Correct, yet you are following Nicodemus’ understanding:
and suggesting I do too.
Like I said, the Text directly tells you Nicodemus was confused by what Jesus was telling him. Yet you’re basing your view of what can (and cannot) enter into God’s kingdom based off of Nicodemus’ statement??? That seems odd.
Sorry, but Jesus explains to Nicodemus exactly what he means by being
born again. Let’s look at the text and see it unfold…
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, “
How can a man be born when he is old?
Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”
Now Jesus describes to Nicodemus exactly how a man is born again…
John 3:5 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.”
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
We see that Jesus says two things are required for one to be born again:
Water and the Spirit
Christians refer to this ritual whereby
one is born again with water and the Spirit as baptism. St. John continues this narrative with Jesus and Nicodemus by stating “After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.” Furthermore, it is no coincidence that St. John places this narrative in
Aenon. (
https://bibleatlas.org/aenon.htm)
Nowhere in this narrative does Jesus speak of angels and their need to be born again.
I referenced a highly respected, scholarly, and published Greek Lexicon (Greek - English dictionary) that directly says it does often (but not always) refer to “angels” in these verses.
Just as the Apostle spoke of different bodies given to plant seeds, livestock, birds, fish and finally humans.
And God gives it a body just as He willed— indeed, to each of the seeds its own body. Not all flesh is the same flesh. But there is one of humans, and another flesh of livestock, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.
1 Corinthians 15:38-39 -
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1 Corinthians 15:38-39&version=DLNT
and I’ll repeat (just once this time and leave it to you to post against the dictionary as you have Webster’s) my evidence from a Greek-English dictionary:
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2032: ἐπουράνιος
“the heavenly beings, the inhabitants of heaven, ... of angels ... and of the angels, 1 Corinthians 15:4”
Check your source again, as it does not state ἐπουράνιος = angels. Rather, it supports exactly what I am saying…
properly, existing in or above heaven, heavenly;
existing in heaven
a. the things that take place in heaven
b. the heavenly regions
c. the heavenly temple or sanctuary
2. of heavenly origin and nature
Furthermore, per your own source, the “heavenly beings, the inhabitants of heaven”
is a reference to the the works of Lucian of Samosota (
Diologues with the Gods, 4, 3),
not Scripture.
Thus “…and of the angels” ≠ an actual angel
Thank you for the source --->
https://biblehub.com/greek/2032.htm
Please quote and underline “saints” in Phil 2. That is, for support of your claim. While we wait for that evidence, here’s what a Lexicon actually has to say about the word:
i. e. in honor of one, Romans 14:11 (1 Kings 19:18); ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ, Philippians 2:10 (Isaiah 45:23).
Heavenly angels honor the firstborn, Jesus!
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “And let all the angels of God worship him.”
Hebrews 1:6 -
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Hebrews 1:6&version=LEB
Have you ever seen an angel here on Earth? Lot did, and here’s what it says about them:
And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening. And Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. Then Lot saw them and stood up to meet them. And he bowed down with his face to the ground. And he said, “Behold, my lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you can rise early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the square.”
Genesis 19:1-2 -
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Genesis 19:1-2&version=LEB
Evidently they appear to have “feet” (dirty ones, which are connected to the shin bones, which are connected to the thigh bones, ... by the knees. If I remember my childrens song correctly.)
I never claimed Phil 2:10 uses the word saints. Rather, I stated its use of “those in heaven” is not a direct reference to an angel (as YOU claimed), given that angels are not the only beings in heaven. (Saints also reside in heaven, per Rev 5:8)
Recall your own definition of an angel in your previous post: “Angels are non-flesh spirits, created by God.” Spirits do not have knees.
