Born Again and the Kingdom of God

 John 3:3, 5 

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Parallelism is often found in the Bible. The Psalms and Proverbs are full of it. The verse speaks of something in one way then it speaks of it in another way in the parallel verse. Nicodemus, being the teacher of Israel (John 3:10) would have been very familiar with this and that is probably why Jesus repeated the necessity of a new birth.

In verse 3, there are two ideas that are repeated in a different way in verse 5. The first is being born again and born of water and the Spirit. Both are ways of saying the same thing. Therefore, the part of being born of water does not mean being baptized as a requirement for salvation as some dictate. While there is much debate over the “of water” part, the main idea of verse 3 is being repeated. Our salvation is only dependent on God’s action as was stated in previously, “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). Being born again and born of water and the Spirit are synonymous. Putting a bookend on this, Jesus explains that we don’t know who will be affected by the wind (Greek pneuma, also Spirit), but we do see the effects and that is how we can see the kingdom.

The second idea being repeated is describing the kingdom of God. Seeing the kingdom of God and entering the kingdom of God are synonymous also. There is no difference. If you are able to see the kingdom of God, you have entered it. If you have entered the kingdom of God you can see it. Before we could only see things from a worldly perspective and could not see how He works or that He is sovereign. When we enter His kingdom, we are His subjects and see each other as part of His kingdom.

Application? I can only be thankful that the wind, the Spirit of God has moved to cause me to be born again. I cannot boast in my decision to come to Christ, but that God has worked in me and give Him the glory.