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NASB | John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:3 Jesus answered him, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above--spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God." |
Subject: "Born-again Christian" redundant? |
Bible Note: Greetings Hank! I agree that John 3:5 is not referring to baptism. However, I think that a strong case can be made for "water" as a reference to physical birth. The "evidence" could be stated as follows: 1) The Jews thought that they were basically right with God because of their birth. Thus, Jesus wouldn't just be stating the obvious, but pushing Nicodemus beyond the current thought. Not only must you be born, but you must be born of the Spirit. 2) Jesus' answer would be consistent with Nicodemus' questions: How can a man be born again? Can he enter again into his mother's womb? 3) John 3:6 would fit well with this interpretation. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to Spirit. I don't think we will ever know for sure, but it is pretty clear that baptism is not the subject. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |