Not by the works of justice which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Ghost.
ουκ εξ εργων των εν δικαιοσυνη ων εποιησαμεν ημεις αλλα κατα τον αυτου ελεον εσωσεν ημας δια λουτρου παλιγγενεσιας και ανακαινωσεως πνευματος αγιου
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Alas, we were so deeply sunk in evil that we could no longer be cleansed, but needed regeneration. For this is truly a new being. No one props up a rotten house or nails anything onto an old building. Rather, after demolishing it to the foundation, he raises it up again and renews it. So He also acted. He did not repair us, but remade us anew. This is what the words mean: “and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” He made us wholly new. How? Through the Holy Spirit.
"He saved us, not by works of righteousness which we had done, but according to His mercy." He saved us not by works that we had done.
In other words, we did not even do works worthy of justification, nor were we saved by them. His grace did everything.
"By the laver of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit." Alas, we were so immersed in evil that we could no longer be cleansed, but had need of regeneration.
For regeneration and renewal mean a second birth and a new formation. When a house is completely old, we do not set a prop under it.
Rather, we tear it down to the foundation and build it anew. So God did not repair us, but recreated us entirely.
How? By the Holy Spirit.
For there is one sacrifice: Christ and the deadness of the saints according to Christ. There is one sprinkling: the washing of regeneration. There is one propitiation for sin: the blood of the Savior poured out for the salvation of the world.
“Not by works of righteousness which we had done,” for we were doing the works of lawlessness that I listed above. But according to His mercy He gave life to our hidden deadness, and through the washing of water He regenerated us in the renewal of the Holy Spirit.
Who is born of the Spirit, and who is created by the Spirit, if not the one who is renewed in the spirit of his mind (cf. Rom 12:2)?
This is the one who is born again by water and the Holy Spirit. Through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit we receive the hope of eternal life.
In another place the Apostle Peter says: "You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 11:16).
Who, then, is baptized with the Holy Spirit, if not the one who is born again through water and the Holy Spirit?
Therefore the Lord said of the Holy Spirit: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (Jn 3:5).
In this way He determined that in later times we are born again from the same One through whom, as He said, we were born again in former times.
The Master, says the Apostle, showed love for mankind and through the Only-begotten freed us from our former evils. By saving Baptism He granted us remission of sins, recreated and renewed us, counted us worthy of the gift of the Spirit, and showed us the path of righteousness. To those who walk in it He promised the Kingdom of Heaven. And since it is invisible, for “hope that is seen is not hope” (Rom 8:24), the Apostle necessarily adds:
"Not by works of righteousness which we had done, but according to His mercy He saved us." He saved and justified us not because of works performed by us according to the requirement of legal righteousness, in virtue and in general uprightly.
He did not save us because of works "which we had done," since we had not done them. And how could we have, when we were full of such sins?
Rather, He saved us "according to His mercy," because He is merciful and compassionate. Then he indicates the very manner of salvation.
"By the laver of regeneration." This means through holy baptism, which, as a cleansing given by God, washes away every impurity of the universal ancestral sin.
Like a mother, it mystically gives birth anew to those being baptized and makes them new instead of old. Therefore he then added:
"And renewal of the Holy Spirit." This also means through spiritual renewal. A house that has become completely old cannot be supported unless it is entirely remade.
In just this way God, the greatest master-builder, acted with us, who had become old and weakened by sins. He did not merely repair us, who were wholly damaged.
He recreated and wholly renewed us. For this is renewal in the proper sense.
“Not from righteous works.” The manifestation of grace did not depend at all on our merits, but was the work of God’s great mercy. “He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” In the most immediate sense, man is counted worthy to receive the saving grace of God in the mystery of Baptism. Since Baptism first requires the mortification of the old man, or the cleansing of sins and his passions, it is called a washing, because it washes and cleanses. Since there then follows man’s regeneration to holy life, this regeneration is further called the washing of rebirth. More particularly, in renewal by the Holy Spirit one may see an indication of the mystery of the descent of the Holy Spirit, now Chrismation.
These words form a supplement and explanation to the words of Tit 2:11-14. There it was said that Christ "gave Himself for us," and here it is explained why this was necessary.
It was necessary because men themselves have no works of righteousness. They can be saved only by the mercy of Christ, which was revealed precisely in Christ's giving Himself to God's justice as a sacrifice for men.
When it says, "not by works of righteousness which we had done," it means that we lack works that, apart from Christ's merits, could acquire justification for us.
There in chapter 2 it was said: "that He might redeem us from every iniquity and purify for Himself a chosen people." It remained unclear how deliverance and purification are accomplished in each of us.
Here, in chapter 3, it is explained that this is accomplished in baptism: "He saved us by the laver of regeneration and renewal."
Christ redeems and purifies not only by teaching, and not only by externally imputing His righteousness and purity to us. He also gives us new life, renewing our whole being.
