INTRODUCTION
Post 20 shows that John 3:1-21 present five descriptions by Jesus of the condition of salvation and five descriptions by Jesus of the step necessary to attain the condition of salvation. An examination of these descriptions provides direction for the proper interpretation of John 3:5.
In summary, each of Jesus’ descriptions of the condition of salvation refers to a spiritual birth or regeneration. By John’s use in John 3:5 of the expression “is born of water and the Spirit,” John intended to refer his audience to the Old Testament prophesy in Ezekiel 36:25-27. Jesus’ rebuke of Nicodemus for his lack of understanding of the expression “I born of water and the Spirit” confirms John’s intent. Ezekiel 36:25-27 has nothing to do with water baptism so that it is clear John did not intend to refer to water baptism. Therefore, John 3:5 does not support baptismal regeneration.
Further, each of Jesus’ descriptions of the step(s) necessary to attain the condition of salvation identified only one step; namely, pisteuō carried out by the believer. Had water baptism been a necessary step to attain salvation Jesus would have said so, but He did not.
It is apparent that John 3:5 does not support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
JESUS’ DESCRIPTION OF THE CONDITION OF SALVATION
Each of Jesus’ five descriptions of the condition of salvation uses the Greek verb gennaō.
John 3:3, 7
In John 3:3, John used gennaō in conjunction with the adverb anōthen whereby the NASB95 translates the expression “is born again.” Louw et al. [Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, pp. 509–510). United Bible Societies] presents one meaning [emphasis added]:
41.53 γεννάω ἄνωθεν (an idiom, literally ‘to be born again’); παλιγγενεσίαa, ας f: to experience a complete change in one’s way of life to what it should be, with the implication of return to a former state or relation—‘to be born again, to experience new birth, rebirth.’
γεννάω ἄνωθεν: ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν ‘unless a person is born again’ Jn 3:3. It is also possible to understand ἄνωθεν in Jn 3:3 as meaning ‘from above’ or ‘from God’ (see 84.13), a literary parallel to the phrase ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν in Jn 1:13. In Jn 3:3, however, Nicodemus understood ἄνωθεν as meaning ‘again’ (see 67.55) and γεννάω as ‘physical birth’ (see 23.52).
παλιγγενεσίαa: διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως ‘new birth and new life by washing’ Tt 3:5. The metaphor of ‘new birth’ is so important in the NT that it should be retained if at all possible. In some languages ‘new birth’ can be expressed as ‘to cause to be born all over again’ or ‘to have a new life as though one were born a second time.’ See also 13.55.
No doubt, the combination of gennaō modified by anōthen must mean a spiritual birth or regeneration from above. Carson [Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 189). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans] teaches a spiritual birth or regeneration by the Holy Spirit from above [emphasis added]: :
The verb rendered ‘to be born’ (gennan) can refer to the action of the father (‘to beget’) or the mother (‘to give birth to’): the common ingredient is ‘generation’ or ‘regeneration’. … This regeneration is anōthen, a word that can mean ‘from above’ or ‘again’. Because Nicodemus understood it to mean ‘again’ (cf. ‘a second time’, v. 4), and Jesus did not correct him, some have argued that ‘again’ must stand. But Jesus also insists that this new birth, this new begetting, this new regeneration, must be the work of the Spirit, who comes from the realm of the ‘above’
Borchert [Borchert, G. L. (1996). John 1–11 (Vol. 25A, p. 173). Broadman & Holman Publishers] agrees that the birth is a spiritual birth:
When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, he meant that this Pharisee should experience birth from God or birth “from above” (anōthen). That is the meaning of anōthen when it is used here and at v. 31 (see the NIV).
John 3:7 records Jesus’ description of the condition of salvation is to “be born again.” Like with John 3:3, Jesus referred to a spiritual birth from above. In John 3:3, 7, the verb gennaō is in the passive voice which means an action was done on the believer. Here, it is God the Holy Spirit who acts to regenerate a lost person into a saved person.
