Born of WATER and the Spirit

[TonyChanYT]

Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in John 3:

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

What is born of water?

There are at least 3 interpretations:

1. Water is a symbol of cleansing, Ezekiel 36:

25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28“You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

2. Water refers to John's water baptism, John 1:

33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

Nicodemus knew about John's water baptism for repentance. Jesus informed him that there was another requirement. Ellicott, Cambridge Bible, and Bengel agreed to this interpretation #2.

3. Water refers to natural watery birth (amniotic sac breaking), John 3:

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

water || human flesh
Spirit || human spirit

Because of the immediate context and parallelisms, I think #3 is the best interpretation.

See also What does it mean to be born again?.

 

[MatthewG]

Yeshua came to baptize in holy spirit and fire, John.

The Baptism of Jesus
Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

While people may get baptized in water like Yeshua by John here. John makes an interesting notion here, "I need to be baptized of you, and you come to me?"

Why was this so? Jesus said to him, Let it be so now, for doing this it becomes for them to fulfil all righteousness. Then John put Yeshua under the water, and then upon coming out of the water, the heavens were open (never does say they were ever closed) up to him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and was upon him as though a light, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

While this is all noted down, what was the baptism that John was talking about obtaining, that is better than the one he was giving?

Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

While Johns baptism was for people a representation for people to publicly revaluate their profession of Yahava, to change their mind (which John came preaching the wrath of God coming upon them, and the messiah was coming.) He states to the public around him, the crowds of Jews, the sections of the Pharisees, and Saduccess, openly for anyone to come be baptised, he mentioneds here "There is someone who is coming mighter than He, and that he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.

This the baptism you want, of Yeshua, who delivers the holy spirit that comes from Yahava, the consuming fire, who is spirit, and is love.

 

[mailmandan]

In John 4:10, we read - Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

In John 4:14, we read - but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

1 Corinthians 12:13 says drink into one Spirit.

In John 7:38-39, we read - "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the source of living water and spiritual cleansing. If "water" is arbitrarily defined as baptism, then we could just as justifiably say, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living baptism" in John 7:38. If this sounds ridiculous, it is no more so than the idea that water baptism is the source or the means of becoming born again.

The word "water" is also used in scripture as an emblem of the word of God, and in such uses it is associated with cleansing or washing. (John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26) When we are born again, the Holy Spirit begets new life, so that we are said to become "partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4) The new birth is brought to pass through "incorruptible seed, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever" (I Peter 1:23) and the Holy Spirit accomplishes the miracle of regeneration. (Titus 3:5)

 

[L.A.M.B.]

In John 4:10, we read - Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

In John 4:14, we read - but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

1 Corinthians 12:13 says drink into one Spirit.

In John 7:38-39, we read - "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the source of living water and spiritual cleansing. If "water" is arbitrarily defined as baptism, then we could just as justifiably say, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living baptism" in John 7:38. If this sounds ridiculous, it is no more so than the idea that water baptism is the source or the means of becoming born again.

The word "water" is also used in scripture as an emblem of the word of God, and in such uses it is associated with cleansing or washing. (John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26) When we are born again, the Holy Spirit begets new life, so that we are said to become "partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4) The new birth is brought to pass through "incorruptible seed, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever" (I Peter 1:23) and the Holy Spirit accomplishes the miracle of regeneration. (Titus 3:5)

I agree we must be born of the word and the Spirit.
Thank you for defining the symbolic nature of the word "water" as the word of God.
The living waters of the word of God is moving, an action that causes us to grow thereby satisfying our thirst and sloughing off the dross.
Beautiful summary.

 

[JBO]

I agree we must be born of the word and the Spirit.

If Jesus had meant to tell Nicodemus "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of word and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God", I think He would have done so. But He didn't.

Washing with water was the standard means of ritual cleansing of the unclean. Nicodemus, being of the Pharisees, was well aware of that. In some cases that washing was through immersion. Nicodemus was well aware of that also. And then there was John the Baptist who went before Jesus, clearing the way for him. He introduced immersion (baptism) in the river Jordan "for the forgiveness of sin" Jesus, through His disciples, also carried on that practice of immersion (baptizing). Clearly, since it is not otherwise noted, we can assume that the disciples also immersed (baptized) for the forgiveness of sin. And Nicodemus would have been well aware of that as well.

