asserts that this is that on which our salvation depends. - The word rendered “renewing” (ἀνακαίνωσις anakainōsis) occurs only here and in Romans 12:2, where it is also rendered “renewing;” compare Note on that place. The verb (ἀνακαινόω anakainoō) occurs in 2 Corinthians 4:15, and Colossians 3:19, in both which places it is rendered “renewed,” and the corresponding word, ἀνακαινίζω anakainizō, in Hebrews 6:6.

The noun properly means making new again: a renewing; a renovation; compare H. Planck in Bib. Repos. i. 677. It is a word which is found only in the writings of Paul, and in ecclesiastical Greek writers. It would be properly applied to such a change as the Holy Spirit produces in the soul, making one a new man; that is, a man new, so far as religion is concerned - new in his views, feelings, desires, hopes, plans, and purposes. He is so far different from what he was before, that it may be said he enters on a new life; see the notes at Ephesians 4:23-24. The “renewing of the Holy Ghost” of course means that which the Holy Spirit produces, recognizing the fact, everywhere taught in the Scriptures, that the Holy Spirit is the Author of the new creation. It cannot mean, as Koppe supposes, the renewing of the mind itself, or producing a holy spirit in the soul.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 5. Not by works of righteousness — Those who were foolish, disobedient, and deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, could not possibly have works of righteousness to plead; therefore, if saved at all, they must be saved by mercy. Ephesians 2:8; and see a discourse entitled, Salvation by Faith proved, 8vo., 1816, in which I have examined every system invented by man for his restoration to the Divine favour and image: and have demonstrated, by mere reason, their utter insufficiency to answer the end for which they have been invented; and have proved that the doctrine of salvation by faith is the only rational way of salvation.

By the washing of regeneration — δια λουτρου παλιγγενεσιας. Undoubtedly the apostle here means baptism, the rite by which persons were admitted into the Church, and the visible sign of the cleansing, purifying influences of the Holy Spirit, which the apostle immediately subjoins. Baptism is only a sign, and therefore should never be separated from the thing signified; but it is a rite commanded by God himself, and therefore the thing signified should never be expected without it.

By the renewing of the Holy Ghost we are to understand, not only the profession of being bound to live a new life, but the grace that renews the heart, and enables us thus to live; so the renewing influences are here intended. Baptism changes nothing; the grace signified by it cleanses and purifies. They who think baptism to be regeneration, neither know the Scriptures nor the power of God; therefore they do greatly err.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile