Regeneration. A biblical motif of salvation that emphasizes the rebirth or re-creation of fallen human beings by the indwelling Holy Spirit. One central biblical text depicting salvation as regeneration is Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in which he emphasized the necessity of being “born again” (Jn 3:1–21). Pocket dictionary of Theological terms
The perfect tense “has given” denotes the resultant indwelling of the Spirit imparted at regeneration. In 3:24 use of the aorist tense asserted the historical
Bibliotheca Sacra: A Quarterly Published by Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1955–1995).
The present age involves the spiritual aspects of that Messianic kingdom, that is, the blessings of the New Covenant (i.e., regeneration, the indwelling Spirit, etc.).
Bibliotheca Sacra: A Quarterly Published by Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1955–1995).
Conservative theologians disagree, however, on the beneficiaries of the New Covenant. Most “covenant theologians claim that the New Covenant is being totally fulfilled in the Church today” (p. 12). “Dispensational theologians claim that…the Church has not replaced literal Israel in its relationship to the New Covenant, and the New Covenant is not being fulfilled totally in the Church today…. There will be a fulfillment of the New Covenant for literal Israel in the future” (p. 13).
The key to determining which view best accords with Scripture is recognizing that the Old Testament promise of the New Covenant contained both spiritual and physical or material benefits. The church indeed is enjoying the spiritual benefits (e.g., regeneration and the indwelling Holy Spirit), but the church is not experiencing the physical benefits, which remain unfulfilled and will remain unfulfilled until literal national Israel appropriates the New Covenant to experience both its spiritual and physical benefits.
Bibliotheca Sacra: A Quarterly Published by Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1955–1995).
The Holy Spirit applies the benefits of salvation to those whom he indwells. The indwelling of the Spirit is both corporate and individual; Christ’s church is his temple, as are individual Christians. In regeneration, the Spirit gives new life to the believer, birthing a new creation. In sanctification, God the Spirit transforms Christians into the image and likeness of Christ by developing within them the fruits of the Spirit. The Spirit also imparts divine power to his church through spiritual gifts and supernatural endowment. This power is given for the furtherance of God’s salvific mission of grace in the world. Finally, the indwelling Spirit is a “guarantee” or “pledge” of the fullness of salvation to be experienced at the final glorification of Christian believers (Eph 1:13–14).
Susanne Calhoun, “The Spirit’s Indwelling,” in Lexham Survey of Theology (ed. Mark Ward et al.; Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
Protestant churches often assume that the indwelling of the Spirit occurs once, at the moment of regeneration, without any need for a separate baptism or filling
Susanne Calhoun, “The Spirit’s Indwelling,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
Regeneration. That mighty work of the Holy Spirit of God whereby one is “delivered out of the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of the Son of his love” (Col. 1:13; comp. 1 Pet. 2:9) is spoken of in John 3:5–8, as being “born of the Spirit.” Whosoever is thus begotten of God is conceived as a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15), “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10), “the new man, who after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Eph. 4:24). This mighty change is also conceived as being raised from the dead so as to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4); and even the quickening of our mortal bodies into the resurrection life is through the power of the indwelling Spirit (Rom. 8:11)
Milton S. Terry, Biblical Dogmatics: An Exposition of the Principal Doctrines of the Holy Scriptures (New York; Cincinnati: Eaton & Mains; Jennings & Graham, 1907), 499.
Regeneration is the divine action by which God renews the fallen creation so that it reflects his character.
For human beings, regeneration is the answer to the corruption of moral character caused by sin. It is essential for participation in the kingdom of God (John 3:3). At conversion, God grants the believer new life and a new identity in Christ. This event is so powerful that John refers to it as a new birth, a birth “from above” (John 3:3), while Paul refers to it as a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17). In either case, the change is brought about by the Holy Spirit, who comes to indwell the believer.
Brenda B. Colijn, “Regeneration,” in Lexham Survey of Theology (ed. Mark Ward et al.; Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
The second aspect of salvation, resulting from the gift of the indwelling Spirit, consists of the divine works of regeneration and sanctification. God as Physician cures the disease of sin that afflicts our natures, thus resolving the problem of spiritual corruption and restoring us to spiritual wholeness.
Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub., 2002), 318.
In 1 Cor 12:13 Paul affirms that we were all baptized by the one Spirit into the body of Christ. This is not some special event or experience limited to a few. It is the general experience of all Christians and is equivalent to the Spirit’s work of regeneration and the beginning of his indwelling. There is no necessary connection between baptism in the Spirit and miraculous gifts of the Spirit.
Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub., 2002), 296.
content of salvation must also be twofold—a “double cure.” The first aspect of salvation received by the believing, penitent sinner is the gift of justification, which solves the problem of guilt and removes all punishment. God as Judge declares that the penalty for sin no longer applies to us. The second aspect of salvation, resulting from the gift of the indwelling Spirit, consists of the divine works of regeneration and sanctification.
Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub., 2002), 318.
