Yes, I am aware of verse five in that chapter. 5
Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth,[k] unless a person is born of water and spirit,[l] he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh,[m] and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all[n] be born from above.’[o] 8 The wind[p] blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”[
q]
FOOTNOTE
[l]tn Or “born of water and wind” (the same Greek word, πνεύματος [
pneumatos], may be translated either “spirit/Spirit” or “wind”).
sn Jesus’ somewhat enigmatic statement points to the necessity of being born “from above,” because
water and
wind/spirit/Spirit come from above.
Isaiah 44:3-5 and
Ezek 37:9-10 are pertinent examples of
water and
wind as life-giving symbols of the Spirit of God in his work among people. Both occur in contexts that deal with the future restoration of Israel as a nation prior to the establishment of the messianic kingdom. It is therefore particularly appropriate that Jesus should introduce them in a conversation about entering the kingdom of God. Note that the Greek word πνεύματος is anarthrous (has no article) in
v. 5. This does not mean that
spirit in the verse should be read as a
direct reference to the Holy Spirit, but that both water and wind are figures (based on passages in the OT, which Nicodemus,
the teacher of Israel should have known) that represent the regenerating work of the Spirit in the lives of men and women.
I am also aware of the first part of verse 5. Unless a man is born of water....
Was John the Baptist actually John the ritual washer? Per the prior contention that Baptism in John 3 is a reference to a type of ritual washing. Because verse 25 tells us there was a dispute concerning the ceremonial washing.
Which is where some can become confused due to the reference , washing.
Unless or until they read verse 26. Which is not telling us John the Baptist was performing ceremonial washing of people.
John 3:25 Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew[
ba]
concerning ceremonial washing.[bb] 26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River,[
bc] about whom you testified—
see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!”
This is another reason why it is important for the Christian to understand the Jewish practices of the time and of course the 1st century culture wherein Jesus walked and taught the Gospel. We should also remember Jesus was born into a Jewish family and followed Jewish tradition and the law of God. Baptism is not unique to Christianity.
Did you happen to read the linked article I shared?
Understanding The Hebrew Mikveh vs Baptism
A true Hebrew MIKVEH is accomplished by a person completely submersing oneself beneath water…a FULL BODY IMMERSION wherein the entire being goes below the water’s surface.
(Please note: a proper MIKVEH is NOT simply taking a bath! In fact, according to ancient tradition, whenever possible, the one seeking to mikveh should shower, bathe, or clean him/her PRIOR TO entering the Mikveh site whenever possible.)