What does it mean to be "born again"?

[Armour of God]

What does this term "born again" mean to you?

And how can you be sure you are "born again"?

How does "water and spirit" apply to your understanding of being born again?

The term comes from the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3. What do you make of the fact that the rest of the chapter, immediately aftet this conversation, is focused on baptism?

 

[Lambano]

What does this term "born again" mean to you?

And how can you be sure you are "born again"?

This is a topic that both intrigues me and disturbs me. I'll be interested in others' understanding and experiences.

 

[Lambano]

The term comes from the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3. What do you make of the fact that the rest of the chapter, immediately after this conversation, is focused on baptism?

I don't attribute much significance on the fact that the next action scene focuses on John the Baptist. John's Gospel is a sequence of little vignettes in no particular order. (The classic example is that Jesus drives the moneychangers out of the Temple at the beginning of John; the synoptics place this during the last week of His life.) The cumulative purpose of these vignettes is stated at the end of chapter 20:

 

[Lambano]

One of my favorite Christian singers describes it as "Something's Changed".

 

[SavedInHim]

What does this term "born again" mean to you?

And how can you be sure you are "born again"?

How does "water and spirit" apply to your understanding of being born again?

The term comes from the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3. What do you make of the fact that the rest of the chapter, immediately aftet this conversation, is focused on baptism?

To me, being "born again" is clearly a reference to baptism. However, it's also an inner, spiritual change. I can already hear the critics: Baptism is a work, not necessary for salvation! Of course God can do anything, sometimes baptism may not be possible; but under normal circumstances the Lord expects believers to get baptized.

 

[Debp]

What does this term "born again" mean to you?

And how can you be sure you are "born again"?

How does "water and spirit" apply to your understanding of being born again?

The term comes from the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3. What do you make of the fact that the rest of the chapter, immediately aftet this conversation, is focused on baptism?

When I was born again, I knew my sins had been forgiven and washed away by the Lord Jesus Christ. Born of the Spirit is having the indwelling Holy Spirit. I think born of water is when we are first born out of our mother's womb.

 

[Lambano]

What do you make of the fact that the rest of the chapter, immediately aftet this conversation, is focused on baptism?

I had not noticed the little detail that Jesus Himself was performing baptisms; see verses 22-26. I don't recall the synoptics mentioning that.

I had wondered about the reference to water in verse 5:

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Is being "born of water" a reference to the baptism ritual (what did the baptism ritual mean to the author or to Jesus Himself?), or to natural birth (we all experience that) or what? Is baptism symbolic (an outward and visible sign of an inward grace) or does the baptism ritual initiate a real ontological change of state of being?

 

[Rockerduck]

I had not noticed the little detail that Jesus Himself was performing baptisms; see verses 22-26. I don't recall the synoptics mentioning that.

I had wondered about the reference to water in verse 5:

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Jesus wasn't baptizing, His disciples were. John 4:2. You must put the together John3: 5 and 6

John 3:5-6 - Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 (again) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Born first of water (flesh) and Born again (spirit). That's why Nicodemus was confused and said "Can I enter a second time into his mothers womb and be born?"

 

[Lambano]

Jesus wasn't baptizing, His disciples were. John 4:2.

Point ceded, though they were no doubt doing it under Jesus's instruction. Grumble, grumble.

 

[Lambano]

Born first of water (flesh) and Born again (spirit). That's why Nicodemus was confused and said "Can I enter a second time into his mothers womb and be born?"

Why would Jesus specify that we have to be "born of the Spirit AND the Flesh" to enter the Kingdom of God? Isn't being born of the flesh superfluous? If not counter-productive to entering the Kingdom of God?

 

[Lambano]

That's why Nicodemus was confused and said "Can I enter a second time into his mothers womb and be born?"

The Greek word John uses is anothen, which means literally "from above", which is how John uses it in 3:31 and 19:11. Makes you wonder what Jesus said in Aramaic, since that's what He and Nicodemus were probably conversing in.

Nic is confused because Jesus is hitting him with some non sequitors.

 

[Lambano]

Nic may not be as confused as we give him credit for.

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? (John 3:9)

I remember John Barclay's commentary on verse 9: The word used here is ginomai in the infinitive form, which means "to come to be". The sense of what Nicodemus is asking is, HOW can these things come to be?

"HOW can I be born again when I'm old?"

(And since the second "you" in verse 7 is plural, "all y'all must be born from above", the question is about all Israel, all God's people, as Jesus confirms in the next verse. How can WE be reborn now, after a thousand years of failure and exile?)

And THOSE are damn good questions.

 

[Rockerduck]

Nic may not be as confused as we give him credit for.

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? (John 3:9)

I remember John Barclay's commentary on verse 9: The word used here is ginomai in the infinitive form, which means "to come to be". The sense of what Nicodemus is asking is, HOW can these things come to be?

"HOW can I be born again when I'm old?"

(And since the second "you" in verse 7 is plural, "all y'all must be born from above", the question is about all Israel, all God's people, as Jesus confirms in the next verse. How can WE be reborn now, after a thousand years of failure and exile?)

And THOSE are damn good questions.

Jesus set up the necessary conditions for to qualify to enter the Kingdom of God.

Jesus said, “Unless one is born again , he cannot see the kingdom of God.” That is, unless “A” takes place, “B” cannot possibly follow.
In this life you are born once from your Mother. That's the flesh. When reborn from above A. then you enter Heaven B

 

[Lambano]

I'm also intrigued by what Jesus said in verses 3 and 8. The sense is:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God. .... 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you HEAR the sound of it, but do not PERCEIVE where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

And coincidentally, the word for "wind" and "spirit" are the same in both Hebrew (ruach) and Greek (pneuma).

I think this is a partial answer to the question about what happens when you're "born from above".

 

[Lambano]

In this life you are born once from your Mother. That's the flesh. When reborn from above A. then you enter Heaven B

Nic is conceding that he and his people need to be reborn from above. He knows that. His question is, HOW? How will these things come to be?

BTW, don't assume that "enter Heaven B" is Nicodemus's or Jesus's goal. That's something Christianity developed over the last 2000 years.

 

[IndianaRob]

Nic is conceding that he and his people need to be reborn from above. He knows that. His question is, HOW? How will these things come to be?

BTW, don't assume that "enter Heaven B" is Nicodemus's or Jesus's goal. That's something Christianity developed over the last 2000 years.

The how is by getting the incorruptible word of God in you.

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 

[Rockerduck]

Nic is conceding that he and his people need to be reborn from above. He knows that. His question is, HOW? How will these things come to be?

BTW, don't assume that "enter Heaven B" is Nicodemus's or Jesus's goal. That's something Christianity developed over the last 2000 years.

On the contrary, Jesus knew why Nicodemus came to see Him. Jesus didn't respond to Nicodemus's polite overture at the beginning. Jesus went straight to the point, "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". Jesus gave the answer to "how" in John 3:16.

 

[Lambano]

The how is by getting the incorruptible word of God in you.

And how do you do that?

I'm sure Nic knew his Torah.

 

[Lambano]

Jesus went straight to the point, "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". Jesus gave the answer to "how" in John 3:16.

If that was Nicodemus's unstated question, "When will God's Kingdom come?"

Some Bibles end the quotation at verse 15.

What does "Believe in Him" mean? Does John 7:50 and John 19:39 indicate that Nicodemus "believed in Him"? Was Nicodemus "born from above"? What DID happen to him?

 

[complete]

'And many other signs truly did Jesus
in the presence of His disciples,
which are not written in this book:
But these are written,
that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God;
and that believing ye might have life
through His name.'
(Joh 20:30-31)