Texts in Conversation
Paul in 2 Corinthians and Rabbinic tradition in Genesis Rabbah use similar language of renewed creation and birth to describe conversion, highlighting a common Jewish tradition that connects renewal with a new life.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
2 Corinthians 5:17
New Testament
14 For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised. 16 So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer. 17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come! 18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation.
Genesis Rabbah 39:11
Aggadah
Rabbinic
“I will make you a great nation, I will bless you [vaavarekhekha], I will render your name great, and you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). “I will make you a great nation” – he said to Him: ‘Did you not [already] produce seventy nations from Noah?’ He said to him: ‘That nation in whose regard it is written: “For who is a great nation [to whom God is so close]?” (Deuteronomy 4:7), I will produce from you.’ Rabbi Berekhya said: “I will give you” and “I will place you” are not written here, but rather, “I will make you [ve’e’eshkha]” – from when I make you into a new creation, you will procreate. Rabbi Levi bar Ḥavyat and Rabbi Abba son of Rabbi Ḥiyya said: Three “greatnesses” and four “blessings” are written here. He apprised him that there would be three patriarchs and four matriarchs. Rabbi Ḥiyya said: Because travel causes three results: it minimizes procreation, minimizes resources for expenditures, and minimizes one’s reputation. It minimizes procreation – “I will make you a great nation,” minimizes resources for expenditures – “I will bless you,” minimizes one’s reputation – “I will render your name great.” As people say: From house to house – a robe; from place to place – a soul. However, you will lose neither soul nor property. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Ḥelbo: It means a coin with his image went out into the world. There are four people whose images appeared on coins that circulated in the world. Abraham – “I will make you a great nation” – his image circulated on coins. What was the image on his coins? It was an elderly man and an elderly woman on one side, and a young man and a maiden on the other side. Joshua – “The Lord was with Joshua; his fame was throughout the land” (Joshua 6:27) – his image circulated on coins in the world. What was it? It was a bull on one side and an aurochs on the other side, after: “A firstborn bull is his majesty, and his horns are the horns of an aurochs” (Deuteronomy 33:17). David – “David’s renown circulated in all lands” (I Chronicles 14:17) – his image circulated on coins in the world. What was the image on his coin? It was a [shepherd’s] staff and satchel on one side, and a tower on the other side, after: “Your neck is like the tower of David” (Song of Songs 4:4). Mordekhai – “For Mordekhai was great in the king’s palace, and his renown spread in all the provinces” (Esther 9:4) – his image circulated on coins. What was the image on his coin? It was sackcloth and ashes on one side, and a golden crown on the other side. Rabbi Yudan said: [God said to Abraham:] ‘I will institute a blessing for you in the eighteen benedictions, but you do not know whether Mine precedes yours, or whether yours takes precedence.’ Rabbi Aḥuya said in the name of Rabbi Ze’eira: Yours precedes Mine, when one recites first: Shield of Abraham, and only then, He revives the dead. Rabbi Abahu said: “Look now heavenward [hashamayim]” is not written here, but rather, “look now hashamaima” (Genesis 15:5). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I created the world with the letter heh. I will add the letter heh to your name and then you will procreate.’ Rabbi Yudan said: Your letters will have the numerical value of “I will bless you [avarekhekha]” – two hundred and forty-eight. Rabbi Levi said: No person [so much as] priced a cow from Abraham before he was blessed, nor did any person price a cow for him until he was blessed by Abraham. How so? Abraham would pray for barren women and they would be remembered, and for the ill, and they would gain relief. Rav Huna said: It was not only when Abraham would go to the ill person, but even if the ill person would merely see him, he would gain relief. Rabbi Ḥanina said: Even ships that set sail in the Great Sea were saved due to the merit of Abraham. But were they not laden with libation wine? This is astonishing. The explanation is that [there is a saying:] Vinegar lowers the price of wine. Wherever the wine of idol worshippers is available, the wine of Jews is sold at lower prices. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: He [God] did this for Job, as well, as it is stated: “You blessed his handiwork” (Job 1:10). A person never took a penny from Job and needed to take from him a second time. “And you shall be a blessing [berakha]” – read it as “a pool [berekha].” Just as a pool purifies the impure, so, you draw the distant near and purify them for their Father who is in Heaven. Rabbi Berekhya said: “I will bless you” is already written; why does the verse state [further]: “And you shall be a blessing”? The explanation is that He said to him: ‘Until this point I was required to bless My world, from now on, the blessings are passed to you; whomever you deem worthy to bless, bless him.’
Date: 500 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Greek gennethe anothen is sometimes rendered "born again" and sometimes "born from above"; my rendering reflects my conclusion that both aspects are relevant; also see 1 Peter 1:3-4. While the widespread currency since the 1970's of the expression "born-again Christian" originates here, the concept itself is Jewish, as demonstrated by this example from the Talmud: 'Shim'on Ben-Lakish said, "...a proselyte is like a newborn infant'"(Yevamot 62a); likewise Rabbi Yosi (Yevamot 48b). The idea resembles that of the 'new creation' (2C 5:17), which too is found in rabbinic literature (e.g., in Genesis Rabbah 39:11) ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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