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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: Hank; When I study John 3, I notice several things. First I will post the text and then make a couple of observations and comments. 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. 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? 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. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. I believe that Jesus was addressing Nicodemus's thoughts in 3:4 when Nicodemus said: "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Jesus knew that Nicodemus was referring to physical birth from that statement. In John 3:5-6 Jesus is making it even clearer for Nicodemus to understand that a person has to be BORN of the Spirit. I submit that being BORN is not something a person can do. An unborn person cannot birth himself. So if we say water baptism is a birth, then we misconstrue being born-again as something man rather than God accomplishes, and that is the mistake of many. Finally in John 3:6 Jesus makes it super plain to Nicodemus and hopefully to us also. Lets look again: 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Jesus speaks of 2 different births, one of the flesh, which we play no part or have no say in, and secondly and most importantly, being born of the Spirit, which is a supernatural act upon each and every individual, who God has chosen for salvation. So I think water baptism cannot possibly be meant here. |