This rebirth into new life is accomplished by a laver, by which one can only understand a water laver (Eph 5:26), a sanctifying and justifying washing (1 Cor 6:11), in short, baptism.
In this water baptism, regeneration and renewal are accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. For Him, the act of immersion and the sensible water serve only as means and instruments.
Therefore it says: "of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He," God the Father, "poured out upon us," in baptism, "through Jesus Christ."
Here the participation of all three Persons of the Godhead in our regeneration and renewal is indicated. Correspondingly, baptism is performed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Here the holy Apostle indicates the foundation or reason why Christians, while meek and condescending toward unbelieving impious people, must themselves shine with virtues and surpass the rest of mankind.
It is because they are not only called to a holy life in Christianity. In Christianity, sufficient means of grace are also mystically given for the acquisition of holiness.
After all this, it would be unnatural and inexcusable for Christians to remain hardened in their former moral oldness.
By "the laver of regeneration" the holy Apostle plainly points to the mystery of water baptism. By the abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit after this laver, he points to the mystery of the descent of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, or Chrismation.
He speaks a second time about the appearing of grace and the renewal of men, in order to rouse them again to a worthy life and to hopes of future goods in eternal life.
"If we examine more carefully," writes Blessed Jerome, "we shall find the Most Holy Trinity most clearly in this small section.
The goodness, that is, grace, and love for mankind of God our Savior, none other than God the Father, made us righteous for the inheritance of eternal life through the laver of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
He poured out this Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ."
"Alas," cries St. John Chrysostom, "we were so deeply immersed in evil that we could no longer be cleansed, but had need of regeneration.
This truly was a new birth, the receiving of a new being. He is our Savior. He did not repair us, but recreated us entirely.
This is what the words 'renewal of the Holy Spirit' mean. He made us entirely new. How? By the Holy Spirit. So great is our need of grace.
The One who delivered us from such iniquity and such evils will without doubt also grant us future goods, if we remain in grace. For everything is accomplished by one and the same Providence.
What does 'according to hope' mean? As we have hoped, so shall we receive."
"Only let zeal not cease for being righteous and holy, and for making progress in this. We are called to the inheritance freely and are freely supplied with powers to reach it.
Yet it is not given freely, but to each according to his works" (Bishop Theophan).
It is worthy of note that baptism is called the laver of regeneration not only in Holy Scripture (Eph 5:25), but also by many holy Fathers, for example St. Justin the Philosopher in the First Apology.
"Baptism is called a laver," says St. Clement of Alexandria, "because through it we are washed from sins."
"Not by works of righteousness which we had done." The ordering of salvation was called forth not by our great virtues, but rather by our extreme wretchedness and helplessness.
God's goodness could not bear to leave us in the hands of our fall and ruin. It was well pleased to arrange for us a wondrous manner of salvation.
We had only one advantage: that we are the creation of the all-good, wise, and almighty God, who does not repent of His gifts.
This drew God's goodness toward us, the goodness that ordered our salvation.
Yet not only the general ordering of salvation, but also the calling of each person to receive this salvation, is not the fruit of our valuable works. It too is the work of God's goodness.
Among all examples of calling, only Cornelius the centurion was called because his prayer and alms had come up to God.
But that was a special, providential case, preparing the way for the reception into the bosom of the Church of sheep who were not of the fold of Israel.
The general order of calling is the work of goodness, in the beginning, now, and to the end of the age.
One must, however, strictly distinguish the calling to salvation already ordered from the accomplishment of salvation by the manner in which it has been ordered.
From the moment one heeds the calling and takes the first step according to it, one's own labor and effort already begin to participate in the accomplishment of salvation.
This labor goes hand in hand with grace until the final accomplishment of salvation itself. Everything is from goodness, but God's goodness is not indulgent.
"But according to His mercy He saved us by the laver of regeneration." He says this not as one looking at the salvation of others, but as one who himself has received salvation.
In the feeling of salvation he proclaims with grateful lips: "He saved." From what did He save us? From all the wretched things discussed above, and from slavery to passions and pleasures.
We groaned under that yoke. "He saved us." Whom does "us" mean? All who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
"By naming himself and the Apostles, St. Paul meant all who have believed in Christ, showing what they were before regeneration in the life-giving laver, and what they became afterward" (Blessed Jerome).
How did He save? "By the laver of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."
"Alas!" cries St. Chrysostom. "We were so deeply immersed in evil that we could no longer be cleansed, but had need of regeneration.
This truly was a new birth, the receiving of a new being. No one puts a prop under a rotten house or fastens something onto an old building.
Rather, he tears it down to the foundation, then raises and renews it entirely. So also He, our Savior, acted. He did not repair us, but recreated us entirely.
This is what the words 'and renewal of the Holy Spirit' mean. He made us entirely new. How? By the Holy Spirit. So great is our need of grace!"
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 23 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS