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NASB | Matthew 7:13 ¶ "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 7:13 ¶ "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. |
Bible Question:
OK. You tell me that I don't have to be baptized What's this I read in John 3:5 When Jesus says ye must be born again. Ye must be born of the water and of the Spirit. Otherwise ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Thay kinda looks like baptism is pretty imporant stuff. Please Explain. ezekiel |
Bible Answer: Well, ezekiel, baptism is as you say, pretty important stuff, but Jesus was not referring to water baptism in his discourse with Nicodemus in the third chapter of John. He was talking about the need for cleansing, and water was commonly used in the Old Testament -- and in Jesus' time -- in just such a figurative sense as Jesus is using it here. Jesus was a Jew speaking to Nicodemus, who was a Jew par excellence, being a member of the distinguished Sanhedrin. Both Jesus and Nicodemus would obviously be quite familiar with the Jewish idiomatic sense of "water" in this context to be a reference to renewal or spiritual cleansing, especially when He used the word "water" in close juxtaposition with the word "Spirit." Here are some verses to support this exegesis: Ezek.36:24-27; Joel 20:28-29; Num.19:17-19; Is.32:15; Jer. 2:31; Ps. 51:9-10; Is. 44:3-5 and 55:1-3. --Hank |