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NASB | John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:5 Jesus answered, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. [Ezek 36:25-27] |
Bible Question:
Many people use this verse to substantiate water baptism along with Titus 3:5 "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit," Although I am all for water baptism, I just don't see any connection between this verse and baptism. Am I missing something, or am I likely correct? To discuss it from another angle, I believe regeneration and baptism are two totally different topics. Seems people who use John 3:5 to validate baptism mix the two terms. Huron |
Bible Answer: Huron, Since this ground or should I say water has been worked over so many times I will make only this one post on the subject. CDBJ has presented the alternative posiiton. The syntax of the Greek (according to those who hold to baptism here) indicates Jesus is speaking of one spiritual birth by water and the Spirit working in and through the water, not two seperate events. Consider the close link between water and the sSpirit elsewhwere in John's writing (John 7:38-39; 1 John 5:8) and most explicitly in John 1:3 when the Spirit decends on Jesus at the very moment He is baptized in the waters of the Jordan. Immediately after the episode in John 3:5, Jesus and His deiciples begin a ministry of baptism (John 3:22). This close connection between water and the Spirit seen sacramentally in Baptism is also seen in Acts 2:38; 1 Cor 6:11; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21. In the Old Testament we seen the depiction of water being poured out upon the Israelites to wash away their iniquities and renew their hearts in Isaiah 44:3 and Ezekiel 36:25-36 The close association between water, the Spirit and new creation starts in Genesis 1:2. Suffice it to say that those who hold to batptismal regeneration have a sacramental persepective. i.e., God's works in creation through the elements of His creation, but it is God working. The Incarnation of Jesus is the ultimate example of this.Can you speparate Jesus the spiritual second Person of the Trinity from the incarnated or enfleshed Jesus in His saving work on the cross? Could God have saved without the reality of the physical passion of Jesus? Yes, but God did not choose to do so, He chose to work in and through the flesh. They do not understand how others who disagree on baptism can explain away the first 1500 years of Christian history which, as they read Scripture and early Christian wrtings, appears to have held to this position exclusively. How one views various passages is often determined by what perspective one brings to the passage due to the teaching they received on the subject. It is another thing altogether to look into the history and backgroung of how that perspective was developed, where it came from, when it was first taught and why. I will leave that to you. http://www.catholic.com/library/Born_Again_in_Baptism.asp http://www.catholic.com/library/Baptismal_Grace.asp http://www.catholic.com/library/Necessity_of_Baptism.asp Emmaus |