OC is the first person in years I have seen put forth circumcisional-regeneration.
I would say that regeneration is not what circumcision did. It made one a part of the kingdom of God.
The word "regeneration" is only found in two verses in the NT:
[color:"0000FF"]Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Titus 3:5 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;[/color]
Now, the question you have to ask is this. WHAT is it that is being regenerated? Is it the individual, or is it the Creation of God as a corporate entity? I would favor the latter. I see very little evidence which points to the idea of individual regeneration.
Let me check out something in Kittle's real quick:
Okay. Very interesting. The word for regeneration is
paliggenesia.
Do you see the root word "genesis" in there? I think that the word "regeneration" ties in with Christ being the Last Adam and the world being "re-genesised" in terms of the covenant being restored between God and man so that mankind can once again be part of the divine family and communio personarum.
If I seemed to indicate that I believe that circumcision regenerated a person I apologize. That was not my intention. Jesus Christ regenerates -- both in the corporate sense of making the family of man one with the family of God again, and then individually as each person is entered into that covenantal relationship with God because there is no longer any separation between God and man.
