Regeneration Before Faith – The Doctrine is in the Grammar

Participle – A word that partakes of the nature of a verb and an adjective (or ‘noun adjective’); a derivative of a verb which has the function and construction of an adjective (qualifying a noun), while retaining some of those of the verb (e.g. tense, government of an object); a verbal adjective. Formerly often reckoned a separate part of speech.

Example of active voice – I love coffee.

Example of passive voice – Coffee is loved of me.

1Jn 2:29  If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

Born –  pple 1. To be brought forth as offspring, to come into the world. (See bear v. 44.)

“Is born” is a passive voice past participle verb construction which describes a person as already having been passively brought forth as offspring and come into the world.

If I were to say “a baby which cries for his mother is born of her”, it is obvious that the being born of her came before the baby cried.

Question: Which came first: being born of God, or doing righteousness?

Answer: Obviously being born of God came first.

1Jn 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Question: Which came first: being born of God, or loving the brethren?

Answer: Obviously being born of God came first.

1Jn 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

Question: Which came first: being born of God, or believing that Jesus is the Christ?

Answer: Obviously being born of God came first.