John 3:5 is NOT about baptism.
I have pointed this out to you several times.
Are you willfully ignorant, deliberately misleading or just trolling? Which is it.
Do you not wish to hear, want to lie to others or are you just having a laugh?
John 3:5 is very much about baptism.
Born from above (Jn 3:3-5)
“Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above (or born again in some translations).’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.’” (Jn 3:3-5 -NRSVA)
The King James Bible uses the term “
born again” rather than born from above. The Greek word
anathonen in the New Testament is normally translated
from above, although it can mean
again. In the KJV it is only translated
again in this one passage, otherwise it is translated
from above. So this usage which is so crucial to the fundamentalist/evangelical notion of being “born again” seems somewhat dubious.
Jesus’ interplay with Nicodemus relies to some extent on this double usage, with Jesus meaning
born from above, but Nicodemus taking it as
born again and not understanding how he could be born twice literally. Moreover the born
from above ties in with Jesus being the one who comes
from above (verse 31).]
A full analysis of
Jn 3:3-10
3. Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
- or born again/anew; it involves a rebirth, a second birth
4. Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot re-enter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
- Nicodemus is thinking of physical birth
5. Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
- Jesus is telling Nicodemus this is a different kind of birth, a birth of water
and Spirit. He is not saying there are two births, one of water and one of Spirit, but that the new birth, the rebirth, is by
water and Spirit.
6. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.
- the natural birth is of the flesh, but the rebirth is of the spirit (but is effected by water and spirit)
7. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’
8.
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9. Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?”
- Nicodemus hasn’t understood
10.
Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?”
- Nicodemus is a scholar – he should have understood the words of Ez 36:25-27
I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees. (Ez 36:25)
You see
water and spirit.
Moreover Nicodemus should have understood that on previous occasions when God makes a new start he does so with water and Spirit:
1. At creation – Gen 1:1-2
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
2. With the flood (Gen 7/8) God used water to cleanse the earth, then as the water subsided Noah sent out a dove
“And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. “ (Gen 8:11). The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (cf Mt 3;16)
3. When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to make them his people under a new covenant he took them through the waters of the red sea and protected them by a pillar of cloud and fire (the Holy Spirit) – see also 1Cor 10:2
4. Jesus, the new Adam is baptised in water and after that the Holy Spirit descends on him (Mt 3:13-16)
You see, each time
water and spirit.
Immediately after this conversation with Nicodemus Jesus and his disciples go baptising with water. A co-incidence? I think not.
So where does that leave
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit (Jn 3:5)
Clearly baptism with water.
