Regeneration (New Birth)
Born again from above — the Spirit kindles a new spiritual life that no one can give themselves
Regeneration, or the new birth, is the inner renewal in which the Holy Spirit gives a person new spiritual life. Jesus speaks of being "born from above" in John 3, and Titus 3:5 links salvation to a "washing of regeneration." Traditions agree that this rebirth is God's gift, but they differ on its tie to baptism: some hold to baptismal regeneration, while others locate the new birth in faith or conversion.
How it traveled
- RomansCorinth · 67explains
- EphesiansRome · 67explains
- JohnEphesus · 100explains
- 1 JohnEphesus · 100explains
- The Catechetical Lectures of S. CyrilJerusalem · 386explains
- Select Orations of Saint Gregory NazianzenNazianzus · 390explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. JohnConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and EphesiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on Second CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- A Commentary on the Acts of the ApostlesConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of InfantsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Soul and its OriginHippo Regius · 430explains
- On Marriage and ConcupiscenceHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise Against Two Letters of the PelagiansHippo Regius · 430explains
- The EnchiridionHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original SinHippo Regius · 430explains
- Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New TestamentHippo Regius · 430explains
- City of GodHippo Regius · 430explains
- The ConfessionsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- The Letters and Sermons of Leo the GreatRome · 461explains
- Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90)Paris · 1274explains
- Commentary on GalatiansWittenberg · 1546explains
- Discussion: Second PartWittenberg · 1546explains
- Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from ItGeneva · 1564explains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · 1564explains
- Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic ChurchGeneva · 1564explains
- A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three PartsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Narrative of Surprising ConversionsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Misrepresentations Corrected and Truth Vindicated, in Reply to the Rev. Solomon WilliamsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Seventeen Occasional SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Five Sermons. On Different OccasionsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Inquiry Concerning Qualification for CommunionNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New EnglandNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- The great christian doctrine of original sin defendedNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Fifteen Sermons. On Various SubjectsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Two SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
Key passages(20)
I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God when we had been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to be unfair in the explanation we are making. As many as
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
20. Moreover, as hatred of sin, which is the beginning of repentance, first gives us access to the knowledge of Christ, who manifests himself to none but miserable and afflicted sinners, groaning, lab
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Letters of St. Augustin · Augustine of Hippo
Letter XCVIII. (a.d. 408.) To Boniface, His Colleague in the Episcopal Office, Augustin Sends Greeting in the Lord. 1. You ask me to state “whether parents do harm to their baptized infant children
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On Marriage and Concupiscence · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 58.—Adam’s Sin is Derived from Him to Every One Who is Born Even of Regenerate Parents; The Example of the Olive Tree and the Wild Olive. But this sin, which changed man for the worse in para
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I find that not only do the Gospels, written after the Crucifixion, proclaim the grace of Baptism, but, even before the Incarnation of our Lord, the ancient Scripture everywhere prefigured the likenes
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having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
From hence it follows, that in those gracious exercises and affections which are wrought in the saints, through the saving influences of the Spirit of God, there is a new inward perception or sensatio
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
Another thing, wherein gracious affections are distinguishedfrom others, is, that they are attended with a change of nature. All gracious affections arise from a spiritual understanding, in which the
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
Some foolishly make it an argument in favour of their discoveries and affections, that when they are gone, they are left wholly without any life or sense, or any thing beyond what they had before. The
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A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 59.—The Context of Their Chief Text. “Now there was,” we read, “a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we kno
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A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 9.—The Beginning of Renewal; Resurrection Called Regeneration; They are the Sons of God Who Lead Lives Suitable to Newness of Life. And hence in the passage, “Whosoever is born of God doth no
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A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 43 [XXVII.]—Why the Children of the Baptized Should Be Baptized. If any man, however, is still perplexed by the question why the children of baptized persons are baptized, let him briefly con
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Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
2. In this sense is to be understood the statement of Paul, that “Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5
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Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
5. Another benefit of baptism is, that it shows us our mortification in Christ and new life in him. “Know ye not,” says the apostle, “that as many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ, were baptis
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
8. We must now explain the third part of the definition, and show Ps. 34:14). “Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; see
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
12. If any one thinks it absurd thus to condemn all the desires by which man is naturally affected, seeing they have been implanted by God the author of nature, we answer, that we by no means condemn
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Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN MAN. SCRIPTURAL ARGUMENTS EXHORTING TO IT. This and the four following chapters treat of the Life of the Christian, and are so arranged as to admit of being classed under two
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Fifteen Sermons. On Various Subjects · Jonathan Edwards
It is natural to one who is truly born from above to pray to God, and to pour out his soul in holy supplications before his heavenly Father. This is as natural to the new nature and life as breathing
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Five Sermons. On Different Occasions · Jonathan Edwards
And let it be considered, where is our warrant in Scripture, to make use of any legal convictions, or any method or order of successive events in a work of the law, and consequent comforts, as a sure
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Inquiry Concerning Qualification for Communion · Jonathan Edwards
The apostle James, writing to the Christians of the twelve tribes which were scattered abroad, speaks of them as regenerated persons, meaning, as I observed before, those which were in good standing.
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