May 17, 2025 • 13 mins
What does "baptismal regeneration" really mean—and does it align with the New Testament? In this episode, we unpack three key views on baptism and regeneration: the sacramental model, the faith-response framework, and a common critique that conflates timing with causation. We explore historical perspectives from Justin Martyr to Calvin and challenge assumptions rooted in tradition rather than Scripture. Ultimately, we argue that the New Testament presents regeneration as the work of the Holy Spirit—not the water—received through faith at baptism. Join us for a thoughtful dive into theology, clarity, and biblical precision.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
(Music)
Welcome to the Ready for Eternity
podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to
inquisitive Bible students exploring
biblical truths that might not be fully
explored in typical sermons or Bible
studies. My name is Eddie Lawrence. In
(00:23):
this episode we're talking about the term
"baptismal regeneration,"
how and why it misses the mark.
(Music)
When we discuss biblical topics, we need
to define key terms clearly. I've
(00:43):
realized that in past conversations about
baptismal regeneration, I didn't always
share the same definition as others in
the room. In those cases we just left
confused and no real harm done, but the
experience reminded me how easily unclear
terms can derail a conversation. In other
(01:06):
settings, that kind of confusion could
create serious misunderstandings. What do
people mean by "baptismal regeneration"?
Before diving in, let me clarify what I
mean by each term. By "baptismal," I'm
referring to baptism, specifically the
(01:27):
New Testament practice. The Greek word
"baptizo" means "to cleanse by dipping or
submerging," to wash, to make clean with
water. That's the definition from
Thayer's Greek-English lexicon of the New
Testament. Biblically, baptism involves
full-body immersion in water. Sprinkling
(01:50):
or pouring is not biblical baptism. The
word "rightly" means "immersion." The
Greek word "palingenosia" gives us the
term "regeneration." This compound word
combines "pally," which means "new," and
"genesia," meaning "beginning," forming
(02:10):
the idea of a new beginning, or as some
Bible translations put it, a new birth.
"Bdag" defines it as an experience of a
complete change of life—rebirth. In
John chapter 3 verses 3 through 5, Jesus
tells Nicodemus that one must be born of
water and the Spirit to enter God's
(02:33):
kingdom, emphasizing spiritual rebirth.
Titus chapter 3 verse 5 also describes
the washing of regeneration and renewal
of the Holy Spirit, highlighting
regeneration as a Spirit-driven
transformation. As I hinted at before,
I've come to realize that there are three
(02:54):
major views on what "baptismal
regeneration" means. Here are high-level
summaries of each. View number one,
sacramental or ex-operae operato. This
view teaches that baptism is a sacrament
which causes the new birth. A person is
spiritually reborn at the moment of
(03:16):
baptism. In other words, the ritual
itself brings about regeneration. This
belief rests on the idea of ex-operae
operato, a Latin phrase meaning "from the
work performed." According to this view,
the effectiveness of baptism depends only
(03:36):
on it being done properly. It does not
depend on the faith of the person being
baptized, or the spiritual condition of
the one doing the baptizing. Baptism in
this framework is more than symbolic. It
becomes the actual means by which God
gives saving grace and forgives sin. The
(03:58):
faith of the recipient is irrelevant,
which is why this view is embraced by
those who practice infant baptism. View
number two, faith response or spirit
regeneration. This view sees baptism not
as a sacrament, but as the point in time
when the Holy Spirit regenerates a
(04:19):
person. The water or the ritual does
nothing by itself. The baptizer's
spiritual condition makes no difference.
What matters is the faith of the one
being baptized. This is the moment when
the Holy Spirit removes sin and
regenerates. This timing appears as the
(04:39):
norm in the New Testament, however,
scripture shows that regeneration doesn't
always happen at immersion. Acts records
exceptional cases where people were
regenerated either before or after
baptism. Regeneration happens only when
someone responds in faith to the Gospel's
(05:01):
invitation, according to this view. And
finally, view number three, the critic's
conflation view or timing equals cause.
This view isn't a theology of its own,
but rather a criticism. It comes from
those who oppose any link between baptism
and regeneration. They argue that if
(05:22):
regeneration happens at baptism, then
baptism must cause it. In their minds,
timing equals cause. So when someone
claims faith-based regeneration, if it
happens during baptism, critics label it
baptismal regeneration. This view assumes
(05:43):
that linking regeneration with baptism,
regardless of the intent, makes salvation
dependent on a human ritual. Critics
overlook or dismiss distinctions between
sacramental and faith response views when
baptism and regeneration coincide. In my
writings on baptism, I argue that the New
(06:06):
Testament teaches the second view, the
faith response or spirit regeneration
view. The baptismal theology found in the
New Testament leads me to reject the term
"baptismal regeneration" as a misnomer.
Before I summarize my reasons for this
conclusion, let's reflect on Anthony R.
