Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 3/2/2006

Question
I'm not a Protestant but I'm interested in finding out where this whole "born-again" idea, popular in modern evangelicalism, came from. I know Jesus said we must be born again, but I thought that in historical Christianity and historical Protestantism the term reflected the act of being baptized and the mere intention/desire to live as a good Christian. Before the 20th century I'm just not seeing the idea of being born-again as one of a supernatural unique emotional experience everyone has to undergo before becoming a Christian. I can't imagine the Reformers advocating such a subjective idea. Perhaps you can tell me when and where this idea originated. Thanks.  

Answer
Andrew, first, let me affirm that I am not a Protestant either.  My spiritual forebears were not a part of Roman Catholicism to protest and break away from it.  My stock is of the Anabaptist groups that were tortured by Catholic and Protestant alike.  Thus if you study historic Protestant history you will see infant baptism and other things as part of their theology for there were many items they did not shed when they left.   

Baptism as a means of salvation/grace actually took the forefront with Emperor Constantine but was not what Scripture stated neither was it practiced by most of the churches before that time.  When the State and Religion merged it became mandatory for certain doctrines to be held at the point of a sword or business end of a torch.  You see why the current Islamic lads wonder why Christians are upset about drastic means to grow a religion when such means were taken and are still taken in some areas today by those who call themselves Christians.  The Serbs would be a good recent example.

Actually, many of the dogmas and precepts of Protestantism and Catholicism are the Johnny-come-lately ideologies.

Born again?  Two thousand years old and even a Rabbi did not understand the doctrine but it is for every man.

John 3:2-7
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. KJV

An invitation to be saved or born again?  Same age.

Acts 2:36-42
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. KJV

Note that none of these baptized folks were infants as that is not a concept in Scripture.

Acts 8:34-39
34  And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. KJV

You have to believe before you are baptized so where did the infant thing come from?  Man, not God.  Baptism has nothing to do with salvation.  If you study the Pastoral Epistles as well as the Book of Acts that is very clear.  Baptismal regeneration came later. Baptism is a symbol of obedience and identification but carries no sacramental value.

1 Peter 3:21

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: KJV

See, no soul salvation according to the lad that wasn't the first pope.  “Supernatural unique emotional experience everyone has to undergo before becoming a Christian.”  Let's look at conversions after Pentecost where 3,000 had such an experience that Jesus said every man had to have.  Emotional may be the only non-requirement.  Some folks cry like babies, others leap and shout for joy but many are quite calm.  The emotion is not important but the personal contract, if you please, with Christ is a mandatory life or death experience.

Acts 11:11-17

11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
12 And the spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:
13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?  KJV

Acts 16:30-34

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. KJV

Rom 10:9-15

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! KJV

Titus 3:5-8

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;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. KJV

Eph 2:8-10

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. KJV

1 John 5:11-13

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. KJV

Also note that salvation is spoken of in the past tense not as a future event based upon the merits of a life.  Yes, the saved should be holy but salvation is based upon a personal interaction with Christ trusting in His finished work not our continuing works.  

Rom 5:7-19

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. KJV

His obedience brings us home like Adam's disobedience tossed us out of the Garden.

The Reformers didn't reform enough. They did a fair job but they stopped way short of returning to 1st Century Christianity.  Independent Baptists are the closest to that original faith but we also have some reforming we need to be more pure.  I have some quotes by the Reformers on my web site but I do not make them equal to the Scriptures or the Apostles.  Where they are in alignment with the Word I acknowledge them.  Where they err I withstand them as Paul withstood Peter in his hypocrisy at Galatia.  The same goes with any that are called church fathers.  

I owe no man my allegiance.  My allegiance is to be to Christ and Him alone.  I need not prove any apostolic succession for if I am in the Body and subject to the Head, which is Christ, I have no need for earthly succession pedigrees for my authority comes from Him as I only seek to give His message not my own.  If I stick to the Word I can preach as an oracle of God but I have no authority to change it or negate it.  That arrogant impunity is bull whether it comes from pope, reformer, current doctor of theology or other bible revisionist.  

In any event, the terminologies and maybe the way the invitation was given have varied over the centuries but the theology has never changed in the Word.  Unless you come and confess to Christ that you are a sinner and believe that He died for your sins asking Him to save you there is nothing else you can do but die in your sins and go to Hell.  No affiliation with any group, no baptism or other ritual or any works you do will save you. It is faith in His Work and His Work alone or nothing.  Maranatha!

I trust this has been of some help to you.  May God grant you grace and wisdom as you seek Him through the study of His Word.