Titus 3:5
he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The "washing of regeneration" isn't just about outward cleansing, but signifies the means by which God's mercy brings about a profound inward new birth and renewal through the Holy Spirit. This emphasizes that salvation is a divine work, initiated and accomplished by God's grace, not by anything we do.
Paul is addressing Titus, instructing him on how to lead the church in Crete. He's emphasizing the importance of sound doctrine and godly living, contrasting true Christian teaching with the empty rhetoric of false teachers who were causing division. This verse directly follows Paul's reminder that believers were once foolish and enslaved by sin, setting the stage to explain the radical transformation that brought them salvation.
Ever feel like you have to earn God's favor? This verse cuts right through that idea. Paul reminds Titus that our salvation isn't a reward for good behavior.
Paul confronts a common misconception head-on: salvation doesn't come from our own 'works of righteousness.' These are deeds done with the intention of being morally good or appearing righteous. The verse stresses that these works, no matter how well-intentioned, can never be the basis for our salvation.
Instead, our salvation is rooted entirely in God's mercy. This isn't about God looking for something good in us. It's about His compassionate love reaching out to us in our helpless state. It's a gift, flowing purely from His character, not our performance.
The text speaks of a 'washing of regeneration.' What does this watery imagery represent, and how does it connect to becoming new?
This verse uses the powerful image of a 'washing' to describe how God saves us. This is often understood to refer to baptism, which serves as a visible sign of an inward spiritual reality.
It's called the 'washing of regeneration,' pointing to a radical new birth. This isn't just a minor adjustment; it's the beginning of a completely new spiritual life. Think of it as being born again, as Jesus described in John 3.
Crucially, this 'washing' is inseparable from the renewing of the Holy Spirit. The outward sign points to the inward work of God's Spirit who cleanses us, imparts new life, and begins the transformation process within us.
Understand the original words
sōzō · Greek Verb
The act of delivering a person from the power, guilt, and penalty of sin, accomplished solely through the work of Christ.
eleos · Greek Noun
Divine compassion that does not give the sinner what they deserve, but instead provides forgiveness and grace according to God's sovereign will.
palingenesia · Greek Noun
The new birth or spiritual 're-creation' that occurs when a person is united with Christ; it is the fundamental change of state from death to life.
anakainōsis · Greek Noun
The ongoing process by which the Holy Spirit imparts new life and transforms the believer into the image of Christ, reversing the effects of the Fall.
This passage directly echoes Titus 3:5 by stating that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, underscoring the idea that God's saving action is entirely His initiative.
John 3:3-7Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus about being 'born again' or 'born of water and the Spirit' deeply resonates with the 'washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit' mentioned in Titus, highlighting the spiritual transformation required for entering God's kingdom.
Romans 6:3-5This passage connects baptism with identification with Christ's death and resurrection, offering a parallel to the 'washing of regeneration' in Titus, illustrating how this outward sign signifies an inward reality of new life.
2 Corinthians 5:17The concept of being a 'new creation' in Christ directly aligns with the 'renewing of the Holy Spirit' described in Titus, showing the radical transformation that occurs when someone is saved by God's mercy.
ellicottTitus 3:5: "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;"
(5) Not by works of righteousness. —This by no means asserts that such works ever had been done, and then produced, as it were, before the bar of God, and weighed and found insufficient; but it simply maintains that to win salvation such must be done. Sad experience, more forcibly than any theological assertion, has demonstrated t…
cambridgeTitus 3:5: "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;"
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 w…
The "washing of regeneration" isn't just about outward cleansing, but signifies the means by which God's mercy brings about a profound inward new birth and renewal through the Holy Spirit. This emphasizes that salvation is a divine work, initiated and accomplished by God's grace, not by anything we do.
Paul is addressing Titus, instructing him on how to lead the church in Crete. He's emphasizing the importance of sound doctrine and godly living, contrasting true Christian teaching with the empty rhetoric of false teachers who were causing division. This verse directly follows Paul's reminder that believers were once foolish and enslaved by sin, setting the stage to explain the radical transformation that brought them salvation.
Paul is addressing Titus, instructing him on how to lead the church in Crete. He's emphasizing the importance of sound doctrine and godly living, contrasting true Christian teaching with the empty rhetoric of false teachers who were causing division. This verse directly follows Paul's reminder that believers were once foolish and enslaved by sin, setting the stage to explain the radical transformation that brought them salvation.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Titus 3:5 is available in the Sola app.
"he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit," — The "washing of regeneration" isn't just about outward cleansing, but signifies the means by which God's mercy brings about a profound inward new birth and renewal through the Holy Spirit. This emp…
