[Chateau d'If]

Continued...

"7. Jesus coined the phrase "born again" and introduced it here for the first time in scripture. The phrase clearly refers to a second birth.

8. Nicodemus misunderstood the term and asked for clarification, thinking that Jesus was speaking of being born twice physically - both times from the mother's womb.

9. Jesus was talking about being born twice - but only once physically and once spiritually. He acknowledged Nicodemus' understanding of being born:
a. physically (the first birth), by saying, "Except a man be born of water", and

b. spiritually (the second birth - hence "born again"), by saying, "and of the Spirit". Then he presented the consequence: "he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
10. To repeat (and thereby to underscore his explanation), Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" referring to the first birth, "and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit", referring to the second birth.

11. That was a very straightforward answer - first birth (water/flesh) and second birth (Spirit/spirit), which Jesus himself suggested by saying, "marvel not...."