John 3:6, 8
John 3:6, 8 describe the condition of salvation as one in which a believer “is born of the Spirit.” In reference to John 3:6, the expression “is born of the Spirit” is a contrast to the expression “that which is born of the flesh is flesh.” Newman [Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John (p. 80). United Bible Societies] stresses the importance of this contrast [emphasis added]:
In Greek verse 6 is literally “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” John is not contrasting two aspects of human nature. Rather, he is speaking of two orders of existence, that of the physical world and that of the world of the Spirit. So “the flesh” is best taken as a reference to human parents, and “the spirit” as a reference to God’s Spirit, who brings about spiritual birth. Gdsp makes this explicit: “Whatever owes its birth to the physical is physical, and whatever owes its birth to the Spirit is spiritual.” The entire verse is a kind of parable in which Jesus makes an analogy between a familiar experience in this world and that which happens in the realm where God’s Spirit works: human parents give life to their children, but only the Spirit can give spiritual life.
The expression “is born of the Spirit” in John 3:8 has the same spiritual sense as used in John 3:6. As used in verses 6 and 8, the verb gennaō is in the perfect tense as compared to the aorist tense in verses 3, 4 and 5. Vincent [Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 93). Charles Scribner’s Sons] comments on the difference between the aorist and perfect tenses:
6. That which is born (τὸ γεγεννημένον). Strictly, that which hath been born, and consequently is now before us as born. The aorist tense (3, 4, 5, 7), marks the fact of birth; the perfect (as here), the state of that which has been born (see on 1 John 5:18, where both tenses occur); the neuter, that which, states the principle in the abstract. Compare ver. 8, where the statement is personal: everyone that is born. Compare 1 John 5:4, and 1 John 5:1, 18.
John 3:5
John 3:5 is the verse baptismal regenerationists use to support that doctrine by saying the expression “is born of water” refers to water baptism. As will become apparent the expression “is born of water” refers to the Old Testament passages of Ezekiel 36:25-27 and not to water baptism.
John 3:5 presents Jesus’ description of the condition of salvation as, “is born of water and the Spirit.” To be consistent with Jesus’ other descriptions, verse 5 must refer to a spiritual kind of birth. If so, what is the significance of the reference to water?
In light of Nicodemus’ failure to grasp the expression “is born again” in verse 3, Jesus expanded His description of the condition of salvation by the expression “is born of water and the Spirit.” Nicodemus’ failure to understand Jesus’ expanded description drew a strong rebuke since Nicodemus should have known to what Jesus referred by this expression. Jesus’ expanded description referred to the Old Testament reference to spiritual rebirth.
Preceptaustin.org [link: Ezekiel 36 Commentary | Precept Austin] quotes John Walvoord about the significance of Jesus’ rebuke of Nicodemus for his lack of knowledge:
Of importance is the fact that Christ rebuked Nicodemus for not knowing this concept, for the Old Testament clearly stated that unless a person had new life he could not enter the kingdom. As brought out in Ezekiel 36:25-31, salvation in the Old Testament clearly involved a new birth, receiving a new heart, and being delivered from the power of sin. Other references to this in the Old Testament include Isaiah 44:2-4; 60:21 ; and Jeremiah 24:7.
Even though there are others, the most relevant OT passage appears to be Ezekiel 36:25–27 (NASB95), which reads:
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
Dr. D. A. Carson explains the reasoning behind the reference to Ezekiel 36:25-27 [Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (pp. 194-195). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans] :
The most plausible interpretation of ‘born of water and the Spirit’ turns on three factors. First, the expression is parallel to ‘from above’ (anōthen, v. 3), and so only one birth is in view. Second, the preposition ‘of’ governs both ‘water’ and ‘spirit’. The most natural way of taking this construction is to see the phrase as a conceptual unity: there is a water-spirit source (cf. Murray J. Harris, NIDNTT 3. 1178) that stands as the origin of this regeneration. Third, Jesus berates Nicodemus for not understanding these things in his role as ‘Israel’s teacher’ (v. 10), a senior ‘professor’ of the Scriptures, and this in turn suggests we must turn to what Christians call the Old Testament to begin to discern what Jesus had in mind.
