John 3:3–5

Context

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, comes to Jesus by night and tells him that he knows Jesus is a teacher come from God. Jesus at once speaks of being born again, and Nicodemus asks whether a man can enter a second time into his mother's womb when he is old. Jesus answers that one must be born of water and of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God, and adds, "The wind bloweth where it listeth… so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (v. 8).

Interpretation

The Greek word anōthen, rendered "again," can mean both "again" and "from above." Nicodemus understood it as "again," but many interpreters hold that Jesus meant "from above," that is, being born of God. As support, they point to the Gospel of John's frequent use of such double meanings.

The phrase "of water and of the Spirit" has been read in several ways.

• Baptismal reading: The Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, Lutherans, and Anglicans take the water to be baptism and teach that the Holy Spirit imparts new life in baptism (Titus 3:5, "the washing of regeneration").
• Cleansing and new spirit reading: Many Reformed and evangelical commentators read the passage against the background of Ezekiel 36:25–27 ("Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you… and a new spirit will I put within you") and hold that water and Spirit together denote a single work of renewal. On this view, it is something Nicodemus, as "a master of Israel" (v. 10), ought to have known.
• Physical birth reading: Some take the water to be natural birth (amniotic fluid) and the Spirit to be spiritual birth, pairing the phrase with verse 6: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
• Baptists and Pentecostals generally hold that the new birth is a work of the Holy Spirit through faith and repentance, and that baptism is its outward sign.

Debates and Issues

Whether the new birth occurs at baptism or at conversion through faith is closely tied to the debate over infant baptism. Another point of division is whether the new birth is a unilateral work of God that precedes any human decision (the Reformed view) or occurs when a person responds to God's grace (the Methodist view and Wesleyan theology).

In Korea, groups associated with the Salvation Sect (Guwonpa) have taught that knowing the date and time of one's new birth is evidence of salvation; the major denominations regard this teaching as a departure from Scripture and have declared it heretical.

In the Korean Church

The passage is a staple text at revival meetings and evangelistic rallies, and the expression "born-again Christian" has become a common term within the church for a true believer.

Related Passages

• Ezekiel 36:25–27
• Titus 3:5
• 1 Peter 1:23
• John 1:12–13
• 2 Corinthians 5:17