Born of Water
Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
The
Acts 2:38 message was first preached by Moses, at the base of the mount. It is confirmed throughout the Acts accounts, and is our very core doctrine. Water baptism…by complete immersion…in the name of Jesus Christ, is clearly a foundation stone of the new covenant. But to teach this water baptism from our text verse in John, is wrong.
Many ministers misquote this passage to read, “except a man be born again of water and of the spirit…” Not of any ill intent…but in zealous support of our position on water baptism. Our sanctioned bible study “In My Father’s House”…in Room One, paragraph three, finds the honorable Elder Yonts saying: “When we are baptized in Jesus’ name, we are born of the water.” Even the marginal notes of a Thompson Chain Reference Bible…here in John…states: 756-Baptism enjoined (1)
Acts 2:38.
But the discourse between Jesus and Nicodemus, has nothing to do with water baptism. The whole crux of their discussion is new birth. Not death (repentance)…not burial (water baptism)…but new birth. Moreover, great plainness of speech is used, to show that this new birth is entirely spiritual in nature. It is an anointing seal…given only by our Lord…to each one personally.
What is ironic, is that in every reference to water baptism, we ourselves concur that the rite represents a burial, or a grave. Only here in John, do we reverse our hermeneutic, and make water baptism part of a birth experience. There are ample scriptures in the bible to support baptism in Jesus’ name. But in rightly divided scripture, this text in John is not among them.
Jesus’ first words on the matter state:
Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
And at the last, he closes the argument with these words:
The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.
No mention of water baptism, or water birth, in either the intro or the summary, of our Lord’s lesson. He teaches that the new birth…the born again moment…is a single, spiritual birth. Is it prefaced with a death and a burial? With repentance and water baptism? Yes, the scriptures bear this out. It is the usual order, and thus we so teach.
There simply is no tenable argument; against the process of salvation mirroring the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. Moses prophesied this in the altar of death, the laver of washing, and the presence of God in the holiest place. But the new birth is the resurrection part of that process. The born of the spirit here taught, is the climax of that salvation experience. We need not drag the laver into the holy place.
Born of water is mentioned a single time in their discussion. A befuddled Nicodemus asks Jesus:
How can a man enter a second time into his mother’s womb?
Concerning that natural birth, Jesus teaches:
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.
Jesus is here drawing a contrast between two births…not encouraging a new, two-part birth. The fleshly birth from a nine month amniotic sac, is not enough Nicodemus. You must be born again. It is the Lord himself making the argument here; that born of water, and born of the flesh, are synonymous terms. Paul echoes the same argument in Galatians; as does Peter, in his comparison between corruptible seed, and incorruptible seed.
The fact that you’re sitting here reading this, affirms you’re halfway there. You’ve made it through born of water. You out-rassled millions upon millions of other sperm cells, and qualified for life. But having so done, you now must be born again. Your water birth gave you this life. Your spiritual birth gives you life everlasting. You must be born again.
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