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Most important of all is Ezekiel 36:25–27, where water and spirit come together so forcefully, the first to signify cleansing from impurity, and the second to depict the transformation of heart that will enable people to follow God wholly. And it is no accident that the account of the valley of dry bones, where Ezekiel preaches and the Spirit brings life to dry bones, follows hard after Ezekiel’s water/spirit passage (cf. Ezk. 37; and notes on 3:8, below). The language is reminiscent of the ‘new heart’ expressions that revolve around the promise of the new covenant (Je. 31:29ff.). Similar themes were sometimes picked up in later Judaism (e.g. Jubilees 1:23–25).
It is apparent that John 3:5 refers to a spiritual birth and has nothing to do with water baptism. Therefore, the expression “is born of water” in John 3:5 cannot support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
Refutation of John 3:5 as Support for Baptismal Regeneration
Two commentators raise good arguments against interpreting John 3:5 as support for baptismal regeneration. First, Robertson [Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Jn 3:5). Broadman Press] raises a valid argument against using John 3:5 to support baptismal regeneration:
One view makes baptism, referred to by ἐξ ὑδατος [ex hudatos] (coming up out of water), essential to the birth of the Spirit, as the means of obtaining the new birth of the Spirit. If so, why is water mentioned only once in the three demands of Jesus (3, 5, 7)?
Carson [Carson, supra at p. 192] raises a similar argument against water meaning baptism:
Those who adopt this position, of course, are forced to admit that John’s words could have had no relevance to the historical Nicodemus. This part of the account, at least, becomes a narrative fiction designed to instruct the church on the importance of baptism. What is not always recognized is that this theory makes the Evangelist an extraordinarily incompetent story-teller, since in v. 10 he pictures Jesus berating Nicodemus for not understanding these things. If water = baptism is so important for entering the kingdom, it is surprising that the rest of the discussion never mentions it again: the entire focus is on the work of the Spirit (v. 8), the work of the Son (vv. 14–15), the work of God himself (vv. 16–17), and the place of faith (vv. 15–16)
JESUS’ DESCRIPTION OF THE NECESSARY STEP FOR SALVATION
Jesus’ five descriptions (some in the affirmative and some in the negative) of the necessary step to attain the condition of salvation are below.
John 3:15 “15 so that whoever believes [pisteuō – present active participle singular nominative masculine]will in [en] Him have eternal life.”
John 3:16 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes [pisteuō – present active participle singular nominative masculine] in [eis] Him shall not perish, but have [echō – present active subjunctive 3rd person singular] eternal life.
John 3:18 18a “He who believes [pisteuō – present active participle singular nominative masculine] in [eis] Him is not judged;
John 3:18b “18b he who does not believe [pisteuō – present active participle singular nominative masculine] has been judged [krinō – perfect passive indicative 3rd person singular] already [ēdē],
John 3:18c “18c because he has not believed [pisteuō – perfect active indicative 3rd person singular] in [eis] the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The Greek verb pisteuō is the only verb John used in these verses. Arndt et al. [Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 817). University of Chicago Press] defines it to mean:
to entrust oneself to an entity in complete confidence, believe (in), trust, w. implication of total commitment to the one who is trusted. In our lit. God and Christ are objects of this type of faith that relies on their power and nearness to help, in addition to being convinced that their revelations or disclosures are true.
All of the usages of pisteuō are in the active voice which means the believer is the one who carries out the believing. Jesus’ five descriptions of the necessary step(s) to attain the condition of salvation comprise only pisteuō. The sole step necessary for a lost person to attain the condition of salvation is to pisteuō in Jesus Christ. Water baptism is not a necessary step for a lost person to attain salvation.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, each of Jesus’ descriptions of the condition of salvation refers to a spiritual birth or regeneration. See John 3:5,7; John 3:6, 8. By John’s use in John 3:5 of the expression “is born of water and the Spirit,” John intended to refer his audience to the Old Testament prophesy in Ezekiel 36:25-27. Jesus’ rebuke of Nicodemus for his lack of understanding of the expression “I born of water and the Spirit” confirms John’s intent. Ezekiel 36:25-27 has nothing to do with water baptism so that it is clear John did not intend to refer to water baptism. Therefore, John 3:5 does not support baptismal regeneration.
Further, each of Jesus’ descriptions of the step(s) necessary to attain the condition of salvation identified only one step; namely, pisteuō carried out by the believer. Had water baptism been a necessary step to attain salvation Jesus would have said so, but He did not.
