Entirely in keeping with Ro 6-8 are all St. Paul's references to the new spiritual life. He assumes that it has had a miraculous beginning (note his use of the past tense : StKataOepres, eXevBepudivrf!, KXrjB^fTe!, r)ytaiTfj.^mi), but be lays the emphasis upon the ethical endeavour, which alone can make the potential actual. Thus in Ro 12'-, using the word ifaKatfoiin!, very near akin to the idea of regenera-
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tion, he calls upon his readers to make a complete cl)aiit;e for th<^ better. Samlay-Headlam {ICC, ' Romans ' °, 1 902) paraphrase, ' do not ailont the ex- ternal and Heetiii^ fashion of this world, out he ye transformed in your inmost nature.' DenneyiKO'l', ' Konians,' 1900) say.s that the process would in modern language he rather sanctification than re- f;eneration, but that the latter is assumed. Would it not 1)0 nearer to the Apostle's thou{;ht, as to his experience, to say that he regards the process of spiritual renewal as one bestowed by God through faith, but rendered significant and vital only by continued faithfulness? To the Colossians he affirms in repeated metaphors a dehnite change that lias been effected by Divine agency : a trans- lation from the kingdom of evil to the Kingdom of Christ (1"), a reconciliation from alien enmity (I-'---), a death and resurrection with Clirist (2-" 3'- '), an unclothing and reclothing (3'- '"). But the reconciliation is dependent on continuance in the faith (I-^); the members of the dead man are to be put to death (3") ; and the new man is to be renewed (3'°). In the last passage the equivalent word for regeneration (ivaKaivovfieroi') is clearly used in the sense of process as in 2 Co 4'^ where the contrast is between the loosening hold upon physical life and the growing sense of spiritual reality. To the Ephesians St. Paul writes in the most absolute terms of a fore-ordained adoption as sons (l") and of salvation as a free gift (2*), and the metaphor of the new life is a resurrection (oi. 6. 6)^ „,,(; as in Romans a dying and rising with Christ, which is merely a bold use of the symbol of baptism, but a resurrection to new life of a nature so corrupt as to be regarded as morally dead. And yet the splendid description of Divinely given salvation is only an argument for a realiza- tion of an actual moral renewal, progressively to take place : putting away the old man, putting on the new, being renewed {dvafioSaBai) in the spirit of their minds (4^-'-*). The same paradox, though with a change of metaphor, appears in 5*.
i. The Epistle to the Hebrews. — The figure of regeneration is not used in this document. Chris- tians are called sons of God and brethren of Christ, but are not said to have been made so. When they are called the sons whom Jesus brings unto glory (2'°) the antithesis is not between sons of God and the unregenerate, but between the mortal humanity of the sons whose likeness Jesus took and the immortal glory of His own proper estate which they shall share. And in the consciousness of son- ship that is gained through suffering (12') the antithesis is between uncared-for children wlio receive no correction and those beloved who are the objects of paternal discipline. However, the initial Christian experience as a definite change of attitude and relationship is very clearly ex- pressed. It is an enlightenment (l6-'-), a tasting of the heavenly gift (of forgiveness), a reception of the Holy Spirit, a tasting of the good word of God, and of the powers of the age to come {i.e. a fore- taste of the blessed experiences that the expected Messianic Age would bring) (6^- '). This experi- ence is elaborated in many passages of the Epistle and is represented as produced by Divine power. The blood of Christ cleanses the conscience from sin, and makes it possible for the man of faith to serve the living God (g" 10--). The blood of the covenant is that which sanctifies (sanctification being here equivalent to regeneration) (10-"). Baptism symbolizes (or perhaps effects) the clean- sing (10^). The Holy Spirit is bestowed as a gift (2^). Indeed, .salvation would seem to be altogether miraculous when it is said that by one ottering God hatli perfected for ever them that are sanctihed 110'''). And yet the purpose of the Epistle is to warn against apostasy, and to insist that all the
blessedness of the new life is only a potentiality to be realized by faithfulness. '1 he great ]iassnge (fi^-*) which enumerates all that has been done for the believer is written for the sake of the conclu sion that if apostasy follows such blessedness there is no further hope. If we hold fast, we belong to Christ (3"), an<l are partakers of Christ (S"). We shall not escape if we turn away (12-*), and if we sin wilfully after being enlightened there is no further means of salvation (10-"). Thus, although the new religious experience is Divinely bestowed and sustained (12-) and perfected {Ui-"- -'), it is not magical and sacramental, but dependent upon ethical striving and continued faithfulness.
5. The Catholic Epistles. — In the Epistle of James the idea of regeneration is connected with the coming Messianic Age : believers are Divinely brought forth {direKVTi<ret') as firstfruits of the new order (1'*). In another figure the dualism between this world and the Divine order is indicated, when God's people are represented as joined to Him by a marriage vow so that 'the friendship of the world is an adultery' (4''). Yet, while this Epistle recognizes miraculous salvation, it distinctly afhrms that religion can be defined only in ethical terms (l-'"- '-''), and Lays careful emphasis on justifi- cation by works (2'''--'').