"Born again"

[Mallon]

Humour me. I'm curious about the relationship between being "born again" and origins theology. By "born again," I am referring to the colloquial term of conciously accepting Christ at a later point in life ("new born Christian"). I am not referring to the biblical version of being "born again" (simply, baptism).

 

[Melethiel]

Where's the "other" option?
If you're asking whether I ever had a dramatic conversion in the evangelical/baptist sense, then no.

 

[Mallon]

If you're asking whether I ever had a dramatic conversion in the evangelical/baptist sense, then no.

Essentially, yes, that's what I'm asking. A subdued "eureka" moment, if you will.

 

[dana3262]

I become a Christian just two years ago and as for my view on creation,old or young i have no idea and don't see much relevance in it personally as we are here now and thats all that matters.

OEC or YEC isn't going to change my beliefs one way or another,God created the world, how he did it i don't really care.

 

[shernren]

Essentially, yes, that's what I'm asking. A subdued "eureka" moment, if you will.

How do you get a "subdued eureka moment"? By definition eureka moments aren't subdued are they?

Well, I never really had a definitive conversion experience. I grew up in a Christian family and had several rededication experiences. I've blogged about living Christian life as a second-generation Christian. It feels different sometimes, if that's what's being explored.

To go into GT ground, "being born again" is a metaphor (!) Jesus only used once in the recorded Gospels, and then to Nicodemus, effectively a Jewish intellectual. He used the image of eternal waters to the Samaritan at the well, the foredrawing of the eschatological eternal life into the present with Mary Magdalene, the images of the Old Testament with the believers on the road to Emmaus, images of leadership with His disciples, and Messianic images. In the early church in turn salvation was captured in the act of baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Given the diversity of images that capture the act of salvation, I think that "born again" is not a useful term to communicate with the outside world about it - and this is implicitly assumed in quite a few modern gospel presentations such as 2 Ways to Live etc.

 

[Assyrian]

How do you get a "subdued eureka moment"? By definition eureka moments aren't subdued are they?

I think most churches today frown on the idea of people jumping naked from the baptistry and running shouting down the street.

Well, I never really had a definitive conversion experience. I grew up in a Christian family and had several rededication experiences. I've blogged about living Christian life as a second-generation Christian. It feels different sometimes, if that's what's being explored.

To go into GT ground, "being born again" is a metaphor (!) Jesus only used once in the recorded Gospels, and then to Nicodemus, effectively a Jewish intellectual. He used the image of eternal waters to the Samaritan at the well, the foredrawing of the eschatological eternal life into the present with Mary Magdalene, the images of the Old Testament with the believers on the road to Emmaus, images of leadership with His disciples, and Messianic images. In the early church in turn salvation was captured in the act of baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Given the diversity of images that capture the act of salvation, I think that "born again" is not a useful term to communicate with the outside world about it - and this is implicitly assumed in quite a few modern gospel presentations such as 2 Ways to Live etc.

'Born again' may be used once but the bible is full of synonyms, born of water and the Spirit, a new creation, begotten again, born of him, born of God.

The problem with it is that while it easily describes the Damascus road conversions, there are also the Timothys whose growth in God is just as true, only a bit less dramatic.

 

[gluadys]

'Born again' may be used once but the bible is full of synonyms, born of water and the Spirit, a new creation, begotten again, born of him, born of God.

The problem with it is that while it easily describes the Damascus road conversions, there are also the Timothys whose growth in God is just as true, only a bit less dramatic.

Yes, that is the difficulty. I reluctantly voted "no" on the basis of the OP definition. Yet, in the absence of that particular definition, I would certainly claim to be born again, and to have been born again even before my baptism.

As I state in my profile, I have no memory of ever not being a Christian. But I was not baptised until I was 17. I remember "making a decision" for Christ in my early teens, but that was not when I first became a believer. It was more a rededication than a conversion.

And 4 or 5 years after my baptism I had an experience that I later learned might be described by Pentecostals as "being filled" with the Holy Spirit.

So am I "born of the Spirit", "born from above" "born again"? I think so. But not in the conventional pattern usually assocated with the term.

 

[Willtor]

I said "yes" to being born again because (in addition to being "born again" in a Biblical sense) I remember making an explicit devotion to Christ. Prior to that, however, I don't recall not knowing God or Christ. So, I also had a hard time voting.

Mallon! Why didn't you give us TE's an "other" option?! Didn't you know we have to provide our own subtlties and nuances?!

 

[Mallon]

Mallon! Why didn't you give us TE's an "other" option?! Didn't you know we have to provide our own subtlties and nuances?!

If I did that, I wouldn't have gotten the answers I was looking for.
Suprisingly few YEC votes so far. C'mon, folks, I know you're reading this!

 

[plainswolf]

Humour me. I'm curious about the relationship between being "born again" and origins theology. By "born again," I am referring to the colloquial term of conciously accepting Christ at a later point in life ("new born Christian"). I am not referring to the biblical version of being "born again" (simply, baptism).

I'm Catholic, so th term holds slightly different cannotations..




+

 

[mark kennedy]

I'm a born again believer, in fact you can't be a Christian unless you are born again:

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:5-7)

When you ask are you 'born again', you are really asking, 'are you a Christian'.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12,13)

Grace and peace,
Mark

 

[mythbuster]

Randall Collins
Born again, Bible believer, baptized, God fearing, blood washed, Spirit filled, regenerated, predestinated. Jesus eating, God enjoying, member of His Body, vine abider, temple of the Holy Spirit, son of God, brother of Jesus.

Since God is the creator God and I believe in Him, that makes me a creationist.

 

[Mallon]

I'm a born again believer, in fact you can't be a Christian unless you are born again:

I know. I addressed that in the OP. For the purposes of this thread, though, I defined "born again" differently, as per the colloquial usage.