The Means of the New Birth

The phrase “word of truth” doesn’t simply mean words that are true or words about truth. The phrase “word of truth” refers in a broad context to the Bible itself (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15), but here it is referring specifically to the gospel message (cf. Ephesians 1:13 / Colossians 1:5).

As people read the Bible, as people preach the gospel, as people witness for Jesus from the Scriptures, this is what God uses to bring the new birth. The Holy Spirit is the agent of the new birth, the Word of God is the means of the new birth, and the people who preach, witness, and share the Word are the instruments that carry the seed. The Word is the seed, people carry the seed, and the Holy Spirit implants the seed into the soul.