This word is found but twice in all the oracles of God--once in Matt. xix. 28, and once in Tit. iii. 5. In the former it is almost universally understood to mean a new state of things, not of persons--a peculiar era, in which all things are to be made new:--such as the formation of a new church on the day of Pentecost, or the commencement of the Millennium, or the general resurrection. The Biblical critics of eminence have assigned it to one or other of these great changes in the state of things. So we use the word revolution, and the phrase the Revolution, to express a change in the political state of things. The most approved punctuation and version of this passage renders it altogether evident that a new era is alluded to: "Jesus answered, Indeed, I say to you, that at the renovation [regeneration] when the Son of Man shall be seated on his glorious throne, you, my followers, sitting also upon twelve thrones, shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel." This being so evident, and so often alluded to in our former writings, we shall proceed to the remaining occurrence, Tit. iii. 5.

      All the new light which we propose to throw on this passage will be gathered from an examination of the acceptation of the word generation in the sacred writings. One reason for this is, that we object to a peremptory decision of the meaning of a word which occurs only in the passage under discussion, from our reasonings upon the isolated passage in which it is found. In such a case, if we can not find the whole word in any parallel passages, the proper substitute is the root or branches of that word, so far as they are employed by the same writers. Moreover, we think it will be granted, that whatever may be the Scriptural acceptation of the word generation, regeneration is only the repetition of that act or process.

      After a close examination of all the passages in which generation occurs in the writings of the Hebrew Prophets and Apostles, we find it used only in two acceptations--as descriptive of creation and of the thing created. A race of class of men, is called a generation; but this is its figurative rather than its literal meaning. Its literal meaning is the formation or creation of any thing. Thus it is first used in the Holy Scriptures. Moses (Gen. ii. 4) calls the creation, or whole process of formation the heavens and the earth, "the generations of the heavens and the earth." The account of the formation of Adam and Eve, and also the account of the creations of Adam and Eve are, by the same [455] writer, called "the book or record of the generations of Adam" (Gen. v 1). This is the literal import of the word; consequently, regeneration literally indicates the whole process of renovating or new-creating man.

      This process may consist of numerous distinct acts; but it is in accordance with general usage to give to the beginning, or consummating act, the name of the whole process. For the most part, however, the name of the whole process is given to the consummating act, because the process is always supposed incomplete until that act is performed. For example: in the process of tanning, fulling, forging, etc., the subject of these operations is not supposed to be tanned, fulled, forged, until the last act is performed. So in all the processes of nature--in the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms--the last act consummates the process. To all acquainted with the process of animalization, germination, crystalization, etc., no further argument is needed. But, in the style of our American husbandmen, no crop or animal is made, until it come to maturity. We often hear them say of a good shower, or of a few clear days, "This is the making of the wheat, or corn." In the same sense it is than most Christians call regeneration, the NEW BIRTH; though being born is only the last act in natural generation, and the last act in regeneration.

      In this way the new birth and regeneration are used indiscriminately by commentators and writers on theology; and, by a figure of speech, it is justified on well-established principles of rhetoric. This leads us to speak particularly of [THE BATH OF REGENERATION].

[A. C.]      

Source:

Alexander Campbell. "Regeneration." The Millennial Harbinger Extra 4 (August 1833): 351-353.

[MHA1 455-456]