Baptismal Regeneration

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bap -tiz´mal rē̇ -jen -ẽr -ā´shun : As indicated in the general articles on Baptism and Sacraments , the doctrine ordinarily held by Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, and also by Low-Church Episcopalians, differs from that of the Roman and Greek churches, and of High-Church Anglicans, in its rejection of the idea that baptism is the instrumental cause of regeneration, and that the grace of regeneration is effectually conveyed through the administration of that rite wherever duly performed. The teaching of Scripture on this subject is held to be that salvation is immediately dependent on faith, which, as a fruit of the operation of the Spirit of God in the soul, already, in its reception of Christ, implies the regenerating action of that Spirit, and is itself one evidence of it. To faith in Christ is attached the promise of forgiveness, and of all other blessings. Baptism is administered to those who already possess (at least profess) this faith, and symbolizes the dying to sin and rising to righteousness implicit in the act of faith (Rom 6). It is the symbol of a cleansing from sin and renewal by God's Spirit, but not the agency effecting that renewal, even instrumentally. Baptism is not, indeed, to be regarded as a bare symbol. It may be expected that its believing reception will be accompanied by fresh measures of grace, strengthening and fitting for the new life. This, however, as the life is already there, has nothing to do with the idea of baptism as an opus operatum , working a spiritual change in virtue of its mere administration. In Scripture the agency with which regeneration is specially connected is the Divine "word" (compare 1 Peter 1:23 ). Without living faith, in those capable of its exercise, the outward rite can avail nothing. The supposed "regeneration" may be received - in multitudes of instances is received - without the least apparent change in heart or life.

The above, naturally, applies to adults; the case of children, born and growing up within the Christian community, is on a different footing. Those who recognize the right of such to baptism hold that in the normal Christian development children of believing parents should be the subjects of Divine grace from the commencement (Ephesians 6:4 ); they therefore properly receive the initiatory rite of the Christian church. The faith of the parent, in presenting his child for baptism, lays hold on God's promise to be a God to him and to his children; and he is entitled to hope for that which baptism pledges to him. But this, again, has no relation to the idea of regeneration through baptism.

Anglican (High-Church) Doctrine

Regeneration, the initial gift of life in Christ, is, in the church's normal system, associated with the sacrament of baptism. The basis for this teaching and practice of the church is found primarily in our Lord's discourse to Nicodemus (John 3:1-8 ) wherein the new birth is associated not only with the quickening Spirit but with the element of water. The Saviour's words, literally translated, are as follows: "Except one be born (out) of water and Spirit ( ex húdatos kaı́ pneúmatos gennáomai ), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (That it is the impersonal aspect of the Divine Spirit, i.e. as equivalent to "spiritual life" which is here presented, is indicated by the absence of the article in the Greek of John 3:5 .) Entrance into the kingdom of God implies entrance into the church as the outward and visible embodiment of that kingdom. our Lord, in the passage above cited, does not limit the possibility or the need of "new birth" to those who have arrived at adult age, or "years of discretion," but uses the general pronoun τὶς , tı́s , "anyone." The Anglican church does not, however, teach that baptism is unconditionally necessary, but only that it is "generally" necessary to salvation (compare the language of the Church Catechism with the qualification mentioned in the Prayer-Book "Office for the Baptism of Those of Riper Years," "Whereby ye may perceive the great necessity of this Sacrament, where it may be had"). It is not taught that the grace of God is absolutely or unconditionally bound to the external means, but only that these sacramental agencies are the ordinary and normal channels of Divine grace.

The typical form of baptism is that appropriate to the initiation of adults into the Christian body. Justin Martyr in his First Apology (chapter lxi) no doubt testifies to what was the general view of Christians in the 2nd century (circa 150 ad): "As many as are persuaded and believe that the things taught and said by us are true, and, moreover, take upon them to live accordingly, are taught to pray and ask of God with fasting for forgiveness of their former sins;... and then they are brought to a place of water, and there regenerated after the same manner with ourselves; for they are washed in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit." For the due administration of this sacrament, personal faith and repentance on the part of the candidate are prerequisite conditions. However, "the baptism of young children" (i.e. of infants) "is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable to the institution of Christ" (XXXIX Articles, Art. Xxvii , sub fin.). In the service "For the Baptism of Infants," repentance and faith are promised for the children by their "sureties" (ordinarily known as "sponsors" or "godparents"), "which promise, when they come to age (the children) themselves are bound to perform."

