bible verses about regeneration

Bible Verses About Regeneration: 12

Bible verses about regeneration: 12 Scriptures on paliggenesia and new birth.

Illustrated portrait of Christopher McAllister

By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published September 30, 20265 min readTitus 3:5 (NIV)

A small group gathers in a courtyard as wind moves through the olive leaves above them.

"he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."

— Titus 3:5 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about regeneration want Scripture on the new birth — paliggenesia — not only the broader renewal list, the new creation list, or the baptism list alone. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about renewal, Bible verses about new creation, Bible verses about baptism, Bible verses about the Holy Spirit, Bible verses about justification, Bible verses about salvation, and Bible verse of the day. Regeneration here means Spirit-wrought new birth — distinct from renewal as ongoing refreshment, new creation as the whole new identity in Christ, or baptism as the sign and washing that points to it.

Word study (lead theme). In Greek, "regeneration / rebirth" is παλιγγενεσία paliggenesia (Strong's G3824; Bible Hub G3824) — new birth, regeneration. Titus 3:5 joins washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit; Jesus tells Nicodemus one must be born again; John says the Spirit gives life. Regeneration is God's sovereign gift of new life, not a human self-upgrade.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Titus 3 presses that salvation is not by works of righteousness we have done, but by mercy through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost (Bible Hub MHC Titus 3; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Titus 3). (Renewal, new-creation, and baptism lists live on those pages; this list centers paliggenesia.)

12 Bible verses about regeneration

  1. Titus 3:5. "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." Washing of rebirth — by the Holy Spirit. See Bible verses about the Holy Spirit.

  2. John 3:3. "Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.'" Born again — see the kingdom. See Bible verses about the kingdom of God.

  3. John 3:8. "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. See Bible verses about the Holy Spirit.

  4. John 3:7. "You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'" You must be born again. See Bible verses about salvation.

  5. Ezekiel 37:14. "I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord." I will put my Spirit in you and you will live. See Bible verses about the Holy Spirit.

  6. John 6:63. "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life." The Spirit gives life. See Bible verses about scripture.

  7. Ephesians 2:4-5. "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." Made us alive with Christ. See Bible verses about grace.

  8. James 1:18. "He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created." He chose to give us birth through the word. See Bible verses about scripture.

  9. 1 John 5:1. "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well." Born of God — believes that Jesus is the Christ. See Bible verses about faith.

  10. 1 John 3:9. "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God." Born of God — God's seed remains. See Bible verses about holiness.

  11. Colossians 2:13. "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins." God made you alive with Christ. See Bible verses about forgiveness.

  12. John 1:12-13. "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." Born of God — not of human decision. See Bible verses about salvation.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need regeneration — not twelve as a grind. If you need washing of rebirth by the Spirit, start with Titus 3:5. If you need born again, open John 3:3. If you need the Spirit gives life, open John 6:63. For ongoing renewal, open Bible verses about renewal. For new creation identity, open Bible verses about new creation. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about regeneration?

Titus 3:5 (washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit), John 3:3 (born again), and John 6:63 (the Spirit gives life) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about regeneration differ from renewal, new creation, or baptism?

The renewal page centers ongoing refreshment of mind and life. The new-creation page centers identity in Christ as new creation. The baptism page centers the sign and washing. A regeneration page centers paliggenesia — Spirit-wrought new birth — then cross-links renewal, new creation, baptism, and the Holy Spirit. See Bible verses about renewal.

What does paliggenesia mean?

Greek paliggenesia (G3824) means regeneration or new birth. Titus 3:5 uses it for the washing of rebirth joined to renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Is regeneration something we do or something God does?

Scripture presents regeneration as God's mercy through the Spirit (Titus 3:5; John 1:13). We receive and believe; God gives life to the dead. See Bible verses about grace.

Where can I read more about renewal, new creation, and baptism?

Start with Bible verses about renewal, then Bible verses about new creation, Bible verses about baptism, Bible verses about the Holy Spirit, and Bible verses about justification.

Sources

A man and two women gather in a courtyard under olive trees.

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