(06:27):
Cross's comments on the topic. Anthony
Cross was a British Baptist, and he
authored "Recovering the Evangelical
Sacrament." In this book, he argues that
baptism plays an essential role in the
salvation process. Dr. Jack Cottrell
called it "the best book on baptism since
(06:48):
George R. Beasley Murray's baptism in the
New Testament." Although Cross uses the
term "baptismal regeneration," he closely
aligns with view number two, the faith
response slash spirit regeneration view,
or as he calls it, conversion baptism.
(07:08):
Chapter six of Cross's book focuses on
baptismal regeneration, and he gives a
historical overview and presents several
important observations. In the first
three centuries of the Church, most
Christians held baptismal regeneration as
the orthodox view of conversion. Cross
(07:29):
quotes Justin Martyr, Tertullian,
Cyprian, and others who described baptism
as the moment of regeneration. This view
persisted into the post-Nicene period
following the First Council of Nicaea in
325 A.D. Theodore of Mopsuestia affirmed
the regenerating and renewing power of
(07:50):
baptism. Cyril of Jerusalem also upheld
the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
Augustine, 354 to 430 A.D., initiated a
shift in thought regarding baptismal
regeneration. He argued that baptismal
regeneration supported infant baptism. In
the following centuries, the Church
(08:11):
developed his ideas into the doctrine of
ex-opera operato. John Calvin, 1509 to
1564 A.D., following Augustine's example,
upheld infant baptism, teaching that
baptism signifies union with Christ and
the regeneration of the elect through the
Holy Spirit. He argued that only the
(08:33):
elect receive the Spirit who regenerates
them before baptism. Rooted in
predestination, this view influenced the
Westminster Confession and shaped early
evangelical and Calvinistic Baptist
theology. Although many modern
evangelicals have distanced themselves
from sacramental views, Calvin's legacy
still resonates in their understanding of
(08:55):
baptism. Cross notes that Ulrich
Swingley, 1484 to 1531 A.D., did what no
one in church history had done before. He
severed baptism from faith. Evangelicals,
especially Baptists, have largely adopted
a Zwinglian view of baptism as merely
symbolic. This perspective, which
(09:17):
separates baptism from faith and
regeneration, rejects both sacramental
theology and the idea that baptism
imparts grace. Their discomfort with the
notion of spiritual benefit through
physical means has led them to dismiss
baptismal regeneration altogether. Cross
goes on to make a bold and confident
(09:38):
assertion. The reason why baptismal
regeneration has featured in the writings
of the church's theologians and in its
initiatory rites is because it is present
in the New Testament. This is a bold and
contentious statement, but one which,
quite simply, the evidence of the New
Testament demands. The majority of
(09:59):
evangelicals have rejected this in large
measure due to their emphasis on a form
of justification, soulified, that has not
seen baptism as faith baptism, set the
spiritual and physical in opposition,
and, more importantly, because of the
development of the ex-Upper operative
views of baptism that owe so much to
(10:19):
Augustine and his doctrine of infant
baptism and original sin. The New
Testament teaches that immersion is
inseparably linked to salvation. However,
I take issue with the term "baptismal
regeneration." In my opinion, we're
better off thinking in terms of "holy
(10:39):
spirit regeneration." This isn't meant to
sidestep the modern stigma surrounding
baptismal regeneration. Rather, it more
accurately describes the one who does the
regenerating. The waters of baptism do
not regenerate, nor does the ritual
itself. In fact, it is the Holy Spirit
(11:00):
who regenerates. Several Bible passages
support this idea, such as John chapter 3
verses 5 through 8, Titus chapter 3 verse
5, 1 Corinthians 6, 11, and Romans 8, 11,
to name a few. Far from denying the
importance of baptism, a Holy Spirit
(11:23):
regeneration framework affirms it as the
defiantly appointed moment of response,
where faith, confession, repentance, and
immersion converge, and the Spirit gives
new life. In the end, regeneration isn't
about the water. It's about the Spirit.
(11:43):
Immersion plays a vital, God-ordained
role in our faith response, but the water
isn't the source of new life. The New
Testament consistently presents
regeneration as the Spirit's work,
received through faith, not through
ritual. While baptism marks the moment of
that transformation, baptism isn't
(12:05):
directly the cause. That's why I believe
baptismal regeneration is a misleading
label. It shifts the focus away from the
Holy Spirit and obscures the dynamic of
faith and grace at work and salvation. If
we want to speak biblically and clearly,
we should say what the New Testament
(12:26):
says. The Spirit gives life, and he does
so when faith meets God's appointed means
of responding to the gospel. Thanks for
listening to the podcast. We hope this
episode has deepened your understanding
of scripture. If you found this content
(12:48):
valuable, please share it with your
friends. For more biblical studies, visit
our website at readyforeternity.com.