The person, whether adult or infant, receives in his baptism a real forgiveness; a washing away of all sins, whether original or actual. He also receives, at least in germ, the beginnings of new life in Christ; which life, however, must be developed and brought to perfection through his personal coöperation with the grace of God. But regeneration, as such, is not conversion; it is not even faith or love, strictly speaking. These latter, while they are conditions , or effects , or evidences of regeneration, are not regeneration itself, which is purely the work of God, operating by His creative power, through the Holy Ghost. The moral test of the existence of spiritual life is the presence in heart and conduct of the love of God and of obedience to His commandments (see 1 Jn passim ).

It may be added that the bestowment of the gifts of spiritual strength - of the manifold graces and of the fullness of the Holy Spirit - is primarily associated with the laying on of hands (confirmation) rather than with baptism proper; the rite of confirmation was, however, originally connected with the baptismal service, as an adjunct to it. The newly-made Christian is not to rest content with the initial gift of life; he is bound to strive forward unto perfection. Confirmation is, in a sense, the completion of baptism. "The doctrine of laying on of hands" is accordingly connected with "the doctrine of baptisms," and both are reckoned by the author of the Epistle to the He as among "the first principles of Christ" (Hebrews 6:1 , Hebrews 6:2 the King James Version).

Literature

For the Anglican doctrine on the subject of regeneration in baptism the following authorities may be consulted: Hooker, Ecclesiastical Polity , V, lix, lx; Waterland, The Doct. Use of Christian Sacraments  ; Regeneration  ; Wall, Infant Baptism  ; R. I. Wilberforce, The Doctrine of Holy Baptism  ; Darwell Stone, Holy Baptism , in "The Oxford Library of Practical Theology"; A. J. Mason, The Faith of the Gospel . For patristic teaching on this subject, compare Tertullian, De Baptismo .

Lutheran Doctrine

1. Definition of Terms

Regeneration is here taken in its strict meaning to denote that internal spiritual change, not of the substance, but of the qualities, of the intellect and will of natural man, by which blindness, darkness in regard to spiritual matters, especially the gospel, is removed from the former, and spiritual bondage, impotency, death from the latter (2 Corinthians 3:5; Acts 26:18; Philippians 2:13 ), and the heart of the sinner is made to savingly know and appropriate the Lord Jesus Christ and the merits of His atoning sacrifice, as its only hope for a God-pleasing life here in time and a life in glory hereafter. Regeneration in the strict sense signifies the first spiritual movements and impulses in man, the beginning of his thinking Divine thoughts, cherishing holy desires and willing God-like volitions. But it does not signify the radical extinction of sin in man; for evil concupiscence remains also in the regenerate as a hostile element to the new life (Romans 7:23-25; Galatians 5:16 , Galatians 5:17 ). Peccatum tollitur in baptismo , non ut non sit , sed ut non obsit - A ugustine. "Sin is removed in baptism, not that it may not be, but that it may not hurt." Reduced to its lowest terms, regeneration in the strict sense may be defined as the kindling of saving faith in the heart of the sinner; for according to 1 John 5:1 , "whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God." Such terms as new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15 margin), spiritual quickening, or vivification ( Ephesians 2:5; Romans 6:11 ), spiritual resurrection (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1 ), are true synonyms of regeneration in the strict sense. In the point of time justification coincides with regeneration in the strict sense; for it is by faith, too, that the sinner is justified. But these two spiritual events must not be confounded; for justification affects, not the internal conditions of the sinner's heart, but his legal standing with God the righteous Judge. Regeneration is called baptismal regeneration in so far as it occurs in the event and as an effect of the application of the Christian baptism. See Baptism (I), I, 6.

