Regeneration (theology)

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Regeneration, while sometimes perceived to be a step in the ordo salutis ('order of salvation'), is generally understood in Christian theology to be the objective work of God in a believer's life. Spiritually, it means that God brings a person to new life (that they are "born again") from a previous state of separation from God and subjection to the decay of death (Ephesians 2:5).^[1][2] Thus, in Lutheran and Roman Catholic theology, it generally means that which takes place during baptism. In Calvinism (Reformed theology) and Arminian theology, baptism is recognized as an outward sign of an inward reality which is to follow regeneration as a sign of obedience to the New Testament; as such, the Methodist Churches teach that regeneration occurs during the new birth.^[3]

While the exact Greek noun for 'rebirth' or 'regeneration' (Ancient Greek: παλιγγενεσία, romanized: palingenesia) appears just twice in the New Testament (Matthew 19:28^[4] and Titus 3:5),^[5] regeneration in Christianity is held to represent a wider theme of re-creation and spiritual rebirth,^[6] including the concept of "being born again" (John 3:3–8^[7] and 1 Peter 1:3;^[8][9] regeneration is also called the "second birth"). In some schools of Christian thought, it is held that when a person expresses belief in Jesus Christ for their salvation, they are then born of God, "begotten of him" (1 John 5:1).^[10] As a result of becoming part of God's family, the person becomes a different and new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17).^[11]