Titus 3:5
not by works of righteousness] The exact grammatical form is rendered by not by virtue of works, works in righteousness which we did. We should read the neut. accus. of the relative with the best authorities, rather than the genitive here. Bp Wordsworth well explains the reason of the clause: that when those false teachers were asked what was their ground of hope of salvation, they would reply The works wrought in righteousness which we did; but St Paul would answer Gods mercy.
he saved us] Vulg. salvos nos fecit. Compare the aorist tenses in Col 2:13-15. Bp Lightfoot thus brings out the force (Revision of N.T. p. 85): St Paul regards this change from sin to righteousness, from bondage to freedom, from death to life, as summed up in one definite act of the past; potentially to ail men in our Lords Passion and Resurrection, actually to each individual man when he accepts Christ, is baptized into Christ. It is the definiteness, the absoluteness of this change, considered as a historical crisis, which forms the central idea of St Pauls teaching, and which the aorist marks. See also note on 1Ti 2:4.
by the washing of regeneration] Properly through the washing or through the laver; the preposition expresses the channel or means through which; the washing or laver of regeneration is evidently one phrase for the sacrament of Holy Baptism. The genitive marks the attribute or inseparable accompaniments, Winer § 30 2 b, who quotes Mar 1:4, repentance-baptism. Cf. Col 1:22, his flesh-body, i.e. His material, natural body, distinguished from the mystical body before mentioned. Cf. also the fire of testing, Teaching of the Twelve Apostles xvi. 5.
Should we render here washing or laver? It has been usual among English commentators as Wordsw., Alf., Conybeare, Ellicott, to render laver, and to understand the baptismal font, on the ground that the Greek word means always a vessel or pool in which washing takes place. So no doubt the form in tron properly signifies, as e.g. arotron a plough, alabastron, an ointment-bottle. But classical usage is in the plural a bath, Hom. Il. xviii. 489, Ag. 1080; in the sing, the act of washing, Hes. Op. 755, expiatory libations, Soph. El. 84, water for washing,Col. 1599; Aristoph. Lys. 378. The Septuagint usage is only in the sing., Jer 31:25, A man baptized from the death of sin, and again taking hold of it, what does he gain from his washing? Son 4:2 Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes that are newly shorn, which are come up from the washing. The N.T. usage is only in the sing., Eph 5:26, having cleansed it (the Church) by the washing of water with the word, R.V., with margin Gr. laver, and the present passage where R.V. gives washing, with margin Or, laver. According to R.V. rules this inconsistency neutralises its verdict. For in Eph 5:26 it is implied that laver is more exact; in Tit. that washing is more, and laver less likely, as the meaning of the Greek. On the whole the classical usage, the A.V. and R.V. text, support the rendering washing. As to the form of the word, the Greeks may have been at liberty to divert it from its proper meaning, having the kindred form lout for a bath, which, according to analogy, should be a bathing man. Somewhat similarly having ast for a star they used astron for a cluster of stars.
regeneration] Palingenesia is one of the many words which the Gospel found, and, so to speak, glorified. Abp Trench, who admirably draws out the enlargement here, N. T. Syn. 18. The word had been used by the Pythagoreans, in the doctrine of transmigration of souls, for their reappearance in new bodies; by the Stoics for the periodic renovation of the earth in spring; in Cicero it describes his restoration to his dignities and honours after his return from exile; in Josephus the restoration of the Jewish nation after the captivity. The word does not occur in the Septuagint; and in N.T. only here and Mat 19:28. In our Lords words there is evident reference to the new birth of the whole creation (Act 3:21), which shall be when the Son of Man hereafter comes in His glory; while St Pauls washing of regeneration has to do with the new birth not of the whole travailing creation, but of the single soul, which is now evermore finding place.… The palingenesia which Scripture proclaims begins with the microcosmus of single souls; but it does not end there; it does not cease its effectual working till it has embraced the whole macrocosmus of the universe.
But if, as seems most consistent with the whole chapter, and with St Matthews grand aim to paint a present kingdom of the heavens, the reference of Mat 19:28 is to the Church, Catholic and Apostolic, then regeneration in both passages refers to the same act and epoch, when our Lord having overcome the sharpness of death opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers, and on the day of Pentecost 3000 souls said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Brethren, what shall we do? and were baptized by them unto the remission of their sins, and continued stedfastly in the apostles teaching and fellowship. In our Lords words and in St Pauls the setting up of this kingdom, the entrance into it, is life from the dead, a second birth; and Joh 3:3; Joh 3:5 Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God; Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, (summed up in palingenesia Mat 19:28) explains and is explained by Eph 5:25-26, Christ loved the church and gave himself up for it, that he might cleanse it by the washing of water with the word (summed up in palingenesia:, Tit 3:5).
and renewing of the Holy Ghost] R.V. keeps this rendering of A.V. which necessarily makes renewing depend like regeneration on the washing; giving in the margin as a good, but not so good, construction and through renewing, where the government is carried back to the preposition. It is only a question of the naturalness of the order of words, and of the doctrine that renewing or renovation depends on Baptism being expressly stated or left to be inferred. The doctrine itself cannot but be true, as life must precede growth, and growth must depend upon life. Compare Eph 5:26, where the purpose of Christ giving Himself up for the Church is stated to be, first that He might cleanse it by the washing of water through the word (as above), and then that He might sanctify it, till there should be no spot nor blemish; and Rom 12:2, Be ye transformed (present tense) by the renewal of your mind; see that the gradual restoration of the Divine image be ever going forward. No nobler commentary on the phrase has been written than the ancient Veni Creator.
oke:Yes, youre obviously referring to me, pokey, ... why dont you just have some guts and say so?.... and I say 'water-baptism' to distinguish it from other baptisms and to be clear and honest about what Im referring to, unlike works-righteousness phonies who like to hide and talk a good game about grace while trying to give themselves an out by being vague and twisting scripture to feed their own egos and self-righteous arrogance.
