ONLY BORN ONCE. YOU MUST BE BORN FROM ABOVE.
By Josimar Salum
July 21, 2025
What people usually call the doctrine of regeneration is one of the most misunderstood—teachings in all of biblical theology.
Often treated as a synonym for being “born again,” regeneration has been reduced to symbolic or theological language about being born a second time or repeating a beginning. However, when we carefully examine the teaching of Scripture—especially in light of the Koine and Classical Greek languages—we discover that biblical regeneration is, above all, a return to the origin: a restoration of the human being to God’s original purpose—to be in the image and likeness of the Creator, a partaker of the nature of God.
The Origin and Evolution of the Term “Born Again”
The expression “born again” is widely used in Christian theology, but its origins trace back to a translation issue in John 3:3, where Jesus tells Nicodemus, “Unless one is born from above (Greek: anōthen), he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
The Greek word anōthen means “from above,” not “again”. However, because Nicodemus misunderstood Jesus literally—as referring to a second physical birth—some interpreters followed his misunderstanding rather than Jesus’ intended meaning.
This confusion deepened in the 4th century, when Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translated anōthenas denuo, meaning “again.” From that point on, the phrase “born again” entered theological tradition, especially in the Latin-speaking Western Church.
The early Church Fathers, such as Augustine and Tertullian, embraced this language and associated being “born again” with baptismal regeneration, often applying it to infants.
During the Protestant Reformation, reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin redefined the concept, emphasizing that regeneration came through faith and the Word of God, not the sacrament alone. Early English Bibles, including the King James Version (1611), adopted the phrase “born again,” further entrenching it in Protestant theology.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the term became central to evangelical revivalist preaching, especially through leaders like George Whitefield, John Wesley, and later, in the 20th century, Billy Graham. It came to represent a personal experience of conversion and inner transformation, often seen as a decisive moment of salvation.
Thus, while “born again” is now a common and powerful term in Christian language—especially among evangelicals—it originally stemmed from a translation of a Greek word that means “from above.” A proper understanding of regeneration must return to this biblical meaning: not a second physical or emotional experience, but a supernatural birth from God, restoring us to His original purpose in Christ.
“…by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”
— Titus 3:5
This Scripture speaks of both the regeneration and the renewing by the Spirit.”
John 3:3 — Did Jesus Say “Born Again” or “Born from Above”?
As I mentioned the basis for this common doctrinal misunderstanding is found in John 3:3, where Jesus speaks with Nicodemus:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above (gennēthē aōthen), he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
The key word here is (aōthen), which means “from above,” “from heaven,” not palin— “again” in the sense of temporal repetition.
Those who interpret this as “born again” are actually following Nicodemus’s misunderstanding, not Jesus’ teaching:
“How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
— John 3:4
Jesus was not speaking about repeating a physical birth, of course. Nor was He saying that Nicodemus needed to be born again, but rather that he must be born from above—born of God by the work of the Spirit.
Palingenesia — The True Meaning of Regeneration
The Greek word used in the New Testament for regeneration is (palingenesia), and it appears only twice:
1. Titus 3:5 — Referring to the individual’s transformation:
“…by the washing of regeneration (palingenesia) and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”
2. Matthew 19:28 — Referring to the future restoration of creation:
“In the regeneration, when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of His glory…”
Etymologically:
• palin = again
• genesis = origin, birth
But its meaning, both in classical and Koine Greek, is that of restoration to an original condition.
The term palingenesia (Greek: παλιγγενεσία, from palin = again, and genesis = birth/origin) was indeed used in Greek philosophical and literary contexts before and during the early Roman Empire.
Stoic Philosophers:
• Used palingenesia to refer to the cyclical renewal or rebirth of the cosmos.
• They believed the universe undergoes periodic destruction (ekpyrosis, by fire) and rebirth, returning to its original state — a cosmic restoration.
• This idea tied palingenesia to the recurrence of order and the eternal return.
Pythagorean Philosophers:
• Though less directly, Pythagorean thought included reincarnation and spiritual renewal.
• In their system, palingenesia could refer to the soul’s rebirth or transmigration, aiming for purification and return to divine origin.
Plutarch:
• Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD), a Middle Platonist philosopher and moralist, used palingenesia in moral and metaphysical contexts.
• For example, in his work De Iside et Osiride, he uses the term in reference to spiritual renewal or the regeneration of the soul.
In summary, in Greek and Roman philosophical and literary usage, palingenesia often referred to:
1. Cosmic renewal (Stoicism),
2. Spiritual rebirth or transmigration of the soul (Pythagoreanism),
3. Moral and metaphysical regeneration (Plutarch and other Platonic thinkers).
This background helps us understand why the term carried such rich meaning when used in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5). However, Jesus and the apostle Paul did not use the term with its religious or philosophical connotations.
In other words, regeneration is not a second temporal birth, but a return to the origin—to the state originally created by God before the fall. In the context of future restoration, it points to the reestablishment of the original order. When associated with renewal, it refers to the ongoing restoration of all things.
“And that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,
whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things,
which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
— Acts 3:20–21
Regeneration in Scripture: Restoration of the Creation in Christ
Regeneration is not a symbolic concept, but a real and supernatural work of God. According to Titus 3:5, it is a spiritual washing and renewing by the Holy Spirit, not a moral improvement or external ritual.
This restoration brings about complete transformation:
• The man who was dead in his sins (Ephesians 2:1) is made alive by God.
• He receives a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26).
- • He is reconciled with God and receives an origin from God.
• He now is of the Kingdom that God prepared before the foundation of the world: the new creation.
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” Matthew 25:34
The Bible says "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.
We are created, not recreated. Our identity in Christ is not the result of a repaired or improved version of what was lost, but the manifestation of a completely new beginningaccording to God’s eternal design. We are not born twice in stages of correction—we are born from above once, by the sovereign act of God through the Spirit, into a new creation that originates in heaven, not from human effort or repetition of the old. This birth is final, complete, and sufficient—establishing us as true sons and daughters, formed according to His original purpose.
Not Just Change: A New Creation
2 Corinthians 5:17 says:
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (kainē ktisis); old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
The Greek phrase (kainē ktisis) literally means new creation, not merely “new creature.”
This expression connects directly with the language of Genesis and Revelation 21:5 — “Behold, I make all things new.”
It does not speak of someone who is morally improved, but of someone who has been incorporated into the divine order of the new creation in Christ — the beginning of the restoration of all things.
The regenerated person is not simply changed; he is reinserted into God’s eternal purpose, as a child born from above, conformed to the image of Christ.
Reducing regeneration to a second birth or a moral change is to deny its true power.
Regeneration According to Scripture:
• It is the work of God, not of man.
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
— Titus 3:5
• It is a supernatural birth accomplished by the Spirit.
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
— John 3:6
• It is being born from above, not by human will.
“Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
— John 1:13
• It is being made a new creation in Christ.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:9
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 1 John 5:1
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4
Therefore, based on biblical exegesis and the original Greek language:
Jesus taught about being born from above, not about repeating physical birth neither being born again.
Palingenesia means restoration to origin—not merely a new beginning.
The new creation is the existence of those who have been regenerated—restored to communion with God and His eternal purpose in Christ.
The regenerated person is one who has been connected to the Source, brought back to the creative act of God, and integrated into the new creation God has established in Christ.
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”
— Romans 8:29
#ASONE
No comments:
Post a Comment