New Birth - Where? When? What? Why? Who?
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The term "birth" will be from verses saying, born of God, born again, begotten, or born from above.
There are a lot of ideas about the new birth and there is one that is right. I heard a priest say, "It is like being born again." He was wrong. The Bible does not say it is like being born again. The newspapers reported when President Carter was in office, that his sister held some kind of new birth seminar. The persons who attended squirmed around on the floor in a fetal position and finally, after much struggling, stood up born again. Some have tried to affirm that baptism is the new birth. Others believe that the resurrection is the new birth. Then, some believe that it is a spirit birth that happens when a lost sinner believes on Jesus. Probably there are other ideas that I fortunately have not heard.
Most of the time, the word "born" comes from the Greek word GENNAO. When this word is used with reference to the physical birth, it consistently means "brought into life or being."
There is another Greek word translated born which is TIKTO. This word is translated more often, "bring forth." It has reference to that which gives the birth rather than to that which is born. Therefore, it is translated "travail" in John 16:21. It is the woman that is in travail birthing a child and not the child that is in travail. Another usage is found in Heb.6:7 where it says, "The earth bringeth forth herbs." In James 1:15 we find that when sin is finished it bringeth forth death. These show us that this word has a little different meaning than GENNAO. This word TIKTO is coupled with another Greek word, PROTOS. This combination is translated firstborn seven times and twice as first begotten. Eight of these have reference to Jesus. Twice it speaks of His birth into the world and once in Hebrews 11:28 it is used with the children of Israel in Egypt. Other verses speak of His resurrection from the grave. Col.1:18 speaks of Jesus being "the firstborn from the dead." Rev.1:5 agrees, translating the same word as begotten, saying, "The first begotten from the dead." Jesus is the first to come forth from the grave in a spiritual or glorified resurrection. Though others were raised, as Lazarus, from the grave, it seems sensible to believe they all died at a later time. Some may and others may not accept that Acts 13:33 refers to the resurrection of Jesus where a form of GENNAO is used. Would this use of firstborn and begotten be enough to get the idea that the resurrection of the saints is the new birth? Even if begotten in Acts 13 does refer to His resurrection, it does not do away with the fact that He was God's only begotten son when He was born in the flesh. There are six references to this fact. John 1:14 & 18, John 3:16 & 18, Heb.11:17 and 1 John 4:9. Though we shall certainly come forth from the grave one day in changed bodies, none of the verses speaking of our New Birth are speaking of that great and glorious event. We are to interpret words in their context and not context by the words.
1 Pet.1:23 says, "Being born again, not of a corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." Another good translation of being born again could be, having been born from above. This perfect participle, ANAGEGENNEMENOI, indicates a present condition as a result of a past completed action. Peter is not speaking of a future event in our lives. What's more, when this birth is received, it cannot be corrupted and we already have it. It came from the Living Word and not from the flesh as did the birth that came from our earthly parents.
We note something here that is true of all verses where the subject of born is found in the scriptures. The new birth is written in the midst of service or great blessing verses. Should we assume that because the subject is "purifying your souls in obeying the through the Spirit unto the unfeigned love of the brethren," that the new birth is a result of this to be received some time in the future. No, it is the other way around. Because we have been born again, we purify the soul in obeying the truth and love one another with a pure heart fervently.
We must have an understanding at this point. The Bible plainly declares the condition of fallen man in Adam. He is dead in every respect, body, soul and spirit. He can do nothing good toward God. He is evil, wicked, ungodly, unrighteous, unholy and any good that he may do toward man or God, even that is sin. The point of this statement is, if there is no change made by God, how can any man serve God? It is completely impossible. It is quite clear that the change is not the body. Paul and others have told us plainly that we still have vile bodies and that change comes in the resurrection at the return of Jesus. Phil.3:20-21. As for the life that we live, the Lord is working on that through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Of course there is the spirit in man, but we'll speak of that later.
