Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Robert Sungenis on Titus 3:5 and Baptismal Regeneration



Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. (Titus 3:5)

Commenting on the phrase "by the laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Spirit" (διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως πνεύματος ἁγίου), Catholic apologist Robert Sungenis wrote the following, showing that Paul was teaching baptismal regeneration (and not a purely symbolic meaning of bath/laver of regeneration):

. . . in which Paul makes clear there are two inseparable actions: 1) the laver of regeneration; and 2) a renovation, both of the Holy Spirit. The word λουτρου:, used only here and Ep 5:26, stands for water, from the verbal form, λουω, used 6× in the NT (Jn 13:10; Ac 9:37; 16:33; Hb 10:22-23; 2Pt 2:22; Ap 1:5). In classical Greek a λουτρον or λουτρων was a bath, bathing place, or water for bathing (LAS). Paul cannot be speaking symbolically since the grammar specifies: εσωσεν ημας δια λουτρου: (“he saved us through washing”) and not: εσωσεν ημας δια συμβολον λουτρου (“he saved us through the symbol of washing”). Παλιγγενεσιας (“regeneration”) is only used 2× in the NT, the other in Mt 19:28 referring to the final regeneration of the body at the end of time, thus showing the force of the word to likewise refer to a complete spiritual regeneration. (Robert A. Sungenis, The Epistles to Timothy and Titus: Exegetical Commentary [Catholic Apologetics Study Bible X; State Line, Pa.: Catholic Apologetics International Publishing, Inc., 2020], 91-92 n. 211)