2. Scriptural Basis of This Doctrine

The two leading texts of Scripture which declare in plain terms that baptism is a means for effecting regeneration in the strict sense are John 3:5 and Titus 3:5 . But this doctrine is implied in Acts 2:38; Ephesians 5:26; Galatians 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21 . In John 3:7 it is immaterial whether ánōthen gennēthḗnai is rendered "to be born from above" or "to be born a second time." For the second birth is never of the flesh (John 1:13; John 3:4 , John 3:5 ); hence, is always of divine origin, "from above." It is ascribed to the agency of the entire Trinity: the Father (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3 ); the Son (John 1:12 ); and the Spirit (Titus 3:5 ). But by appropriation it is generally attributed to the Spirit alone, whose particular function is that of Quickener (see Cremer, Bibl.-theol. Wörterb ., 9th edition, under the word "pneuma," 894 f). Baptism is an instrument by which the Holy Spirit effects regeneration. "Water and the Spirit" (John 3:5 ) is a paraphrastic description of baptism: "water," inasmuch as the man is baptized therewith (1 John 5:7 , 1 John 5:8; Ephesians 5:26 ) for the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:33; Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11 ), and "Spirit," inasmuch as the Holy Ghost is given to the person baptized in order to his spiritual renewal and sanctification; "both together - the former as causa medians , the latter as causa efficiens - constitute the objective and causative element out of which (compare John 1:13 ) the birth from above is produced ( ek )" (Meyer). In Titus 3:5 "the expression tó loutroú palingenesı́as , literally, 'bath of regeneration,' has been very arbitrarily interpreted by some expositors, some taking loutron as a figurative name for the regeneration itself, or for the praedicario evangelii , 'preaching of the gospel' or for the Holy Spirit, or for the abundant imparting of the Spirit. From Ephesians 5:26 it is clear that it can mean nothing else than baptism; compare too, Hebrews 10:22; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Acts 22:16 ." Of this laver of regeneration Paul says that through it ( diá ), i.e. by its instrumentality, men are saved. Meyer is right when, correcting a former view of his, he states: "According to the context, Paul calls baptism the bath of the new birth, not meaning that it pledges us to the new birth ('to complete the process of moral purification, of expiation and sanctification,' Matthies), nor that it is a visible image of the new birth (De Wette), for neither in the one sense nor in the other could it be regarded as a means of saving. Paul uses that name for it as the bath by means of which God actually brings about the new birth." The application of baptism and the operation of the Spirit must be viewed as one undivided action. Thus the offense of Spurgeon, Weiss and others at "regeneration by water-baptism" can be removed.

3. Faith in Baptism

Baptism does not produce salutary effects ex opere operato , i.e. by the mere external performance of the baptismal action. No instrument with which Divine grace works does. Even the preaching of the gospel is void of saving results if not "mixed with faith" (Hebrews 4:2 the King James Version). Luther correctly describes the working of baptism Thus: "How can water do such great things? It is not the water indeed that does them, but the Word of God which is in and with the water (God's giving hand), and faith which trusts such word of God in the water (man's receiving hand)." But this faith, which is required for a salutary use of the gospel and baptism, is wrought by these as instruments which the Holy Spirit employs to produce faith; not by imparting to them a magical power but by uniting His Divine power with them ( Romans 10:17; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 5:26 ).

4. Infants and Adults

The comprehensive statements in John 3:6; Ephesians 2:3 ("by nature") show that infants are in need of being regenerated, and Matthew 18:3 , Matthew 18:6 , that they are capable of faith. It is not more difficult for the Holy Spirit to work faith in infants by baptism, than in adults by the preaching of the gospel. And infant faith, though it may baffle our attempts at exact definition, is nevertheless honored in Scripture with the word which denotes genuine faith, pisteúein , i.e. trustfully relying on Christ (Matthew 18:6; compare 2 Timothy 3:15; 2 Timothy 1:5 ). In the case of adults who have received faith through hearing and reading the gospel (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Corinthians 4:15 ), baptism is still "the washing of regeneration," because it is a seal to them of the righteousness which these people have previously obtained by believing the gospel (Romans 4:11-13; Galatians 3:7 ); and it reminds them of, and enables them to discharge, their daily duty of putting away the old and putting on the new man (Ephesians 4:22 , Ephesians 4:24 ), just as the Word is still the regenerating word of truth (James 1:18 ) though it be preached to persons who are regenerated a long time ago. Accordingly, Luther rightly extends the regenerating and renewing influences of baptism throughout the life of a Christian, when he says "Baptizing with water signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die, with all sins and evil lusts; and, again, a new man should come forth and arise, who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever" (Smaller Catechism).

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(See Baptism); (See Regeneration).

A writer in the Cyclopaedia Britannica (9th ed. s.v. "Baptism") has these striking remarks on the origin of this dogma:

"In studying the statements made by the early fathers upon baptism, we find not sot much a distinct and definite doctrine as gropings towards a doctrine, and it is not until we come to St. Augustine that we can find any strict and scientific theory of the nature and effects of the sacrament. The earlier theologians sometimes make statements which imply the most extreme view of the magical effects of the sacrament, and at other times explain its results in a purely ethical way. Thus, for example, Hermas says, ‘ Our life is sanctified by water;' while Tertullian expressly declares, ‘ Aunima non lavatione sed respoinsione slancitur.' It should never be forgotten that the abundant use of metaphorical language by the Greek fathers, and the want of a strictly theological terminology, prevent our finding anything like the precise doctrinal statements which became familiar in the Western Church: while the prevalence of curious Greek physical speculations, which taught the creative power of water, mingled with and distorted ideas about the effects of water in baptism. It was St. Augustine, the great theologian of the Western Church, who first gave expression to exact dogmatic sratements about the natulre aned meaning of baptism. The real difficulty to be explained was the connection between the outward rite and the inward spiritual change; or, to put it more precisely, the relation between the water used and the Holy Spirit, who alone can regenerate.