I think there can be little argument that water in Jesus directions to Nicodemus was the water of immersion (baptism). I believe that Acts 2:38 is the first example given in Scripture of one being born again of water and Spirit.

I realize that some want to connect born of water as physical birth with water being a euphemism for the embryonic fluid. It think that is really quite foolish. There is not instance in the entire Bible where such a euphemism occurs. Neither is there any such euphemism anywhere in the literature then or now.

The connection of the water of immersion (baptism) with the forgiveness of sin occurs throughout the NT. Paul described his own conversion with being immersed (baptized) to wash away his sins. Paul, referred to such immersions on several occasions. He specifically mentioned the washing of regeneration in his letter to Titus. It is of interest to note that Paul used the same word for washing there in Titus as he used in describing his own washing away of his sins.

 

[TonyChanYT]

there can be little argument that water in Jesus directions to Nicodemus was the water of immersion (baptism)

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes:

Another view proposed by many scholars is that "water" is an allusion to the amniotic fluid in which a fetus develops in its mother’s womb.

 

[JBO]

I addressed that fallacy in my reply #5 above. That interpretation has no basis whatsoever. The only reason for it is to avoid the biblical connection of water baptism and salvation.

 

[TonyChanYT]

I addressed that fallacy in my reply #5 above. That interpretation has no basis whatsoever. The only reason for it is to avoid the biblical connection of water baptism and salvation.

Is there any basis to interpret "water" as an allusion to the amniotic fluid?

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Jesus is clear.

Must be born again.. does this mean we have to re-enter our mothers womb to be born a second time?

of course not. We need to be born a different way though. Jesus is going to bring this out. it is one thing to be born of water (flesh) but one must be born of the spirit (spiritual birth)

That which is born of flesh is flesh, that is all it is. One must be born of spirit. And he tells us how.

He who looks up to the cross. Will never perish but has Life eternal (spiritual life) born of the spirit.

no water baptism here.. If it was so, jesus would have said so.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Is there any basis to interpret "water" as an allusion to the amniotic fluid?

Water - spirit
flesh - spirit

 

[Jay Ross]

Please allow me the following observations: -

Bible study on John 3 1 to 8
John 3:1-21: –– The New Birth
3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is brought forth from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be brought forth when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be brought forth?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is brought forth of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is brought forth of the flesh is flesh, and that which is brought forth of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be brought forth again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born/brought forth of/by means of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man {who was in heaven}. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
The Bible says the soul that sins shall die.
No, Genesis 2:17 states that those that sin "shall die the second death." What this verse does not tell us is when the sinner will die the second death?
Adam died that day he sinned.
No, the Genesis account does not tell us this, because God still came into the Garden to seek out Adam and Eve.
By sinning we separate ourselves from God.
When we sin, we place a barrier between us and God. The Genesis account confirms this because both Adam and Eve hides from God after realising that they had sinned/“were naked.”
Spiritual death passes upon all men that sin. Spiritual death has therefore passed upon all men, for all men (save one) have sinned.
No, that is a man generated point of view.
What is passed on now from father/mother to son/daughter is the "Knowledge of Good and Evil," Mankind still retains his spirit. the redemptions that has now been put in place is the re-establishment of our spiritual connection with God.
What does this look like? Paul in Ephesians 4 tells us this: -
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the refurbished man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
It sounds very easy to do, but our old self fights against the putting on of the refurbished man that God has always intended mankind to be.
To do this is like being born again/brought forth from above, in that we need to learn again and apply God's truths in our lives, allowing God to correct that which is not right in our minds so that we become fully cleansed in both mind and spirit such that we become one in Christ.
This is the odd one out from the John 3:3, 3:5 occurances.
John 9:1-2: –– 1Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was brought forth blind?”
If we consider John 3;3 there are a number of observations that can be made: -
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is brought forth from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
The expression “he cannot see the kingdom of God,” does not indicate when the person will see the kingdom of God, although it is a promise that at some time after the person has been brought forth from above, they will see the Kingdom of God.
Another interesting observational difference in this verse can be found in the statement “unless one is brought forth from above” is that being “born again” suggests a rather rapid transformation whereas “brought forth from above” is indicative of a slow transformation where the end result of the transformation is that the person can then see the Kingom of God.