Being Born Of Water And The Spirit
Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 includes a statement that has been interpreted in various ways throughout Christian history: "unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God" [1]. This phrase, "born of water and spirit," is central to understanding the concept of being born again or regeneration.
The phrase is often linked to baptism, with "water" symbolizing the outward sign and "spirit" representing the inward, spiritual reality. According to John Calvin, the phrase suggests that baptism is a symbol of regeneration, where the water represents the cleansing of the soul by the Spirit [5]. Charles Hodge interprets it similarly, understanding "born of water and of the Spirit" as experiencing a cleansing of the soul analogous to the physical cleansing by water [4].
The early church fathers also grappled with the meaning of "born of water and spirit." Augustine, for instance, emphasizes that regeneration is the work of the Spirit, and while water is part of the sacrament, it is the Spirit that regenerates [9]. In contrast, some patristic interpretations, such as those found in the writings attributed to the Twelve Patriarchs, suggest a more mystical or cosmological understanding, linking water and spirit to the origin and renewal of all things [7].
Different Christian traditions have understood the relationship between water, spirit, and regeneration in distinct ways. The Reformed tradition, as represented by Calvin and Hodge, tends to see "born of water and spirit" as referring to the sacrament of baptism, where water is a sign and the Spirit is the reality [4, 5]. In contrast, some patristic sources and Eastern Orthodox interpretations may emphasize the mystical or sacramental aspects more broadly [7, 8].
The concept of being "born of water and spirit" remains a complex and multifaceted doctrine, reflecting various theological emphases across Christian traditions. While the Reformed tradition links it closely to baptism and the work of the Spirit, other traditions offer different nuances and understandings [2, 3, 6].
The biblical context of Jesus' statement to Nicodemus highlights the necessity of spiritual regeneration for entering the Kingdom of God. The various interpretations of "born of water and spirit" underscore the ongoing theological discussion about the nature of regeneration and its relationship to sacramental practices like baptism [1].
Sources
- John “Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into the Kingdom of God! -- John 3:5”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 65: they were baptized anew. And according to the interpretation, almost universally received in our day, of Acts xix. 1-6 , Paul baptized in Ephesus “certain disciples” in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who had already been baptized by John. Another argument on this subject is derived from the fact that in the sixth and eighth verses of this chapter, where our Lord insists on the necessity of regeneration, he says nothing of being born of water. It is simply regeneration by the Spirit that He declares to be necessary. It cannot be suppos”
- John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on John 3:5: Of water and of the Spirit - To the baptism of water a man was admitted when he became a proselyte to the Jewish religion; and, in this baptism, he promised in the most solemn manner to renounce idolatry, to take the God of Israel for his God, and to have his life conformed to the precepts of the Divine law. But the water which was used on the occasion was only an emblem of the Holy Spirit. The soul was considered as in a state of defilement, because of past sin: now, as by that water the body was washed, cleansed, and refreshed, so, by the influences of the Holy Spiri”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 65: To baptize with fire, was to effect a real, and not merely an outward purification. According to this analogy, to be born of water and of the Spirit, is to experience a cleansing of the soul analogous to that effected for the body by water. This is the interpretation generally adopted by the Reformed theologians. It is in accordance, not only with the passage in Matthew iii. 11 , but with the general usage of Scripture. In that usage the sign and the thing signified are often united, often interchanged, the one being used for the other. W”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 98: to be observed in the present day. Were a Turk to offer himself for baptism, we would not at once perform the rite without receiving a confession which was satisfactory to the Church. 25. Another passage which they adduce is from the third chapter of John, where our Saviour’s words seem to them to imply that a present regeneration is required in baptism, “Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” ( John 3:5 ). See, they say, how baptism is termed regeneration by the lips of our Lord ”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 3:8: Nicodemus answered and said unto him,.... Remaining still as ignorant as ever, though Christ had explained the phrase "born again", at which he stumbled, by a being "born of water and of the Spirit", or of the grace of the Spirit of God; and had illustrated this by the free, powerful, and invisible blowing of the wind: how can these things be? The Arabic version reads, "how can this be?" referring either to the last thing said, that a man's being born of the Spirit, is like the blowing of the wind; or to the explanation of the first expression, that a man should be bor”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts, Epistles, Apocrypha, Decretals — CHAP. XXIV.--"BORN OF WATER.": "And now from inferior things learn the cause of all, reasoning that water makes all things, and water receives the production of its movement from spirit, and the spirit has its beginning from the God of all. And thus you ought to have reasoned, in order that by reason you might attain to God, that, knowing your origin, and being born again by the first-born water, you may be constituted heir of the parents who have begotten you to incorruption.”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on John & Hebrews: Homily XXVI. John iii. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” [1.] Great mysteries are they, of which the Only-begotten Son of God has counted us worthy; great, and such as we were not worthy of, but such as it was meet for Him to give. For if one reckon our desert, we were not only unworthy of the gift, but also liable to punishment and vengeance; but He, because He looked not to this, not only delivered us from punishment, but freely gave us a life much more bright 679 679 al. “precious.” than”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — TO BONIFACE, HIS COLLEAGUE IN THE EPISCOPAL OFFICE, AUGUSTIN SENDS GREETING IN THE LORD. (part 2): child is presented to receive the sacred rite, is the work exclusively of the Spirit by whom the child thus presented is regenerated. For it is not written, "Except a man be born again by the will of his parents, or by the faith of those presenting the child, or of those administering the ordinance," but, "Except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit."' By the water, therefore; which holds forth the sacrament of grace in its outward form, a”