What does born again mean?

[wattie]

Being born of “water and Spirit” is certainly about water baptism and being born of the Spirit. This is evident because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Thus, being born of water isn't a natural birth and it isn’t an essential component of entering the kingdom of God.

John 3
5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

Paul tried to make it clearer here, but he also noted it’s a mystery. However, a careful study of the baptism shows that it’s required to be resurrected. I haven’t seen many people even attempt to try to understand this, but that’s common.

1 Corinthians 15
50I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

I'm not saying the birth in the womb is entering the Kingdom.

I'm saying that Jesus was comparing Nicodemus' mention of water of the womb with what happens much later.. not connected with conversion.. being born of the Spirit.

So it isn't that water of the womb is conversion.. it's that being regenerated by the Holy Spirit is.

 

[Saul-to-Paul]

I know it sounds weird no offense intended but what does a deaf person do? Or how does a person who is dumb (can’t speak) confess Christ? Or how does a blind man read scripture for himself? I always wonder about these things. Thanks
What’s the water for? Jn 3:5

How did Lazarus hear Jesus? He was dead.
John 11:43
“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.”

 

[Gideon300]

ez 36:25-27? Thanks

Absolutely. You will note that this is God's doing. Nothing about baptismal regeneration.

 

[FlyingDove]

Are we a new creation in Christ?

2 Cor 5:17 written specifically to believers (Cor 2:1) & Eph 2:10 also written to believers (Eph 1:1). Proclaim the believer is a new creation in Christ.

Find additional context here:
https://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/christ-in-you.179634/#post-3721263

 

[ephfourfive]

op: "born again"?
Literally "born from (God) Above"

Discussions?: {water} baptismal regeneration? water and spirit?
believe and be baptized (in water) for salvation?
believe, be saved, then water for testimony/membership?
other (as yet unknown) theories?

LORD Jesus, By Your Spirit, Please open our hearts to Your Only
Bible Answer To ALL this Confusion. Amen:

"Study to shew thyself Approved Unto God, a work-​

man that needeth not to be ashamed, Rightly​

Dividing The Word Of Truth!" (2 Timothy 2:15):​

​

3 baptisms (not misinterpreted/explained away), but Rightly
Divided, Within God's Contexts:

(1) Prophecy/Covenants/Law for ISRAEL:

►►► The Twelve Were Sent to {water} baptize! ◄◄◄

The TWO Main (of 12) baptismS =

A) water, For remission of sins/induction into Israeli "priesthood!":
(Matthew_3:5-6; Mark_1:4; Luke_3:3; John_1:31; Luke 7:29-30; Acts_10:37)
(Matthew_28:19; Mark_16:16; Acts_2:38, 22:16; Ezekiel_36:25)
+
B) WITH The Holy Spirit, Poured Out By CHRIST, for
power, signs And wonders!
(Isaiah_44:3; Matthew_3:11; Mark_1:8, 16:17-18;
Luke_24:49; Acts_2:17-18, 38, 8:15-17, 11:16)
Prophecy/Covenants/Law

Rightly Divided (2 Timothy 2:15) From “Things That DIFFER!” {online}:

(2) Mystery/GRACE! =

our "apostle to the Gentiles" for The Body Of CHRIST:

►►► Paul Was Not Sent to {water} baptize! Why Not?: ◄◄◄

Today: Only ONE Baptism = "BY" The ONE Spirit = God's OPERATION,
Spiritually Identifying members In (The ONE Body Of) CHRIST!!
(Ephesians_4:5; Colossians_2:12; Galatians_3:27;
Romans_6:3-4; ►►► 1 Corinthians 12:13 KJB! ◄◄◄)
-----------------------------------------------------
Then, within His Context Of Grace/Mystery, we find the
"Washing Of Regeneration" Today, is not by water, But By
The Holy Spirit, As Confirmed By "What Saith The Scripture?":

a) not physical water, as that would be a "work of righteousness
that we ['man's operation' would] do," and Scripture Declares:

"...Not by works of righteousness which we have done..."​

(Titus 3:5)​

​

b) Along With "Circumcision [without hands] of the heart"
(Colossians 2:11), Sanctification, and Justification
(God's Spiritual OPERATION), we have:

“And such were some of you: but ye Are Washed, but ye Are​

Sanctified, but ye Are Justified In The Name Of The Lord​

Jesus, And By The Spirit Of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)​

born from (God) Above, Correct?
--------
Conclusion:

1) No Confusion is necessary When Scripture is Rightly Divided,
and kept (rule #3 BSR) in God's Context, as demonstrated above.

2) The ONE (Spiritual) Baptism Into The One Body, By The One Spirit
Definitely Vanquishes all of man's Confusion of water, Correct?

3) Mixing Up/Confusing These Two Different 'Contexts' Is Most Likely
Why God Gave us This, eh?:

Rom 11:6​

"And if By Grace, Then is it no more of works: Otherwise Grace ​

is no more Grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more Grace: ​

Otherwise work is no more work." Amen.​

Additional study:Water That Divides
--------------------------------------
Precious friend(s):

Please Be Very RICHLY Encouraged And Edified In
The LORD JESUS CHRIST, And His Word Of Truth, Rightly
Divided (+ I and II).

Grace, Peace, And JOY!

Thanks I appreciate you’re effort
Did Christ establish a church?

 

[ephfourfive]

"If baptism is to prepare for Christ then Christ is received in baptism". So when John baptized Jesus, then Jesus received Himself? Interesting (and incorrect) concept.

Romans 6:4, "Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life." Clearly, Christ is not received in baptism.