It is apparent that John 3:5 does not support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
VERY IMPORTANT IF YOU BELIEVE IN BAPTISMAL REGENERATION
Finally, let me quote gotquestions.org (lonk: https://www.gotquestions.org/baptism-Mark-16-16.html ):
If you believe in baptismal regeneration, you would do well to prayerfully consider whom or what you are really putting your trust in. Is your faith in a physical act (being baptized) or in the finished work of Christ on the cross? Whom or what are you trusting for salvation? Is it the shadow (baptism) or the substance (Jesus Christ)? Our faith must rest in Christ alone. “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
Please read and take to heart what I write in the section entitled “IF YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN.”
IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT YOUR SALVATION
If you are unsure about your salvation, you need to check out my book The Salvation Meter: Biblical Self-Diagnostic Tests to Examine Your Salvation and Spiritual Growth (book link at Xulon Press: https://www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/bookdetail.php?PB_ISBN=9781662828638 ). At Amazon the book link is https://www.amazon.com/Salavation-Meter-Biblical-Self-Diagnostic-Spiritual/dp/1662828632 . I also have a website in which I am updating the content in the book. The link to my website for the book is https://thesalvationmeter.com .
IF YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN
… please (1) read through “God’s Plan of Salvation” so you can understand what God did for you through His only unique Son, Jesus Christ, and (2), from the bottom of your heart, pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” meaning every word. If you do, you will be reconciled to God – saved – through Jesus Christ.
God’s Plan of Salvation
In the beginning, God, who is holy, created the entire universe. As a part of His creative actions, He made humans in His image to know Him. For a while, everything was right between God and our ancestors, Adam and Eve. But Adam sinned, and his sin was passed down to all of humankind whereby we became separated from God. Nothing we could do on our own could bridge that separation so that without God’s intervention, hell would be our eternal destination.
Fortunately for us, in His great love and mercy God provided humankind with the only means of salvation, which is through Jesus Christ who is God’s only unique Son. While retaining His deity, God the Son became a man in Jesus, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross, thus fulfilling the law Himself and taking on Himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would ever repent and trust in Him for their salvation. Jesus rose from the dead, showing that God the Father accepted Christ’s sacrifice and that God’s wrath against us has been exhausted. He now calls us to repent of our sins and trust alone in what Christ did to save us.
If we repent of our sins and completely trust in Christ alone that He died for our sins and rose to life from the dead, we are born again into a new life, an eternal life with God.
Scripture References: Genesis 1:1, 27, 31; Habakkuk 1:13; Genesis 2:7, 18, 21-25; Genesis 3:1-7, 23-24; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:19-20, 23; 5:17-19; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 4:10; John 3:16-18; Mark 1:15; Romans 1:4; 4:25; John 3:5-8; 1 Peter 1:3.
“Sinner’s Prayer”
Lord, Jesus Christ, the only unique Son of God, thank You for Your free gift of eternal life. I know I’m a sinner who cannot save myself no matter what I do, and I deserve to spend eternity in hell. But, I know that because You loved me so much, You voluntarily died on the cross for me taking my sins upon Yourself, and You physically bodily rose from the grave showing that Your sacrificial death was sufficient payment to give me eternal life in Heaven. I now repent of my sins and trust alone in what You did for my eternal salvation. Please take control of my life as I now receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You so much for saving me. I am now Yours forever! (Scripture references: John 1:1-4, 11-14; John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:21-26; Isaiah 53:4-6; Mark 1:15; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-10, 13; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; John 10:27-29).
Upon your salvation, you must find a spiritually solid Bible-believing church that (1) teaches that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, (2) believes in the doctrine of the Trinity, which means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and each Person is fully God, and (3) teaches that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works (e.g., water baptism by immersion).
ONE CAUTIONARY POINT. Please do not make the mistake of thinking that once you become a Christian, your life will become easy. Most likely, it will become more difficult. God’s blessing of salvation and life’s difficulties are not mutually exclusive. Jesus told His disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.” John 15:18 (NLT). Always keep in mind that you have an eternal home in heaven waiting for you per John 14:2–4 (NLT):
2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
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