That's the word "ready," the number four,
and the word "eternity."
Readyforeternity.com. Be sure and leave a
comment on the Ready for Eternity
Facebook page or reach out on Twitter.
(13:08):
That's all for now. Keep studying your
Bible, growing closer to God, and getting
ready for eternity. See you next time.
(Music)
Welcome to the Ready for Eternity
podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to
inquisitive Bible students exploring
biblical truths that might not be fully
explored in typical sermons or Bible
studies. My name is Eddie Lawrence. In
(00:23):
this episode we're talking about the term
"baptismal regeneration,"
how and why it misses the mark.
(Music)
When we discuss biblical topics, we need
to define key terms clearly. I've
(00:43):
realized that in past conversations about
baptismal regeneration, I didn't always
share the same definition as others in
the room. In those cases we just left
confused and no real harm done, but the
experience reminded me how easily unclear
terms can derail a conversation. In other
(01:06):
settings, that kind of confusion could
create serious misunderstandings. What do
people mean by "baptismal regeneration"?
Before diving in, let me clarify what I
mean by each term. By "baptismal," I'm
referring to baptism, specifically the
(01:27):
New Testament practice. The Greek word
"baptizo" means "to cleanse by dipping or
submerging," to wash, to make clean with
water. That's the definition from
Thayer's Greek-English lexicon of the New
Testament. Biblically, baptism involves
full-body immersion in water. Sprinkling
(01:50):
or pouring is not biblical baptism. The
word "rightly" means "immersion." The
Greek word "palingenosia" gives us the
term "regeneration." This compound word
combines "pally," which means "new," and
"genesia," meaning "beginning," forming
(02:10):
the idea of a new beginning, or as some
Bible translations put it, a new birth.
"Bdag" defines it as an experience of a
complete change of life—rebirth. In
John chapter 3 verses 3 through 5, Jesus
tells Nicodemus that one must be born of
water and the Spirit to enter God's
(02:33):
kingdom, emphasizing spiritual rebirth.
Titus chapter 3 verse 5 also describes
the washing of regeneration and renewal
of the Holy Spirit, highlighting
regeneration as a Spirit-driven
transformation. As I hinted at before,
I've come to realize that there are three
(02:54):
major views on what "baptismal
regeneration" means. Here are high-level
summaries of each. View number one,
sacramental or ex-operae operato. This
view teaches that baptism is a sacrament
which causes the new birth. A person is
spiritually reborn at the moment of
(03:16):
baptism. In other words, the ritual
itself brings about regeneration. This
belief rests on the idea of ex-operae
operato, a Latin phrase meaning "from the
work performed." According to this view,
the effectiveness of baptism depends only
(03:36):
on it being done properly. It does not
depend on the faith of the person being
baptized, or the spiritual condition of
the one doing the baptizing. Baptism in
this framework is more than symbolic. It
becomes the actual means by which God
gives saving grace and forgives sin. The
(03:58):
faith of the recipient is irrelevant,
which is why this view is embraced by
those who practice infant baptism. View
number two, faith response or spirit
regeneration. This view sees baptism not
as a sacrament, but as the point in time
when the Holy Spirit regenerates a
(04:19):
person. The water or the ritual does
nothing by itself. The baptizer's
spiritual condition makes no difference.
What matters is the faith of the one
being baptized. This is the moment when
the Holy Spirit removes sin and
regenerates. This timing appears as the
(04:39):
norm in the New Testament, however,
scripture shows that regeneration doesn't
always happen at immersion. Acts records
exceptional cases where people were
regenerated either before or after
baptism. Regeneration happens only when
someone responds in faith to the Gospel's
(05:01):
invitation, according to this view. And
finally, view number three, the critic's
conflation view or timing equals cause.
This view isn't a theology of its own,
but rather a criticism. It comes from
those who oppose any link between baptism
and regeneration. They argue that if
(05:22):
regeneration happens at baptism, then
baptism must cause it. In their minds,
timing equals cause. So when someone
claims faith-based regeneration, if it
happens during baptism, critics label it
baptismal regeneration. This view assumes
(05:43):
that linking regeneration with baptism,
regardless of the intent, makes salvation
dependent on a human ritual. Critics
overlook or dismiss distinctions between
sacramental and faith response views when
baptism and regeneration coincide. In my
writings on baptism, I argue that the New
(06:06):
Testament teaches the second view, the
faith response or spirit regeneration
view. The baptismal theology found in the
New Testament leads me to reject the term
"baptismal regeneration" as a misnomer.
Before I summarize my reasons for this
conclusion, let's reflect on Anthony R.
(06:27):
Cross's comments on the topic. Anthony
Cross was a British Baptist, and he
authored "Recovering the Evangelical
Sacrament." In this book, he argues that
baptism plays an essential role in the
salvation process. Dr. Jack Cottrell
called it "the best book on baptism since
(06:48):
George R. Beasley Murray's baptism in the
New Testament." Although Cross uses the
term "baptismal regeneration," he closely
aligns with view number two, the faith
response slash spirit regeneration view,
or as he calls it, conversion baptism.