John was baptizing in repentance only Christ gives a the sacrament of baptism water, spirit, grace, fire
We do receive Christ in baptism
Jn 1: 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Gal 3:27 thanks

 

[ephfourfive]

John 3 water and the Spirit..

Things to notice...

Nicodemus asks about being born again 2nd time regarding the womb.

Jesus doesn't say the water of the womb isn't what He is talking about.. buy ADDS being born of the Spirit.

So ... born of water and the Spirit..

That's born first naturally by water of the womb.. then later at believing in Jesus as God.. being born of the Spirit.

This isn't water baptism by immersion.

And you’re a senior member?

You say it’s ok to read-write both sacred scripture and the eternal words of Christ?

Jn 3:5 now says: born of water and born again of spirit.

Instead of KJV Jn 3:5 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.

Or is it really born of water and born again (baptismal regeneration) of water and the spirit?
Ez 36:25-27
Mk 16:16
acts 2:38
Acts 8:36-38
Acts22:16
Titus 3:5
Eph 1:13
1 pet 3:20-21
thanks

 

[ResidentAlien]

Eph45, why do I get the feeling I've seen you around here before under a different name?

 

[JohnDB]

You can slice and dice this until the cows come home but unless you add the anthropology of that day and time to the understanding of these verses you will never understand what Jesus was saying.
The Gospel of John has several themes that run throughout it.
The first chapter set the stage of these themes. John 1:12 more specifically for this particular passage.

Genethe of course means "born" just as the Latin word "Genesis" is similar to Beresherith "hebrew" all of which speaks to "beginnings".

However

"Anothen" does not mean "again" or "anew". Never has and never will. Despite the desires of many. It only is deciphered as that definition in this one passage...no other place. Every other time in scriptures and in the library of other writings of that time "anothen" means "above, upper"

Then there's the whole CASTE BASED SOCIETY issue among the Jews, Roman's, and the entire World. They didn't not live in a caste based society. Identity was ALWAYS filtered through their caste based cultures.

And "Born From Above" was known as well as someone Born in the tribe of Benjamin or Levite or Judah. Meaning that they had a mission from birth to fulfill.

No different than someone like Samuel, Sampson, Moses, and especially Jesus.

 

[JohnDB]

Eph45, why do I get the feeling I've seen you around here before under a different name?

Same spoon but a different brand name slapped on.

 

[ephfourfive]

Well, Christ getting baptized was something he needed to do to fulfill a prophecy.

John 1
33And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

In this way they were able to identify who Jesus is among all of the many people who were also getting water baptized. The water baptism also served the purpose of a righteous act of obedience, it being from heaven and not from man.

Are we made Christian in baptism? thanks

 

[Runningman]

Are we made Christian in baptism? thanks

Being a Christian is a lifestyle. It isn’t something we do for ourselves or due to compulsion of people, but rather we live and love like Jesus did for God’s glory. That’s what a Christian is and yes Jesus did get water baptized. We should also get water baptized.

 

[Cameron143]

Being a Christian isn't something you do...it's something you become when you are created in Christ Jesus. Like your physical birth, it is outside your control. That's why it said to be born from above.
It's not a lifestyle...it's life itself.

 

[ephfourfive]

To

This makes no sense at all. Why would Jesus refer to natural birth. The implication there is that there is a question concerning people that dont exist, He was talking to Nic, about being born again. So the idea that the person had obviously already been born and exists, but needs born again. Jesus' answer is about being born again. It goes without saying that in order to be born again that a person was already born once or there would be no conversation. When Jesus answers the question about being born again He is answering the question at hand; how is one born again?. His answer is one must be born of water and the Spirit. This is born again. Being born again is being born of water and the spirit. All who want to remove baptism disregard the baptism of Jesus Himself.

To summarize you’re excellent points

Sacred scripture:
Jn 3:5 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.

Jn 3:5 Protestant version: Jesus answered, verily, verily, I say to thee, except a man be born of water; and then born again by the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Protestant version refuted by
Jn 3:22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. (They did not preach “faith alone” or “spiritual baptism”)

Protestant version refuted by the fact to be possible to be born again supernaturally you must already be born naturally.
thanks

 

[ephfourfive]

No it does not. Regeneration is the supernatural work of God the Holy Spirit who takes a vile sinner and makes him or her a child of God (John 1:12,13; Tit 3:4-7). Thus that person is "born again", "born of the Spirit", "born from above", and "born of God". This makes the sinner "a new creature (or creation) in Christ".

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor 5:17) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. (Gal 6:15)

What do we need to do then to be born again? Thanks

 

[ephfourfive]

How did Lazarus hear Jesus? He was dead.
John 11:43
“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.”

Good one?

Maybe he was already back to life at that point, who knows

 

[ephfourfive]

Absolutely. You will note that this is God's doing. Nothing about baptismal regeneration.

God had ministers / priests?
Can you be saved without a priest?
Thanks

 

[ephfourfive]

2 Cor 5:17 written specifically to believers (Cor 2:1) & Eph 2:10 also written to believers (Eph 1:1). Proclaim the believer is a new creation in Christ.

Find additional context here:
https://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/christ-in-you.179634/#post-3721263

How then do we become a new creation? Thanks

 

[oyster67]

Water flowing from the temple

Water flowing from the womb. (I suppose you can call that your temple, no one is going to stop you.)

John 3
4Nicodemus 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? 5Jesus 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.

The first baptism (of water) is that of flesh...
6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

The second is that of the Spirit.

No salvanic bathtub required.

 

[Nehemiah6]

What do we need to do then to be born again? Thanks

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12,13; also 1 Peter 1:23-25; Acts 16:30,31; Tit 3:4-7; Rev 3:20)