the evidence of this is love of the brethren (4"^ 3"). The ethical quality of regeneration is still more emphatically stated — 'whatsoever is begotten of God doelh no sin' (3" 5'*). Thus mankind is divided into children of God and children of the devil, each living according to the paternal nature that is in them (3"- '"). Of course this is stated in absolute terms, and the correction is at hand : ' if we say we have no sin wo deceive ourselves,' etc. (!'• '"). It is St. Paul's fine paradox again : we are children of God by supernatural creation ; the Divine seed is in us ; what is Divine cannot sin ; therefore the believer does not sin in his own proper nature, and if he does sin he seeks and finds forgiveness. And the paradox is true to the real religious experience. But sacramental ism is avoided, and the whole conception of regeneration is ethicized by the warning against confidence in a formal regeneration which does not manifest itself in new life. The regenerate life is an exultant and abiding love to God and the brethren (4'" "• '*), and if this is absent there is no re- generation at all ( 1' 2").
LrrERATURE.— Art. ' Regeneration ' in HDB by J. V. Bartlet, in DCG by J. Denney, and literature there cited ; works on NT Tbeology, especially B. Weiss (Eng. tr., 1882-S3), W. Beyscblag (Eng. tr., 1896), H. J. Holtzmann (1896-97), G. B. Stevens (1899) ; also special works : T. D. Bernard, The Progrexs of Doctrine in the NT, 1864, 51900 ; G. B. Stevens, Johannine Theology, 1894, The Pauline Theology, 1892; O. Pfleiderer, Pautlnisinus'', 1890 (Eng. tr., 1891); A. B. Brace, St. Paul's Conception of Christianity, 1894 ; P. Gennrich, Die Lehre von der Wiedergeburt, 1907. For the his- torical background : R. Reitzenstein, Die hellenist. Mysterien- religionen, 1910, Poimandres, 1904 ; J. G. Frazer, GB^, pt. iv., Adonis Attis Osiris, 1914 ; F. Cumont, The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism, Eng. tr., 1911 ; M. Bnickner, Der ster- bende und au/erstehende Gottheiland, 1908; A. Loisy, 'The Christian Mystery," in BJ x. [1911] 45ff. ; C. Clemen, Primitive Chrialiuiniy and its Non-Jewish Sources, Eng. tr., 1912 ; T. G. Scares. 'Some Psychological Aspects of Regenera- tion,' in BW xxxvii. (1911) 78 ff.; E. D. Burton, 'Spirit, Soul, and Flesh,' in AJTh xvii. [1913J 563 £f., xviii. [1914] 69 fl., 396 ff., 071 ff.
Theodore Gerald Scares.
REJECTION. — Rejection is an idea expressed by more than one word in the NT. (1) A-rroSoKi/xd^etv, which means ' to reject after trial,' is used of our Lord in His own Person (Mk 8", Lk 9=^ n^'), and of our Lord as ' the stone which the builders re- jected' (Mt 2I« Mk 12'", Lk 20", 1 P 2^-', in all these places quoted from Ps 117 {118p, although St. Luke, in reporting St. Peter's words in Ac 4", uses of the rejected stone e^ovdevTqdeli), and of Esau (He 12"); (2) dwo^dWeiv (in the forms aTi-6^\-qrov, 1 Ti i\ and dxo/3oXJi, Ac 27'-'^ Ro IP') and (3) dirwfl- eladai. (Ac 7"-^" 13« Bo 11'- «, 1 Ti 1'") are used in a general sense in most of the references.
In the references to Romans, (2) and (3) are employed in the special sense of the rejection of Israel to make way for the Gentiles as recipients of the gospel. It was a cause of deep distress (Ro 9- ^) to St. Paul that God's chosen people whom He foreknew seemed to be rejected, and it was taken by opponents as a reflexion upon his apostle- ship that Israel as a nation rejected his gospel. But St. Paul did not admit the final rejection of Israel. ' Did God cast ott' his people {/i^ diruiraro i dedsTivXabv airroD, IV)"! God forbid. . . . God did not cast ott' his jjeople which he foreknew.' He then proceeds to show that Israel's rejection is not final, and does not exclude individual members of the chosen race from the acceptance of gospel blessing. But Israel itself as a nation rejects the gospel (Ac 13") in order that the otter of it may be made to the Gentiles, who had no hereditary claim to it and were not even seeking it (Ro 10-°).
The unbelief or disobedience of Israel is noted by St. Peter ( 1 P 2'), who points out also, in language as strong as St. Paul's, that Israel's stumbling and rejection had a place in God's great purpose in the salvation of men ' whereunto they were appointed.' This is a great mystery which St. Paul sets forth
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(Ro 11^), but in Gentile communities ami under the conditions of Gentile life, tlie ^osjiel liad scope for worldwide extension and universal acceptance which were not possible among the Jewish peojile. Such, however, is the inherent genius of the Jewish people for religion that when they mark the blessed- ness and joy of Christian believers and the mani- festations of grace in those who bear the name of Christ, they will be stirred up to seek as their own the righteousness and holiness manifested in the lives of Christians. 'And so all Israel shall be saved 'and their election at the lirst uphelil, seeing that the gifts and calling of God are incapable of being revoked (vv. =»•='). 'Did they stumble that thev miglit fall?' asks the Apostle. 'God forbid: but by their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles. . . . For if the casting away of them (r; dirofioXT) avTuif) is the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?' (vv. "-">). Thomas Nicol.