(07:08):
Chapter six of Cross's book focuses on
baptismal regeneration, and he gives a
historical overview and presents several
important observations. In the first
three centuries of the Church, most
Christians held baptismal regeneration as
the orthodox view of conversion. Cross
(07:29):
quotes Justin Martyr, Tertullian,
Cyprian, and others who described baptism
as the moment of regeneration. This view
persisted into the post-Nicene period
following the First Council of Nicaea in
325 A.D. Theodore of Mopsuestia affirmed
the regenerating and renewing power of
(07:50):
baptism. Cyril of Jerusalem also upheld
the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
Augustine, 354 to 430 A.D., initiated a
shift in thought regarding baptismal
regeneration. He argued that baptismal
regeneration supported infant baptism. In
the following centuries, the Church
(08:11):
developed his ideas into the doctrine of
ex-opera operato. John Calvin, 1509 to
1564 A.D., following Augustine's example,
upheld infant baptism, teaching that
baptism signifies union with Christ and
the regeneration of the elect through the
Holy Spirit. He argued that only the
(08:33):
elect receive the Spirit who regenerates
them before baptism. Rooted in
predestination, this view influenced the
Westminster Confession and shaped early
evangelical and Calvinistic Baptist
theology. Although many modern
evangelicals have distanced themselves
from sacramental views, Calvin's legacy
still resonates in their understanding of
(08:55):
baptism. Cross notes that Ulrich
Swingley, 1484 to 1531 A.D., did what no
one in church history had done before. He
severed baptism from faith. Evangelicals,
especially Baptists, have largely adopted
a Zwinglian view of baptism as merely
symbolic. This perspective, which
(09:17):
separates baptism from faith and
regeneration, rejects both sacramental
theology and the idea that baptism
imparts grace. Their discomfort with the
notion of spiritual benefit through
physical means has led them to dismiss
baptismal regeneration altogether. Cross
goes on to make a bold and confident
(09:38):
assertion. The reason why baptismal
regeneration has featured in the writings
of the church's theologians and in its
initiatory rites is because it is present
in the New Testament. This is a bold and
contentious statement, but one which,
quite simply, the evidence of the New
Testament demands. The majority of
(09:59):
evangelicals have rejected this in large
measure due to their emphasis on a form
of justification, soulified, that has not
seen baptism as faith baptism, set the
spiritual and physical in opposition,
and, more importantly, because of the
development of the ex-Upper operative
views of baptism that owe so much to
(10:19):
Augustine and his doctrine of infant
baptism and original sin. The New
Testament teaches that immersion is
inseparably linked to salvation. However,
I take issue with the term "baptismal
regeneration." In my opinion, we're
better off thinking in terms of "holy
(10:39):
spirit regeneration." This isn't meant to
sidestep the modern stigma surrounding
baptismal regeneration. Rather, it more
accurately describes the one who does the
regenerating. The waters of baptism do
not regenerate, nor does the ritual
itself. In fact, it is the Holy Spirit
(11:00):
who regenerates. Several Bible passages
support this idea, such as John chapter 3
verses 5 through 8, Titus chapter 3 verse
5, 1 Corinthians 6, 11, and Romans 8, 11,
to name a few. Far from denying the
importance of baptism, a Holy Spirit
(11:23):
regeneration framework affirms it as the
defiantly appointed moment of response,
where faith, confession, repentance, and
immersion converge, and the Spirit gives
new life. In the end, regeneration isn't
about the water. It's about the Spirit.
(11:43):
Immersion plays a vital, God-ordained
role in our faith response, but the water
isn't the source of new life. The New
Testament consistently presents
regeneration as the Spirit's work,
received through faith, not through
ritual. While baptism marks the moment of
that transformation, baptism isn't
(12:05):
directly the cause. That's why I believe
baptismal regeneration is a misleading
label. It shifts the focus away from the
Holy Spirit and obscures the dynamic of
faith and grace at work and salvation. If
we want to speak biblically and clearly,
we should say what the New Testament
(12:26):
says. The Spirit gives life, and he does
so when faith meets God's appointed means
of responding to the gospel. Thanks for
listening to the podcast. We hope this
episode has deepened your understanding
of scripture. If you found this content
(12:48):
valuable, please share it with your
friends. For more biblical studies, visit
our website at readyforeternity.com.
That's the word "ready," the number four,
and the word "eternity."
Readyforeternity.com. Be sure and leave a
comment on the Ready for Eternity
Facebook page or reach out on Twitter.
(13:08):
That's all for now. Keep studying your
Bible, growing closer to God, and getting
ready for eternity. See you next time.
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