In the second half of verse five in Titus chapter three Paul says, “by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Historically the phrase “by the (or through) washing of regeneration” (διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας) has been interpreted as a reference to baptism. If taken this way, it would seem to support baptismal regeneration; that is, one MUST be baptized to be saved. Instead of having to explain away why the necessity of baptism is not implied , this work asserts that what is intended here is not the mode of baptismal ceremony at all. Rather, the phrase speaks of the complete and holistic change of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The word “regeneration” (παλιγγενεσίας) literally means a restoring or returning of something that has fallen into a substandard or unacceptable condition back into its original condition of acceptance. This is why the ESV translates the term here “regeneration” but one should notice that in this portion of the text, Paul places regeneration first. This is not simply stylistic, rather Paul is making a theological point; regeneration comes first before any other component of salvation, namely faith. In conjunction with regeneration, Paul speaks of renewal (ἀνακαινώσεως). This Greek word literally means to make qualitatively better and is the same word used by Paul in Romans 12: 2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” What is Paul’s point? It seems that Paul is indicating (especially in the Romans passage) that the washing of regeneration produces the renewal of the mind. As Paul speaks of the renewal of one’s mind, he seems to be in accord with James who speaks of the same mental process but in the negative. James says in the epistle that bears his name, chapter one, verses thirteen through fifteen,
“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
Though the root of evil resides in the human heart, that evil is conceived through the mental faculties of a man as he ponders and broods over any potential temptation. As James says, when one’s desires are conceived, what he is speaking of is the conception of the mind that plans out how sin will be enacted. Upon this point those actions then are given birth even if it is within the fantasy of the sinful mind. This concept is what the Apostle Paul makes reference to as he speaks of the renewing of the mind; the change of one’s thinking that is the result of the Holy Spirit’s renewal, that is, the Holy Spirit’s making the mind qualitatively better. Where this changing of one’s mind intersects faith can be found in Hebrews 11: 1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Again, reference to the mental assent of hope and conviction are clearly seen as the writer of Hebrews states that the content of faith has a very real, rationalistic component. In short, faith must begin in the mind as a rational understanding of the things of God and then progress into the exercise of material behavior based upon the belief in what cannot be physically seen. Asserting that this exercise of faith, at least in some fashion, is an act of the mind, one can clearly see that both in the positive exercise of faith (the renewing of one’s mind) and the negative exercise of sin’s conception (lustful desires) are brought about in the mind. Returning to Titus 3: 5, Paul clarifies the point; the regeneration of the spiritually dead heart precedes the renewal of the mind through faith. It seems that for Paul, regeneration is necessary for faith and without regeneration; faith cannot and will not occur. This process is certainly brought about by the presence of the Holy Spirit; not in an external fashion but as the Holy Spirit indwells a person. To this subject attention will now be turned.
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