Born of Water and Spirit

John 3:3-8

I got John to agree that "water," in contexts dealing with salvation, or to the cleansing of the soul, could refer to at least three things, possibly four.

1) To the Holy Spirit
2) To the gospel or word of God
3) To the blood of Christ
4) To the water of baptism

John had the problem of handling the dilemma concerning why Jesus is telling Nicodemus that he must be "born of the waters of baptism" when this condition is not yet in force! Christ had not died and yet Jesus is telling Nicodemus that he must be born of water to be saved.

John also had the problem of denying entrance into the kingdom for such men as Abraham and the thief on the cross for they had not been born of the waters of baptism.

John denied that Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he personally had to be born again, as I had asserted. He cited the indeterminate use of "a man" in "except a man be born again," but I referred to verse 7 where Jesus said - "I say unto you (Nicodemus) YOU must be born again."

I argued that there are not two births in the statement "born of water and of the Spirit," but one birth and that the word "and" (kai) means "even." Water is a metaphor for either the word of Spirit of God.