Topic(s): Salvation, Bible Study, Denominationalism

Bob Prichard

“Born again” is a biblical term that gained prominence a few years ago as people tried to differentiate between “ordinary” Christians and Christians who had experienced some sort of emotional religious experience or “new birth.” The terminology comes from John 3, when Jesus spoke to the Pharisee Nicodemus, who had come to Jesus by night, recognizing Him as a Rabbi and a “teacher come from God.” This “teacher come from God” told Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

When Jesus spoke of being “born again,” however, He was not speaking of some special religious experience that would set one Christian apart from others. He was simply talking about what anyone does who becomes a Christian. When one is “born again,” as the scriptures teach, he becomes a Christian. One cannot become a Christian without being born again, and one cannot be born again without becoming a Christian.

Nicodemus was confused when Jesus first spoke of being born again. He asked, “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?” (John 3:4). Nicodemus was thinking in terms of another physical birth, while Jesus was speaking strictly in terms of a spiritual rebirth.

Jesus answered him, “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. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6). Jesus explained to Nicodemus that the new birth was “of water and of the Spirit.” This is a new birth that changes our spiritual relationship to God, just as a physical birth changes our physical relationship to the world.

A birth in the physical world requires a begettal by a father. John writes, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God: and whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (1 John 5:1). The new birth requires begettal by God the Father, which He accomplishes through His written word, the Bible. Peter speaks of “being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23).

In the physical world, if birth does not follow the begettal, the result will be death. Following a spiritual begettal through hearing the word of God, one must enter the kingdom of God by being “born of the water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). Being “born of the water and the Spirit” refers to baptism as part of the spiritual rebirth of becoming a Christian. Faith in Christ brings the believer to the point of submitting to the will of God by being baptized. Comparing the safety of Noah’s ark to baptism, Peter wrote, “wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us” (1 Peter 3:20b-21a). Being born of the water and the Sprit, being born again, is not optional. Jesus said, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).