38: Baptism: “You Must Be Born Again”

Welcome to the Ready for Eternity podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to inquisitive

Bible students exploring biblical truths that might not be fully explored in typical sermons or Bible studies.

My name is Eddie Lawrence. What does the Holy Spirit do in our conversion?

Perhaps the best place to begin answering this question is in John 3 5, when

Jesus said, you must be born again. If we are to understand any

New Testament text, we must know how a first century Jew would have understood it.

In John chapter 3, Jesus, who was a Jew, was talking with Nicodemus, who was a

Jewish rabbi. Knowing that the phrase born again might have referred to a

Gentile's conversion to Judaism, gives us insight into the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus.

Nicodemus wondered, how can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?

From his Jewish perspective, Nicodemus essentially asked, how can I convert to Judaism if I'm already a

Jew? Jesus answered, that a man must be born of water and spirit.

John chapter 3 verse 5. He was explaining to Nicodemus that he couldn't rely upon his family tree to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus answered, truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the

Spirit. John 3 5. What exactly is meant by the words water and spirit?

The meaning of being born of the Spirit seems obvious enough. The Holy Spirit regenerates us and we are reborn when we become a disciple of Jesus.

What does it mean to be born of water? Modern church dogma has made this a complicated question.

Many have argued against the idea that water in this passage has something to do with water baptism.

However, from the earliest days of the church, Christians understood water in this passage to be referring to water baptism.

It wasn't until the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century that this sentiment began to change.

Protestant reformers rebelled against the idea of a works -based salvation, and rightly so.

However, in their zeal to distance themselves from anything that might resemble earned salvation, they lumped baptism into the works category.

This idea took root, and today most Protestant groups reject the idea that immersion has anything to do with salvation.

In a future episode, we'll dig into the question of whether or not baptism is a work.

People on both sides of the debate have worn out the argument about what being born of water means.

Rather than rehashing the arguments, let's look at other passages that have bearing on this subject and allow

Scripture to interpret Scripture. Let's first look at Titus chapter 3 verses 5 through 7.

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the

Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our

Savior, so that being justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3, 5 through 7. Paul says we're saved by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the

Holy Spirit. Let's examine these phrases to determine what they mean. The word regeneration comes from the

Greek word polygenousia. This is a compound word. Poly meaning new, and genousia meaning beginning.

Taken together, a new beginning. Or as a few Bible translations render it, a new birth, or a rebirth.

This not only calls to mind the conversation with Nicodemus about being born again, but also

Romans chapter 6. The word washing translates the Greek word leutron.

The word appears twice in the New Testament and twice in the Greek translation of the

Hebrew Old Testament, the Septuagint. Translators always render it as washing and relate it to real water as opposed to a symbolic or a purely spiritual act.

There are two verses in the Septuagint from the Song of Solomon that clearly shows that leutron is speaking of actual water.

Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, leutron, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost its young.

Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing, leutron, all of them bear twins, not one among them has lost its young.

Solomon is complimenting his lady friend whose teeth are not only very white, but apparently she still has them all.

I guess we take healthy teeth for granted nowadays. In addition, note how the following Greek dictionaries all consistently define the word.

The Bowerdanker Greek -English lexicon of the New Testament defines leutron as bath or washing of baptism.

The Thayer Greek -English lexicon of the New Testament says that leutron means a bathing bath.

That is, as well as the act of bathing used in the New Testament and in the ecclesiastical writings of baptism.

And finally, the Gingrich Greek New Testament lexicon defines leutron as bath or washing of baptism.

The phrase renewal of the Holy Spirit seems to differ little from the idea of regeneration.

Renewal translates the Greek word anakinosis. Ana is a prefix meaning again, and kinosis means to make renewed or fresh.

I suggest that regeneration, being born again, describes what happens, and renewal emphasizes the result, made new again.

Another text that helps us is Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25 through 27.

The word leutron appears here as well. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing, leutron, of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5 25 through 27. This passage is almost parallel to Titus chapter 3 verses 5 through 7.

Considering how leutron is defined and how it's used in context, we're left with no doubt as to how the washing is done.

It's in real water. Several things come together from these passages that make it difficult to reasonably disassociate washing from the waters of baptism.

First, the Greek definitions of leutron, or washing, all point to immersion in real water.

Secondly, leutron is clearly used in the Song of Solomon to reference a washing in actual water.

Third, this washing in water results in a new birth. Regeneration.

Which is exactly the same concept that Jesus and Nicodemus discussed. Fourth, those who have experienced rebirth or renewal have been cleansed or purified of sin, and are without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

And finally, the idea of a death to our old ways and being born again into a new life not only mirrors proselyte immersion, but also dovetails with Romans chapter 6.

There's more to consider, but the examination of these passages shows a strong and undeniable connection to Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus when they spoke of being born of water and the

Spirit. In the next episode, we'll see how Romans 6 fits into this discussion.

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