Interprertation of John 3:5 born by water and born again by spirit.

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Docgero

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Feb 25, 2022
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What does being born by water mean when Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about being born of flesh and then of spirit?
 
I think it means being cleansed and sanctified before being indwelt by the holy spirit, like vessels were before they could be used in the temple and like priests had to be cleansed with water before being anointed with oil (which symbolizes the holy spirit). It's probably a reference to the symbolic cleansing of water baptism in which a heart turns to God in repentance before being born from above in spirit.

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Ephesians 5:26
 
The answer is so crystal clear and obvious in the plain reading of the text. Water means water in context. NOT reading the bible, NOT saying a sinners prayer, NOT amniotic fluid, NOT sperm, NOT any of these cooky weird interpretations. Context is clear

Good short on the topic:

 
Here's a good sequence that shows being washed with water (cleansed) before being anointed with oil (spirit). This was the type that foreshadowed John, the greatest Aaronic priest who ever lived, commissioning Jesus as a high priest, and in effect transferring the priesthood from the order of Aaron to the order of Melchizedek. Jesus went through this same sequence when he was washed in the Jordan, and then anointed with the holy spirit, thus fulfilling all righteousness as pertained to that OT shadow, and thereby glorifying God's word.

And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour [it] upon his head, and anoint him. Exodus 29:4-7
 
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What does being born by water mean when Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about being born of flesh and then of spirit?

It means having a more heavenly way of thinking than fleshy; beleiving in miracles and meditating on them, and applying them to the physical world around you.
 
John 3: 5-6 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. What is obvious to most people from these two verses is that verse six explains verse 5. Verse 5 talks about the two types of birth: water and Spirit. Verse 6 explains the same two types of birth as flesh and Spirit. That is why born of water is taken to mean born of the flesh.
 
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What does being born by water mean when Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about being born of flesh and then of spirit?
What is more enigmatic to me is the final statement of verse 6, namely, "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit". If we dodge the fact that a new life is literally created when the Holy Spirit births it into existence by making the statement figurative, then we miss the reason why it is necessary for a person to be born of the spirit to see (vs 3) or enter (vs 5) the kingdom of God.
 
John 3: 5-6 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. What is obvious to most people from these two verses is that verse six explains verse 5. Verse 5 talks about the two types of birth: water and Spirit. Verse 6 explains the same two types of birth as flesh and Spirit. That is why born of water is taken to mean born of the flesh.
I think this is the most defensible view based on the text as written. Certainly verse 6 seems to be there in part to explain what is meant by water in verse 5. And it is obvious that verses 5 and 6 together are a response to straighten out Nicodemus' misconception that the second birth might be a second physical birth (which he voiced in verse 4). To pull baptism into the text just because the word water is there seems like a stretch considering the context.
 
The answer is so crystal clear and obvious in the plain reading of the text. Water means water in context. NOT reading the bible, NOT saying a sinners prayer, NOT amniotic fluid, NOT sperm, NOT any of these cooky weird interpretations. Context is clear

Good short on the topic:


Water baptism does not save.
He should spend more time actually exegeting the scripture.

The parallels are very clear with regards to physical birth and spiritual birth and Jesus bringing them together to help Nicodemus understand.
It is amniotic fluid, to the people of the time was simply water.

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, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]

John3:4-5
 
If you don't agree with the video, back it with the Bible.
Nah, I don't think I will. All he does is say "waTer, waTer, waTer" over and over again; so, there's really no need to bring scripture into it when he never really makes a point in earnest to begin with.
 
Here's a good sequence that shows being washed with water (cleansed) before being anointed with oil (spirit). This was the type that foreshadowed John, the greatest Aaronic priest who ever lived, commissioning Jesus as a high priest, and in effect transferring the priesthood from the order of Aaron to the order of Melchizedek. Jesus went through this same sequence when he was washed in the Jordan, and then anointed with the holy spirit, thus fulfilling all righteousness as pertained to that OT shadow, and thereby glorifying God's word.

And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour [it] upon his head, and anoint him. Exodus 29:4-7

This is good. It also helps explain Jesus' question to Nicodemus: "You are Israel's teacher and you do not understand these things?"
 
I do understand that there are instances where water baptism is withheld until certain conditions are met but,
Can anyone withhold (This) water...?

No.
 
Nah, I don't think I will. All he does is say "waTer, waTer, waTer" over and over again; so, there's really no need to bring scripture into it when he never really makes a point in earnest to begin with.


This would have been a good opportunity to make your case though using the Bible. He can't talk back to you - it's just a video after all.

Don't you have bible verses that make your case??? What if someone seeking to be saved wants to know what baptism is?


🥳
 
there are 3 possible senerios

1. Water is the water of birth - physical birth
2. Water is cleansing - Washing of water by the word (eph 5: 26
3. Some claim it is water baptism.

When Nicodemus asked how these things come to be (how we are born again) Jesus answers it is by our faith in him, He who believes is not condemned, He who believes will never perish but have been given eternal life (new birth)

so number 3 is completely ruled out.

either of the 1st 2 are possible in my view.. and fits in context
 
This would have been a good opportunity to make your case though using the Bible. He can't talk back to you - it's just a video after all.
I wasn't making a point about baptism, though. I was making a point about the low-effort troll video that Hawaka said was "good".
 
A different take

Normal belief you are born again when saved is a church orchestrated scam

Jesus was teaching the Resurrection IMO

From the greek language we can get various meanings

again
anew
from above

46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we[g] bear the image of the heavenly man. 1 Corith.

Don't you find it strange Jesus never used this term again, nor his Apostles, nor their disciples, nor the church for 1900 years
 
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I don't think these 2 verses are connected. In other words, being born of water and being born of the flesh have nothing to do with each other. Jesus referring to the flesh in verse 6 is only because Nicodemus brought worldly birth into the conversation IMO. Jesus was talking about a reality altogether different that Nick was completely unaware of, so it was necessary to contrast the two.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:5-6
 
Water baptism does not save.

But being washed and cleansed by hearing and hearkening to the water of the word of God does save. That is inseparable from being born in the spirit. First the vessel must be cleansed, then filled. Water baptism simply symbolizes the cleansing of our conscience so we can have fellowship with God

The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 3:21
 
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