But since they take the fruits of regeneration as proof of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, from this they are greatly strengthened to wait for God’s help in all their necessities, seeing that in this very great matter they experience him as Father
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, The Library of Christian Classics (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 786.
The perfect tense “has given” denotes the resultant indwelling of the Spirit imparted at regeneration. In 3:24 use of the aorist tense asserted the historical
Bibliotheca Sacra: A Quarterly Published by Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1955–1995).
The present age involves the spiritual aspects of that Messianic kingdom, that is, the blessings of the New Covenant (i.e., regeneration, the indwelling Spirit, etc.).
Bibliotheca Sacra: A Quarterly Published by Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1955–1995).
Conservative theologians disagree, however, on the beneficiaries of the New Covenant. Most “covenant theologians claim that the New Covenant is being totally fulfilled in the Church today” (p. 12). “Dispensational theologians claim that…the Church has not replaced literal Israel in its relationship to the New Covenant, and the New Covenant is not being fulfilled totally in the Church today…. There will be a fulfillment of the New Covenant for literal Israel in the future” (p. 13).
The key to determining which view best accords with Scripture is recognizing that the Old Testament promise of the New Covenant contained both spiritual and physical or material benefits. The church indeed is enjoying the spiritual benefits (e.g., regeneration and the indwelling Holy Spirit), but the church is not experiencing the physical benefits, which remain unfulfilled and will remain unfulfilled until literal national Israel appropriates the New Covenant to experience both its spiritual and physical benefits.
Bibliotheca Sacra: A Quarterly Published by Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1955–1995).
The Holy Spirit applies the benefits of salvation to those whom he indwells. The indwelling of the Spirit is both corporate and individual; Christ’s church is his temple, as are individual Christians. In regeneration, the Spirit gives new life to the believer, birthing a new creation. In sanctification, God the Spirit transforms Christians into the image and likeness of Christ by developing within them the fruits of the Spirit. The Spirit also imparts divine power to his church through spiritual gifts and supernatural endowment. This power is given for the furtherance of God’s salvific mission of grace in the world. Finally, the indwelling Spirit is a “guarantee” or “pledge” of the fullness of salvation to be experienced at the final glorification of Christian believers (Eph 1:13–14).
Susanne Calhoun, “The Spirit’s Indwelling,” in Lexham Survey of Theology (ed. Mark Ward et al.; Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
Protestant churches often assume that the indwelling of the Spirit occurs once, at the moment of regeneration, without any need for a separate baptism or filling
Susanne Calhoun, “The Spirit’s Indwelling,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
Regeneration. That mighty work of the Holy Spirit of God whereby one is “delivered out of the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of the Son of his love” (Col. 1:13; comp. 1 Pet. 2:9) is spoken of in John 3:5–8, as being “born of the Spirit.” Whosoever is thus begotten of God is conceived as a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15), “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10), “the new man, who after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Eph. 4:24). This mighty change is also conceived as being raised from the dead so as to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4); and even the quickening of our mortal bodies into the resurrection life is through the power of the indwelling Spirit (Rom. 8:11)
Milton S. Terry, Biblical Dogmatics: An Exposition of the Principal Doctrines of the Holy Scriptures (New York; Cincinnati: Eaton & Mains; Jennings & Graham, 1907), 499.
Regeneration is the divine action by which God renews the fallen creation so that it reflects his character.
For human beings, regeneration is the answer to the corruption of moral character caused by sin. It is essential for participation in the kingdom of God (John 3:3). At conversion, God grants the believer new life and a new identity in Christ. This event is so powerful that John refers to it as a new birth, a birth “from above” (John 3:3), while Paul refers to it as a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17). In either case, the change is brought about by the Holy Spirit, who comes to indwell the believer.
Brenda B. Colijn, “Regeneration,” in Lexham Survey of Theology (ed. Mark Ward et al.; Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
The second aspect of salvation, resulting from the gift of the indwelling Spirit, consists of the divine works of regeneration and sanctification. God as Physician cures the disease of sin that afflicts our natures, thus resolving the problem of spiritual corruption and restoring us to spiritual wholeness.
Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub., 2002), 318.
In 1 Cor 12:13 Paul affirms that we were all baptized by the one Spirit into the body of Christ. This is not some special event or experience limited to a few. It is the general experience of all Christians and is equivalent to the Spirit’s work of regeneration and the beginning of his indwelling. There is no necessary connection between baptism in the Spirit and miraculous gifts of the Spirit.
Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub., 2002), 296.
content of salvation must also be twofold—a “double cure.” The first aspect of salvation received by the believing, penitent sinner is the gift of justification, which solves the problem of guilt and removes all punishment. God as Judge declares that the penalty for sin no longer applies to us. The second aspect of salvation, resulting from the gift of the indwelling Spirit, consists of the divine works of regeneration and sanctification.
Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub., 2002), 318.
But since they take the fruits of regeneration as proof of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, from this they are greatly strengthened to wait for God’s help in all their necessities, seeing that in this very great matter they experience him as Father
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, The Library of Christian Classics (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 786.
