Page 32 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

what did it mean for Nicodemus’s works – based system? If spiritual rebirth, like physical rebirth, was impossible
from a human standpoint, then where did that leave this self-righteous Pharisee?

Nicodemus was not a stupid or uneducated, yet he asked a question that was as crass as it could be. “But how
can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time
and be born?” I don’t believe he could have been more insulting to Jesus in his reply. “What are you talking
about?” He asked “are you suggesting that a man has to enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be
born? What a ridiculous idea that is.” Jesus did not react to Nicodemus’ insulting reply, but neither did he back
down. He said: “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God.” R. C. Sproul commenting on this passage acknowledges his struggle. “I have struggled with this text for
more than 40 years, but I’m still not completely sure what it means. I know what Jesus meant by the reference
to the Spirit; He was talking about being born from above, being born by the power of the Spirit. But I’m unsure
what He meant by His reference to water. Dr. D. A. Carson gives the lengthiest treatment of this passage in his
commentary. The following is my condensed comments of what he says.

“I assure you unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. A number of
interpretations have been offered to explain the phrase born of water and the spirit. D. A. Carson writing in The
Pillar New Testament Commentary offers various interpretations of born of water.”

First some hold to the position of what theologians call baptismal regeneration. I adamantly disagree with this
interpretation of Scriptures. The verse that is used most often to try and teach that baptism is essential to
salvation is Acts 2:38.

Another possible interpretation of theologians is that to verse are found here, one natural, and the other
spiritual. Proponents of this view interpreted the water as the amniotic fluid that flows from the womb just
before childbirth. But it is not clear that the ancients described natural birth in that way.

Others believe that Jesus was making reference to Ezekiel 36:24 – 27. For I will take you from the nations, gather
you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be
clean. John MacArthur states that it was surely this passage that Jesus had in mind, showing regeneration to be
an Old Testament truth (Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 31:31 – 34; Ezekiel 11:18 – 20) which Nicodemus would
have known. D. A. Carson leans towards this interpretation also. He says, 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 (Ezekiel 37). What is emphasized is the need for radical
transformation, the fulfillment of Old Testament promises anticipating the outpouring of the Spirit, and not a
particular right. D. A. Carson offers several other possible interpretations that can be found in his commentary,
but I have commented on the three most popular interpretations.

Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. No one is born a Christian. The
flesh does not produce redemption. This was a common error the Jewish people made. They thought that
because they were Jews, being descended from the Old Testament patriarch Abraham, that they were
numbered among the people of God and would enter heaven. The Old Testament prophets and then the New
Testament teachers had to show the people that this was not the case. Likewise, you may have been born to
Christian parents, raised in a Christian home, and go to church, but none of those things make you a Christian.
All that your natural birth has given you is flesh, and flesh of that sort is powerless to enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Unless you are born of the Spirit of the Living God, whatever you do in
your flesh will avail nothing toward entering the kingdom of God.

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