The Greek theologians had shirked rather than faced the difficulty, and used terms at one time exaggerating the magical value of the element, at another insisting on the purely ethical and spiritual nature of the rite; but they never attempted to show in what precise relation the external rite stood to the inward change of heart. It is true that one or two theologians had almost anticipated Augustine's view, but the anticipation was more apparent than real; for the theology of the Greek Church in this, as in most other doctrines, is greatly hampered by the mystical tendency to represent regeneration and kindred doctrines much more as a species of chemical change of nature than as a change in the relations of the Will. Augustine insisted strongly on the distinction between the sacrament itself and what he called the ‘ res acramtenti' — between the inward and spiritual and the outward and material; and by doing so Auugustine became the founder of both the modern Roman Catholic and the modern Protestant views. Apart from certain modifying. influences, it would not be difficult for the orthodox Protestant to subscribe to most of Augustine's views upon baptism, for he insists strongly on the uselessness of the external signm without the inward blessing of the Spirit. But in this doctrine, as in most others, Augustine's doctrine of the Church so interfered as to make practically inoperative his more spiritual views of baptism. The Church, Augustine thought, was the body of Christ: and that in a peculiarly. external and physical way, and just as the soul of man cannot, so far as we know, exert any influence save upon and through the body, so the Spirit of Christ dispenses his gracious and regenerating influences only through the body of Christ, i.e. the Church. But the Church, Augustine thought, was no invisible spiritual communion.' It was the visible kingdom of God, the visible ‘ civitas Dei in peregrinatione per terras;' and so entrance into the Church, and the right and possibility of participating in the spiritual benefits which members of the Church can alone enjoy, was only possible by means .of a visible entrance into this visible kingdom. Thus, whifle Augustine in theory always laid greatest stress upon the work of the Hoily Spirit and upon the spiritual side of baptism, he practically gave the impulse tou that view of the sacrament which made the external rite of primary importance. It was the Holy Spirit who alone imparted spiritual gifts to the children of God. But the one way by which the benefits of this Spirit could be shared was in the first place through baptism.

Baptism was thought to be necessary to salvation, and all who were unbaptized were unsaved. In this way Augustine, while recognising the spiritual nature of the sacrament, held views about the importance of the rite which were as strong as those of any Greek theologian who had mingled confusedly in his mind Christian doctrines and the maxims of pagan philosophy about the creative power of the element of water. Of course such a doctrine of the impoortance of the baptism with water had to be modified to some extent. There were cases of Christian martyrs who had never been baptized, and yet had confessed Christ, and died to confess him; for their sakes the idea of a baptism of blood was brought forward; they were baptized not with wuatert, but in their own blood. And the same desire to widen the circle of the baptized led the way to the recognition of the baptism of heretics, laymen, and nurses. It was the Angustinian doctrine of baptism which was developed by the schoolmetn, and which now is the substance of modern Roman Cathoolic teaching. The schoolmen, whose whole theology was dominated by the Augustinian conception of the Church, simply took over, and made somewhat more mechanical and less spiritual, Augustine's doctrine. They were enabled to give the doctrine a more precise and definite shape by accommodating to it the terms of the Aristotelian philosophy.

They began by distinguishing between the matter and the form of baptism. Had Augustine had this distinction before him, he would probably have called the water the matter, and the action of the Holy Spirit the formn which verified and gave shape to the matter; but the whole idea of the schoomen was much more mechanical, the magical idea of the sacrament came much more into prominence, and the spiritual and ethical fell much more into the background; and with them, while water was the materia sacramenti, the formam sacramenti was the words of the rite — ‘ I baptize thee,' etc., etc. Thus insensibly the distinction between the external rite and the work of the Holy Spirit, which Augustine had clearly before him in theory at least, was driven back into its original obscurity; and while it was always held theoretically that the grace conferred in baptism was conferred by the Holy Spirit, still the action of the Spirit was so inseparably connected with the performance of the rite that the external ceremony was held to be full warrant for the inward spiritual presence and power; and it was held thatt in baptism grace was conferred ex opere operato. The actual benefits Which were supposed to come in this way were freedom from original sin, and forgiveness of it and, all sins committed up to the time of baptism, and the implanting of a new spiritual life — a life which could only be slain by a deadly sin. The scholastic doctrine of baptism is tihe doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, and the restatements made by Mohler on the one hand, and Jesuit theologians on the other, do not do more than give a poetical coloring to the doctrine, or bring out more thoroughly the magical and mechanical nature of the rite."

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

The High Church doctrine that the power of spiritual life, forfeited by the Fall, is bestowed on the soul in the sacrament of baptism duly administered.