Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:1-7).
In my Sunday School class, Dr. Ellie Strathman recently asked a question that stumped me: “Is the renewal of the Holy Spirit in Titus 3:5 different than the renewal of our minds in Romans 12:2?” I couldn’t remember how I understood the renewal in Titus 3:5. I told her I’d look into it.
After class, I looked it up, and the same Greek word is used in both places. The word is anakainōsis. When I looked it up in a concordance, I found it is used only in those two verses. That doesn’t prove that it has the same sense in both places, but it’s a strong possibility, since Paul wrote both texts.
Commentators see these as different. They think the salvation in Titus 3:5 is regeneration and that it relates to renewal by the Holy Spirit. Either Spirit renewal results in regeneration, or the Holy Spirit renews us at the same time as regeneration.
For example, Duane Litfin comments, “God in His grace saves those who believe, not because of any righteousness in them (cf. Rom. 3:21–24; Eph. 2:8–9; 2 Tim. 1:9), but because of His mercy” (“Titus” in BKC, p. 766).
After hearing Philippe Sterling talk with Ellie about salvation in Titus 3:5, I realized I needed to look at it again. Philippe wondered what type of salvation Titus 3:5 is talking about.
What if Titus 3:5 isn’t about salvation from eternal condemnation?
Titus 3:1-2 clearly calls believers to do good works. Verse 3 reminds the readers that before their new birth, they were ungodly and hateful.
Verse 6 is about becoming heirs of Christ in the life to come, that is, about being chosen to rule with Him.
So, what are vv 4-5 talking about?
When I went to look at what commentators put, I was surprised to see what I had written in The Grace New Testament Commentary:
In Eph 2:5 salvation is regeneration, but here salvation is through the washing of regeneration. The cleansing that took place in regeneration resulted in this salvation (“He saved us”). Thus, probably salvation in Titus 3:5 should be understood as referring to being set free from bondage to sin. This fits the letter and the context perfectly since Paul wants Titus to call the believers in Crete to godliness in their experience. That is possible because of the salvation they received that freed them from slavery to sin (“Titus,” p. 2021).
I remember asking Zane about a certain verse, and he said he didn’t remember how he took it. He suggested I look it up in his writings. I thought, how could he forget his view on a passage? Well, I get it now. There are a lot of passages, and some don’t come up much.
I think the renewal in both places is the same. We are set free from sin’s bondage and experience spiritual victory by means of the washing that occurs in regeneration and the renewal of our minds that occurs as we set under solid Bible teaching.
Keep grace in focus, and the Holy Spirit will continually renew your mind as you hear God’s Word taught.