John used the word born six times in 1 John. In 2:29 he states, "ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him," not will be born. The verse does not say that everyone that is born of Him doeth righteousness. All who do the righteousness of God, do so through God’s birth and not through the flesh birth. In 4:7 those who love, do so through the new birth. We cannot love in this manner after the carnal man, but we can through the new birth. Also in 5:1 we can believe that Jesus is the Christ, the special anointed one of God for us. Also, by that which is born of God, we, through faith, overcome the world. (5:4-5) In two other verses 3:9 and 5:18 John declares, "whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." In this I believe he is speaking of the seed that remaineth in him. Peter had agreed with this in saying that the new birth was incorruptible. The spirit in the new birth is therefore perfect, sinless, incorruptible, eternal, holy. All that the Father and His Son and His Spirit are, so also is that which is born of Him.
John also told us in his gospel in 3:6 that there is a spirit birth. When he says the flesh is flesh we understand that he is telling Nicodemus that he was certainly not going to be born again in the flesh. That would do no good for he still would be corrupt. It is a spirit birth from God. Rom.8:16 tells us, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." Why would God's Spirit speak to our spirit if it has not been changed? Why not just bear witness with the body or soul? 1 John 3:9 told us, "his seed remaineth in us." His seed that remaineth in us is spirit. Where in these verses is there a hint that Nicodemus might have already been saved? If I could accept that, I could also accept that he was righteous for he certainly was religious. To suggest he was saved is to suggest he needed baptism or the Church but neither of these are mentioned. If we decided the new birth was baptism and this was what he needed, we would not have any Bible to back us up. Never in the Bible does the scriptures equate Baptism and the New Birth to be the same. Neither do the scriptures teach that Church membership is the new birth. One might observe or question why the Lord said the new birth was needed in order to see or enter the kingdom. But why not? The flesh birth cannot obtain it, see or enter it? Also, why would the Lord talk about the kingdom in the same place with the new birth? The letter to the Ephesians declares we are created unto good works. God's children are begotten to an inheritance. 1 Pet.1:3-4 The Jews were interested in the kingdom of God and expected it to be their's because they were Abraham's seed. What a shock for a religious man to find out he could not see or enter it. If Nicodemus had received the message, would not Jesus have told him more, even of baptism and the New Covenant? Wouldn't you? Do you think that the words written here are all of the conversation that took place between the two? This conversation only takes two minutes to read. The Bible, itself, tells us that if everything had been written it would take many more books to cover the things Jesus did. (John 21:25) The point is, Jesus and Nicodemus most likely talked much more than is recorded. These verses are what the Holy Spirit knew would be sufficient for us. Yet, I'm persuaded Jesus spoke to Nicodemus of baptism and all the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
Titus also uses "born again," translated regeneration in Titus 3:5. After declaring that we were at one time foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another, he states the kindness of God's love was shown toward man in Jesus. This is not by any works of righteousness that we had done. He saved us through a washing of regeneration or born again. That is, He made us clean in His sight by a new birth. Because the subject becomes living for God and promises to be received, it does not change the need for speaking of new birth. The new birth and righteousness go together and fit like a glove on a hand. The first is necessary in order to do the second.
The last verse to be considered is Matt.19:28 after Peter said, "we have left all and followed thee, what shall we have therefore?" Here Jesus answers saying, "That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." As everyone knows, the Greek scriptures did not contain any punctuation marks. I make this observation because the translators put the comma after follow me instead of after regeneration. This makes it sound as though their regeneration is at the time Jesus sits on His throne. Someone might get the idea that our new birth takes place at the resurrection and that the raising of the body is our new birth. This is not so. Jesus was answering Peter's question of what they would have because they followed Him and not trying to establish the new birth at the resurrection. I believe the comma should be after resurrection. He was saying, you who have followed me in the new birth will sit upon thrones when He sits on His throne. They had done two things. One, they had been born again and two, they had followed Him in that birth. They had not followed Him after the flesh birth but in God's birth. Most of the saved are still trying to follow Jesus after the first birth, that is the flesh. If we will obtain the fullness of God's blessings, we must not only be born again, but we must follow Him in it.
There is so much I would like to have written but space forbids. I shall make a couple further comments. The fact that we are children and sons of God and He is our Father, is proof we have been born again. The fact that we take on His likeness and our lives are being changed into His image cries out, WE HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN.