¶3:1, Nicodemus. This verse reveals two things about Nicodemus: 1. He was a Pharisee, a strict legalistic Jewish religious sect; 2. He was a ruler of the Jews, a member of the Sanhedrin: this council was made up of 70 members of three different groups: Elders, chief priests, and scribes. The High Priest presided over the Sanhedrin. 3:2, By night. Nicodemus was a secret disciple. However, this situation changed in that he accompanied Joseph of Arimathea in demanding the body of Jesus (from Pilate) for burial (see ch 19:38-42). 3:3-5, Born again. Grk: gennēthei anōthen (St’s #‘s G1080 & 509 respectively) Lit.: generated from above. Anōthen may mean above or again. Jesus meant “above,” Nicodemus understood “again.” Verse 3 stands in contrast to v5, in that v3 has conception in view, while v5 speaks of the actual birth. The result of v3 is “seeing” the Kingdom of God, while the result of v5 is “entering” the Kingdom of God. One is conceived by the Word of God (1 Pet 1:23), but one is born into the Kingdom through water and Spirit baptism respectively (vv5-8). See Acts 2:4, 38; 8:12-17; 10:45-47; 19:1-7; Mark 16:16; 1 Pet 3:21; Acts 22:16. 3:5, Born of water. ~ This phrase has been interpreted variously: 1. the natural birth; 2. born of the Word of God; 3. born of the Spirit; 4. born of water baptism. We will comment on all four understandings.
- Natural birth. The context and the language of the passage excludes natural birth being referenced here. Such as: Jesus is responding to Nicodemus’ question, “How can a man be born when he is old?” Jesus answers by saying: “Except [unless] a man [when he is old] be born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Those who attempt to force the meaning of “natural birth” are as confused as was Nicodemus.
- Born of the Word of God. This interpretation is taken from the idea that “water” is a symbol of the Word of God (i.e. the Bible) and comes from the misunderstanding of Ephesians 5:26: “washing of water by the word.” However, this verse with its explanation is as follows: “That he [Jesus] might sanctify and cleans it [the Church] with the washing of water [ceremonial washing at baptism] by [instrumental] the word [Grk rhema - that spoken by the living voice: such as calling on the name of Jesus - Acts 22:16].” Those who would understand the Word of God as the water miss the meaning of the Grk rhema which excludes the written word. See the Greek scholar F. F. Bruce on Ephesians 5:26.
- Born of the Spirit. If this were true the verse would read thusly: “Except a man be born of the Spirit and of the Spirit ... .” This is an unreasonable interpretation by all accounts.
This, then , leaves the fourth and only possible understanding.
- Water Baptism. Grk: gennēthei ex hudato. Lit. born (generated) from the water. Ek (St’s #G1537); ek means ‘from’ or ‘out of’. Therefore, the idea is to come from the water. The image is that of water baptism by immersion. That water baptism is required for the new birth is seen in the following passages: Mark 16:16 required for salvation; Acts 2:38 remits sins (instrumental); 1 Pet 3:21 saves (instrumental).
And of the Spirit. ~ Here, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit (Ghost) that would be poured out on the believers at Pentecost, A.D. 30 in the city of Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-4). This New Birth, of the Holy Spirit, was prophesied about by the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28). At this point in time, Israel was born again: from a physical nation to a spiritual nation (Eph 2:12-20). This new nation is called by Paul, the Israel of God (Gal 6:16). 3:7, 11, 12, Ye. ~ The word ‘ye’ in these vv are the plural ‘you all’ and appears in the KJV as ‘ye’ so much of the time. Jesus is speaking beyond Nicodemus to the nation which Nicodemus represented (i.e. Israel). God did call Israel and planted her with His own hand as the Cultivated Olive Tree (see Jer 11:16-17 cf Rom 11:24 NKJV). Unto Israel was committed the oracles of God (Rom 3:1-3). The olive tree was ‘born again’ at Pentecost, A.D. 30 (Acts ch 2). Some did not believe and were cut out of the olive tree (Rom 3:1-3; 11:24 NKJV). But the Cultivated Olive Tree remains and fills the earth with the children of Abraham: both natural branches and the Gentiles who have been grafted into Israel. 3:8, The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof … so is every one that is born of the Spirit. ~ The subject is the birth of the Spirit and while Jesus is speaking concerning the nation of Israel particularly, the event of Israel’s new birth is centered in the spiritual new birth of each individual person. We see this in His words: ‘so is every one’. The Grk pneuma (St’s #G4151) is translated both as ‘wind’ and ‘Spirit’ in this verse; it has both meanings and is appropriately employed here. When this Jesus-saying is compared to the actual fulfillment of the New Birth event recorded by the Evangelist Luke (Acts 2:2-4) we read; “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Notice the presence of the “wind” at Pentecost, and Jesus’ reference to it when addressing Nicodemus. Another meaning for the word pneuma is breath (See on St’s #4151.) In John 20:22 Jesus performs prophetic theater when He breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”. The disciples did not receive the Holy Spirit at this point, but Jesus, here, gives them the promise and demonstrates how it would come: I.e. the breath of God filling, baptizing, them. The pneuma (breath, wind, Spirit) are characteristics of the New Birth about which Nicodemus is being instructed. Jesus instructed Nicodemus that being born of the Spirit was like the wind in a very particular way: one may not know were it comes from or where it goes, but all hear the sound. Speaking of hearing the sound, Jesus stated emphatically: “So is every one that is born of the Spirit”. The ‘sound’ spoken of here is the speaking in tongues that was manifest in all places and at all times where people were being born again of the Spirit (See on Acts 2:4; 8:17, 21; 10:44-46; 19:6.) Not only does John record Jesus’ announcement of the ‘sound’ of Spirit birth, the Evangelist Mark records Jesus saying “And these signs shall follow them that believe; …; they shall speak with new tongues; …” (Mk 16:17). The imagery that Jesus is purposely projecting is a paralleling spiritual birth to natural birth: in natural birth, first there is conception—so it is with spiritual birth, one is conceived by the Word of God (See on 1Pt 1:23; cf v3.); second there is the breaking of the water—so it is in spiritual birth, one is water baptized (v5); third there is the actual exiting the birth canal and the ‘sound’ cry of the new born—so it is with the spiritual birth there is the ‘sound’ of speaking in tongues of the new born (v8).
To be continued.
Apostolically Speaking
Bp. J. L. Hayes D.D.
"The Gospel According to John, An Introduction"
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-gospel-according-to-john.html
"Prologue To John's Gospel, 1:1-18, (Part I)"
http://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2016/05/john-and-logos.html
"Prologue To John's Gospel, 1:1-18 (Part II)"
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2016/05/prologue-to-johns-gospel-11-18-part-ii.html
"The Baptist Witnesses Of Himself, 1:19-28"
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-baptist-witnesses-of-himself.html
"The Baptist Witnesses Of Christ, 1:29-34"
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-baptist-witnesses-to-christ.html
"The First Disciples, 1:35-51"
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-first-disciples.html
"The Wedding of Cana, 2:1-11"
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-wedding-at-cana.html
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4EXSWA2A47ARC
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