# Baptismal Regeneration



## panicbird (Aug 3, 2006)

What groups out there teach this?

Also, I have read that Lutherans teach this: where might I find official Lutheran teaching on the subject?

Thanks.

Lon


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## R. Scott Clark (Aug 3, 2006)

The Book of Concord is the collection of Lutheran confessional documents.

http://www.bookofconcord.org/

Remember that the word "regenerate" in the earlier Reformation denoted "sanctification." 

We use it today to mean "the moment of awakening from death to life." 

I think Luther's Small Catechism does teach this, but not in the way some think.

For Luther, the gospel is so closely associated with the sacrament that the sacrament becomes the Word and the Spirit so united to the sacrament/Word that when the Word/sacrament is applied the Spirit necessarily does his work making the baptized person alive.

It's not really put that clearly in the Small Catechism, but that seems to be the conclusion.



> How can water do such great things?--Answer.
> 
> It is not the water indeed that does them, but the word of God which is in and with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is simple water and no baptism. But with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says, Titus, chapter three: By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.



The Large Catechism expands on this at some length:

http://www.bookofconcord.org/largecatechism/6_baptism.html

rsc



> _Originally posted by panicbird_
> What groups out there teach this?
> 
> Also, I have read that Lutherans teach this: where might I find official Lutheran teaching on the subject?
> ...


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