Regeneration is an act of God wherein spiritual life is given to a person; thereafter, it can be said that he is “born again,” as described in John 3.
Regeneration has nothing to do with signing a card and calling yourself a Christian; that idea is a huge lie pervading society. Many non-Christians believe they can choose Christ, and become a Christian.
That is not true!
One read through the Bible will correct such man-made, man-centered doctrines / misconceptions.
Dr. Spencer expounded the meaning of regeneration from scripture; in the process, he explained the meaning of several key words. I displayed the words via Bible texts and the Strong’s Bible Dictionary definitions for those who might want to see where Dr. Spencer got his information.
The following points are highlights from Dr. Spencer’s lesson:
- Regeneration is a sovereign act of God wherein spiritual live is given to a person who was formerly spiritually dead (in Adam)
- Baptism of the Holy Spirit is when the believer is placed in Christ
- Regeneration occurs when Christ is placed in the believer
- These take place simultaneously via God’s sovereign actions
- Regeneration = re – genesis
- Those dead in the spirit have fellowship with Satan
- Those whose spirit has been made alive by regeneration, CAN have fellowship with God thereafter [when they walk in the flesh, they are apparently having fellowship with Satan — my speculation]
- There are many pictures in scripture of birth–rebirth transformations; those are most easily seen in situations wherein death–resurrection has occurred; and son of Adam to Son of God translations have occurred
- Sin is a state wherein the human spirit has been corrupted by an indwelling spirit of death; after Adam sinned, he mirrored the likeness of Satan
- Biblical terms for one who is “in Adam” are, “reprobate” or “unregenerate”
- The term regeneration occurs in Matthew 19:28; and Titus 3:5
- Salvation is from the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit; it has nothing to do with a person’s works; another’s works for him…
- Water has no power to save
- John 3: 3-8 the Greek word, “anothen” which means “from above”used to indicate the source of the new birth (shown below via scripture and Strong’s Greek Dictionary definitions)
- KJV occurrences of the word (from John 3:3, the word again in the KJV text; which is the word “anothen” from the Strong’s Greek Dictionary: meanings given and explained by Spencer)
- James chapter 1 “from above” explained and related to this topic
- Therefore, John’s use of again as translated in the KJV; anothen from Strong’s Greek Dictionary, is to be rendered “from above.” That is, as you read John 3:3, literally replace born “again” with born “from above.” [And this is true because the New Testament was written in Greek and readers of the translated versions of the Bible cannot know this because of how the term has been rendered in the English versions; that is the purpose of using Strong’s Dictionary, to discover such things]
- Complicated explanation of the double meanings of 3 words from this passage
- “Water” is a Semitic symbol for the Holy Spirit in 3:5 below, Jesus uses the terms “water” and “Spirit” and because water is a symbol for the Holy Spirit, these words have basically the same meaning which Spencer explains by referring to the Granville Sharp rule explained below
- The Greek word Kahee, explained below
- Jesus’ references to the “wind” and the “Spirit” explained by Spencer (also shown below)
- A person cannot call forth the wind or dictate its actions… Therefore, man cannot choose to be born again, it is a sovereign act of God; the Greek text clearly states that.
- Jesus’ meaning of these words explained and a reference to 1 John
Below are the Greek words and meanings that Dr. Spencer used in the above study, these are from the free E-sword electronic Bible software; KJV+ Strong’s Bible Dictionary:
παλιγγενεσία
paliggenesia
pal-ing-ghen-es-ee’-ah
From G3825 and G1078; (spiritual) rebirth (the state or the act), that is, (figuratively) spiritual renovation; specifically Messianic restoration: – regeneration.
Total KJV occurrences: 2 [Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5]
The text from Titus 3:5 containing “regeneration” displayed as the KJV+Strong’s reads:
Tit 3:5 NotG3756 byG1537 worksG2041 ofG1722 righteousnessG1343 whichG3739 weG2249 have done,G4160 butG235 accordingG2596 to hisG848 mercyG1656 he savedG4982 us,G2248 byG1223 the washingG3067 of regeneration,G3824 andG2532 renewingG342 of the HolyG40 Ghost;G4151 [each word that has a Strong’s number beside it is defined by the Strong’s dictionary — for the student that wants to know Greek and Hebrew word definitions used in the Bible]
Texts from John 3:3 following:
Joh 3:3 JesusG2424 answeredG611 andG2532 saidG2036 unto him,G846 Verily,G281 verily,G281 I sayG3004 unto thee,G4671 ExceptG3362 a manG5100 be bornG1080 again,G509 he cannotG1410 G3756 seeG1492 theG3588 kingdomG932 of God.G2316
Joh 3:5 JesusG2424 answered,G611 Verily,G281 verily,G281 I sayG3004 unto thee,G4671 ExceptG3362 a manG5100 be bornG1080 ofG1537 waterG5204 andG2532 of the Spirit,G4151 he cannotG1410 G3756 enterG1525 intoG1519 theG3588 kingdomG932 of God.G2316
Joh 3:7 MarvelG2296 notG3361 thatG3754 I saidG2036 unto thee,G4671 YeG5209 mustG1163 be bornG1080 again.G509
Joh 3:8 TheG3588 windG4151 blowethG4154 whereG3699 it listeth,G2309 andG2532 thou hearestG191 theG3588 soundG5456 thereof,G846 butG235 canst not tellG1492 G3756 whenceG4159 it cometh,G2064 andG2532 whitherG4226 it goeth:G5217 soG3779 isG2076 every oneG3956 that is bornG1080 ofG1537 theG3588 Spirit.G4151
Strong’s dictionary translation:
̓́νωθεν [G509]
anōthen
an’-o-then
From G507; from above; by analogy from the first; by implication anew: – from above, again, from the beginning (very first), the top.
Total KJV occurrences: 13
καί [andG2532]
kai
kahee
Apparently a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so, then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words: – and, also, both, but, even, for, if, indeed, likewise, moreover, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yea, yet.
Total KJV occurrences: 9264
πνεῦμα [G4151]
pneuma
pnyoo’-mah
From G4154; a current of air, that is, breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, that is, (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy spirit: – ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Compare G5590.
Total KJV occurrences: 385
Question: “What is the Granville Sharp Rule?”
Answer: Granville Sharp (1735–1813) was an English political reformer, slavery abolitionist, and Greek language scholar known for his contributions regarding the translation of New Testament Greek as it relates to the divinity of Christ. Sharp believed strongly in the deity of Christ and studied the New Testament in its original language to more ably prove Christ’s deity. The Granville Sharp Rule was first noted in 1798 in his book Remarks on the Uses of the Definitive Article in the Greek Text of the New Testament: Containing Many New Proofs of the Divinity of Christ, from Passages Which Are Wrongly Translated in the Common English Version. (Use link below for full definition)
https://www.gotquestions.org/Granville-Sharp-Rule.html
STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS:
***For other posts that use videos of Dr. Spencer’s Key Word Studies, see Categories: Bible Key Word Study
***Download E-sword Bible software, freely, at (Google will not take you there, blocked by them or something?). Esword provides a dozen or so versions of the Bible, you choose what you want to download after downloading the basic version to your computer; it also has about a half dozen of dictionaries and a dozen or so commentaries.
Esword for iphone is available at the app store for around $3; it did not used to be available for android, not sure if that is still the case.
Use the following link to download Esword:
If the above link does not work, then use the following link via bing:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=esword.net&form=PRDLC1&src=IE11TR&pc=EUPP_DCTE
***See, Categories, New Christian Orientation for explanations of other basic Christian doctrines.