A Study of John's Gospel

John 3:5-8: You Must Be Born Again

You Must Be Born Again

A study of John 3:5-8

"Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.""

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭5-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage:

-Truly: "amēn", "ἀμήν"; particle indeclinable - An adverb by which something is asserted or confirmed; at the beginning of a discourse, surely, of a truth, truly; so frequent in the discourses of Christ in the gospels. The repetition of the word (ἀμὴν, ἀμήν), employed by John alone in his Gospel (twenty-five times), has the force of a superlative, most assuredly.

-Is Born (v.5): "gennaō", "γεννάω"; verb - peculiarly, in the Gospel and First Epistle of John, of God conferring upon men the nature and disposition of his sons, imparting to them spiritual life, i. e. by his own holy power prompting and persuading souls to put faith in Christ and live a new life consecrated to himself

-Water: "ydōr", "ὕδωρ"; neuter noun - literally or figuratively of water.

-The Spirit: "pneuma", "πνεῦμα"; neuter noun - the Holy Spirit (august, full of majesty, adorable, utterly opposed to all impurity): To its agency are referred all the blessings of the Christian religion, such as regeneration wrought in baptism.

-Enter: "eiserchomai", "εἰσέρχομαι"; verb - to go out or to come in; of men or animals, as into a house or city.

-Kingdom: "basileia", "βασιλεία"; feminine noun - Jesus employed the phrase Kingdom of God or of heaven to indicate that perfect order of things which he was about to establish, in which all those of every nation who should believe in him were to be gathered together into one society, dedicated and intimately united to God, and made partakers of eternal salvation.

-Of God: "Theos", "θεός"; masculine noun - spoken of the only and true God.

-Flesh: "sarx", "σάρξ"; feminine noun - used of natural or physical origin, generation, relationship; that which has been born of the natural man is a natural man (opposed to one who has been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit).

-Marvel (Be Amazed): "thaumazō", "θαυμάζω"; verb - to wonder, wonder at, marvel.

-Must: "dei", "δεῖ"; verb - necessity in reference to what is required to attain to some end.

-Again: "anōthen", "ἄνωθεν"; adverb - anew, over again, indicating repetition. Also, "from above", of things which come from heaven or God.

-Wind (v.8 ) (Same word used for "Spirit"): "pneuma", "πνεῦμα"; neuter noun - a movement of air (gentle) blast; of the wind.

-Blows: "pneō", "πνέω"; verb - to breathe, to blow: of the wind.

-It Wishes: "thelō", "θέλω"; verb - to be resolved or determined, to purpose.

Observation/Summary (short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):

After being told a person must be born again to see the Kingdom of God, Nicodemus asked Jesus how it could be possible for a person to be born again. Jesus answers by telling Nicodemus He is speaking of spiritual rebirth, not physical. Jesus also compares the mystery of Spiritual rebirth to the blowing of the wind, a natural phenomenon we see, measure and study, but still cannot explain the "why?" and "how?" at the root of it all.