Where is it in the Bible?
Titus 3:5
5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
In other translations
- ESV
- 5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
- NLT
- 5he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
- CSB
- 5he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
- KJV
- 5Not 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;
The surrounding passage
Titus 3:3–7, King James Version
3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5Not 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;
6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Context
Paul writes to Titus, whom he had left on Crete to organize the churches there (1:5). He reminds them that believers, Paul included, once lived foolish, disobedient lives (3:3), then describes how God's kindness and love appeared. The passage (3:4–7) is one of the New Testament's most compact summaries of salvation.
About the book of Titus
Ordering the churches of Crete with sound doctrine.
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