The purpose of this paper is to take another look at the born again doctrine; not just from the angle Herbert W Armstrong presented the case, nor the mainstream Protestant approach allegorising the words of Christ. The concept is not merely an argument that the new birth occurs at the resurrection or upon conversion to Christianity. Rather, this paper takes a brief look at the history of the doctrine as espoused by Herbert W Armstrong which may be traced at least back to Sabbatarians and Russellites in the 19th century. Thus, I attempt to show that we have an historical legacy that should not be ignored nor lightly dismissed. It should also be noted by the reader that the author presupposes that the reader already has at least a rough understanding of the view held by Herbert W Armstrong.
It is a certainty, as Protestants themselves admit, “Being born again is not conversion, nor a change of views, nor a change of affections, but a change of state” (A. Campbell, The Christian System, p. 61). Campbell, like some other scholars, is onto something. Born again is a state – but what exactly they cannot grasp. He is touching upon a concept that he cannot now seem to penetrate fully and reach its ultimate conclusion. It is a real obstacle to those that think that the Kingdom of God is here now; that Christians are a part of it now (and thus have no need to keep the Law as they have already made it); that prophecy is primarily fulfilled and therefore Christians must try and solve the world’s problems now; and as a result Christians have immortal souls whose reward is to go to heaven. They know not the past, present and particularly the future aspects of God’s Plan. They could know if they wiped away some of the baggage they have inherited and the paradigms they operate within and returned to Biblical doctrine. They could know if they kept the Law and the Holy Days which outline God’s great Plan of Salvation for mankind.
Born again: an event at conversion, a state of being Christian or a future event? This paper will explore all of those aspects of the debate.
This 85 page booklet is free and can be downloaded here: The Born Again Teaching
