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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_3:4-8
4Nicodemus said to Him, "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?" 5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again. 8The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.'"
Joh_3:5 "unless one is born of water and the Spirit" This is another third class conditional sentence. There may be a contrast (so typical of John's writings) between
1. the physical versus the spiritual (no article with "spirit")
2. the earthly versus the heavenly
This contrast is implied in Joh_3:6.
The theories for the meaning of "water" are
1. the rabbis use it of male semen
2. the water of child birth
3. John's baptism symbolizing repentance (cf. Joh_1:26; Joh_3:23)
4. the OT background meaning ceremonial sprinkling by the Spirit (cf. Eze_36:25-27)
5. Christian baptism (although Nicodemus could not have understood it that way, first mentioned by Justin and Irenaeus)
In context theory #3-John's water baptism and John's statement about the Messiah's baptizing with the Holy Spirit-must be the most obvious meanings. Birth, in this context, is metaphorical and we must not let Nicodemus' misunderstanding of the terms dominate the interpretation. Therefore, theory #1 is inappropriate. Although Nicodemus would not have understood Jesus' words as referring to later Christian baptism, John the Apostle often interjects his theology into the historical words of Jesus (cf. Joh_3:14-21). Theory #2 would fit John's dualism of above and below, God's realm and the earthly realm. In defining these terms one must determine whether they are contrasting (#1 or #2) or complementary (#4).
D. A. Carson, Exegetical Fallacies, mentions another option: that both words refer to one birth, an eschatological birth following Eze_36:25-27, which describes the "new covenant" of Jer_31:31-34 (p. 42).
F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions, also sees Ezekiel as the OT allusion behind Jesus' words. It may even have been a reference to proselyte baptism, which Nicodemus, a noted rabbinical teacher, must also do! (p. 67).
▣ "the kingdom of God" One ancient Greek manuscript (i.e., MS à ) and many church fathers, have the phrase "the kingdom of heaven," which is common in Matthew's Gospel. However, the phrase "the kingdom of God" occurs in Joh_3:3 (Joh_3:3; Joh_3:5 are the only places this phrase appears in John). John, writing to Gentiles (as do Mark and Luke), does not use the Jewish circumlocutions for God's name.
Joh_3:6 This again is the vertical dualism (above vs. below) so common in John (cf. Joh_3:11).
Joh_3:7 "you. . .You" The first is singular, referring to Nicodemus, but the second is plural, referring to a general principle applicable to all human beings (same play on singular and plural in Joh_3:11).
One is tempted to interpret this in light of the Jewish tendency to trust in their racial descent (cf. Joh_4:12; Joh_8:53). John, writing toward the end of the first century, obviously confronts Gnosticism, and also Jewish racial arrogance.
▣ "must" The Greek verb dei (lit. "it is necessary," (BAGD 172), present active indicative) is used three times in chapter 3 (Joh_3:7; Joh_3:14; Joh_3:30). It denotes things that must occur for the plan of God to move forward (cf. Joh_4:24; Joh_9:4; Joh_10:16; Joh_12:34; Joh_20:9)
Joh_3:8 There is a play on the Hebrew (and Aramaic) word (ruach) and the Greek word (pneuma) which means both "wind," "breath," and "spirit." The point is that the wind has freedom, as does the Spirit. One cannot see the wind, but rather its effects; so, too the Spirit. Mankind's salvation is not in his control, but is in the Spirit's control (cf. Ezekiel 37). It is possible that Joh_3:5-7 also reflect this same truth. Salvation is a combination of the initiation of the Spirit (cf. Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65) and the faith/repentance response of the individual person (cf. Joh_1:12; Joh_3:16; Joh_3:18).
John's Gospel uniquely focuses on the person and work of the Spirit (cf. Joh_14:17; Joh_14:25-26; Joh_16:7-15). He sees the new age of righteousness as the age of the Spirit of God.
Joh_3:8 stresses the enigma of why some people believe when they hear/see the gospel and others do not. John asserts that no one can believe unless touched by the Spirit (cf. Joh_1:13; Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65). This verse reinforces that theology. However, the question of covenant response (i.e., human acceptance of a divine offer) still assumes the Spirit touches everyone. Why some refuse to believe is the great mystery of iniquity (i.e., the self-centeredness of the Fall). The older I get, the more I study my Bible, the more I minister to God's people, the more I write "mystery" across life. We all live in the dark fog (i.e., 1Co_13:12) of human rebellion! Being able to explain or to put it another way, developing a systematic theology, is not as important as trusting God in Christ. Job was never told "why"!
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