Concept of regeneration in the New Testament

Abstract

There has not been written a single thorough research work exclusively on the concept of regeneration and purporting to cover the entire New Testament in over fifty years. The last work of this nature was P. Gennrich's Die Lehre von der Wiedergeburt, published in 1907. Hence there was a need for a research project on this subject.

In attempting such a research project on "The Concept of Regeneration in the New Testament," it was necessary to define what was meant by "concept." Accordingly, the word "concept" is defined in this dissertation as "an idea that includes all that is characteristically associated with or suggested by a term." ... In this thesis the definition "beginning again" shall be taken as the bedrock connotation of the concept of regeneration. Starting with this connotation it can be demonstrated ghat ideas are associated with or suggested by this term. Generally speaking, it shall become evident that the concept of regeneration in the New Testament contains three basic metaphors: new birth, new creation, and spiritual resurrection.

In pursuing a study of regeneration in the New Testament, it quickly became apparent that every significant author related this concept to either or both the Hellenistic and Judaic circle of ideas in the first Christian century. Moreover, there were so many conflicting points of view among the major authors that I turned to my first major advisor, the late Professor William Manson, for guidance. His suggestion was that I should "work through Reitzenstein carefully. As an outgrowth of this study it seemed necessary to divide the dissertation into two major parts. The first part deals with the ideas of regeneration outside of the New Testament which could have had an influence on the concept as it occurs in the New Testament. To study the ideas relating to regeneration which are found in the ancient world appeared to be the only way to unravel the tangled web of assertion and counter-assertion which confused the issue of the background of regeneration in the New Testament.

For this reason, Chapter I deals with the Hellenistic background of regeneration. This includes a study of the concept as it is found in early Greek usage, in Stoic philosophy and in the mystery religions. In Chapter II there is a discussion of the concept in the Judaic environment. This means that the idea is treated in each of the following areas: the Old Testament, Rabbinic Judaism, Philo Judaeus,, the Qumran literature, and the Apocalyptic literature. In a study of other topics in the New. Testament this background material would hardly.. be necessary, but in reference to regeneration it is a necessity. There is also included in Chapters I and II a comparison of each area of study with the thought of the New Testament. Therefore, Part I contains material which is definitely related to New Testament thought.

In Part II of the dissertation there is a, discussion of the major passages in the New Testament which deal with the concept of regeneration. Chapters III, IV, V and VI treat respectively the idea of regeneration as it is found in the Synoptic Gospels, The Pauline and deutero-Pauline literature, the General Epistles and the Johannine writings. This thesis does not approach these writings from the point of view of the psychology of conversion. The aim of this study is to ascertain the moaning of the major passages on regeneration from the point of view of Biblical theology. Certain factors will be brought out concerning the underlying unity of the concept and some development in the expression of the idea. Chapter VII presents the general summary and conclusions of this study. All the Biblical quotations which appear are from the Revised Standard Version, unless otherwise indicated. The Greek references are from Nestle's Novium Testamentum Graece ce (20. Auflage, 1950).