Our
understanding of the basic tenets of Christianity can grow when we explore the
meaning of words. Sometimes translations do not do justice to our understanding
of certain words. For example the word
translated again in John chapter 3
does not mean to repeat, it means from above, above as in top.
This changes our understanding of what it means to be born again. Spiritualists use the term reborn to say they are changed for their
gods, yet our rebirth is not a do-over.
It is instead procreation from above because the Holy Spirit is birthed
within us. A spiritualist may allow a
demonic spirit into their lives, which gives them a rebirth, they are no longer
simply human, they have demonic spirit power.
Instead we have the Holy Spirit birthed from above, within us, a
creative miracle. The Holy Spirit does
not control us, but instead guides us along, doing things for God. Therefore it can be confusing to someone to
say we are “born again”, rather we should be saying we are born from above.
Once
we are born from above, we can know the kingdom of God and enter the kingdom of
God. But this happens only after our human spirit is procreated by the Holy
Spirit. We know this because we have a
conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus recorded by the Apostle John.
Jesus
turned over the tables in the temple at Jerusalem and then told everyone he
would rise after the third day. While it
seems that people were mad at Jesus, there were some who knew that Jesus was a
teacher from God; otherwise Nicodemus would not have said exactly that.
John
3:1-21 NOW THERE was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler
(a leader, an authority) among the Jews, 2 Who came to Jesus at night and said
to Him, Rabbi, we know and are certain that You have come from God [as] a
Teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles — and
produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with him.
We
have to ask what signs Jesus was doing.
This was not turning over tables; they saw Jesus do miracles that they
could not explain. Remember John the
Baptist, while in prison, sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the one
from God.
Matt 11:2-6 Now when John had heard in the
prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,3 And said unto him,
Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?4 Jesus answered and
said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:5
The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and
the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to
them.6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.KJV
John
3:3 Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a
person is born again [#509](anew, from above), he cannot ever see[1492] (know,
be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom [932] of [The] God.
If
you are not born from above, you cannot know the rule or realm of The God. This tells us there is more to being born
again than simply magic words. You
cannot know God’s realm or rule if you are not procreated from above. The article the preceding God
is in the text, which infers that one may know about spiritual things but not
know The God and His rule. This is important as some people may know of
spiritual matters but not know of The God.
We cannot know The God unless we are born from above. We won’t know His
majesty or his royalty without being Holy Spirit offspring.
Above NT:509 anothen
(an'-o-then); from NT:507; from above; by analogy, from the first; by
implication, anew: KJV - from above, again, from the beginning (very first),
the top.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
See NT:1492 eido
(i'-do); a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being
borrowed from the equivalent NT:3700 and NT:3708; properly, to see (literally
or figuratively); by implication (in the perf. only) to know:KJV - be aware,
behold, can (+not tell), consider, (have)
know (-ledge), look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand, wish, wot.
Compare NT:3700.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance
with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft,
Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Kingdom NT:932 basileia
(bas-il-i'-ah); from NT:935; properly, royalty, i.e. (abstractly) rule, or
(concretely) a realm (literally or figuratively):KJV - kingdom, reign.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Nicodemus
was a smart man in the pharisaical law, and among those he was conversing with,
he was the only one to have the courage to tell Jesus that they know he is a
teacher from God. Instead of Jesus saying “Thanks”, he lays something heavy on
him. Now Nicodemus has to ask questions.
John
3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter
his mother's womb again and be born? 5 Jesus answered, I assure you, most
solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of [ek] water and [even] the Spirit,
he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of [The]
God. [Ezek 36:25-27.]
The
word again in verse 4 is a different
word than in verse 3, meaning a second time.
Nicodemus was stuck on being born when one is old. This is why translators used the word again in the previous verse even though
it is a different Greek word. The
translators were thinking of a do-over, rather than a new birth. The human spirit is simply barren, the Holy
Spirit is not a do-over, or a re-energizing
by a demon, it’s a new thing. Unless a person is procreated out from
water and Spirit he cannot go into the realm of The God. First Jesus says we cannot know the realm of
The God, and then he says we can’t go into the realm of The God. Apparently this born from above thing is
twofold, knowing and entering.
John
3:6 What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical];
and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The
begotten out from the flesh is flesh and the begotten out from the Holy Spirit
is spirit. In other words, humans are born out from the flesh; we come out of
our mother’s flesh. Humans have a
spirit, but the Holy Spirit births a spirit in us that is from the realm of
God. Animals have a spirit as well as
humans; Solomon postulates what happens to the spirit of man and the spirit of
beasts.
Eccl 3:21-22 Nobody knows for sure that the
human spirit rises to heaven or that the animal spirit sinks into the earth.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H.
Peterson. All rights reserved.)
We
know that Solomon was thinking out loud regarding human and animal
spirits. This also is before the Holy
Spirit came to birth a new spirit in man.
Jesus tells Nicodemus not to be amazed at this teaching.
John
3:7 Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My telling you, You must
all be born anew (from above). 8 The wind [Spirit] blows (breathes) where it
wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from
nor where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Verse
8 is a rough translation. The word wind
is the same word as Spirit, and he is the thing that moves where he wills. Translators may not have understood this. A
better understanding comes from victor Alexander’s translation the Aramaic New
Testament.
John 3:8 The Spirit moves [you] for [the sake
of] its own fulfillment, and you listen to its voice; except, you do not know
from where it came and where it went. This is how it is with every human
[being] who is born of the Spirit. (Aramaic New Testament, Victor Alexander,
pg.182)
It
makes more sense that the Holy Spirit is the one who moves and we listen to his
voce. Once we are born from above, the
Holy Spirit breathes life into us and then moves us along. Just like the holy men of God who gave us the
New Testament. Interesting how Peter
reiterated what Jesus said here when speaking of scripture not being of one’s
own opinion or interpretation. Let’s look at three translations of this.
2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no
prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.21 For the prophecy
came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost.KJV
2 Peter 1:21 For no prophecy ever originated
because some man willed it [to do so — it never came by human impulse], but men
spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit.AMP
2 Peter 1:21 And why? Because it's not
something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit
prompted men and women to speak God's Word. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in
Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
John
3:9 Nicodemus answered by asking, How can all this be possible? 10 Jesus
replied, Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet do not know nor understand
these things? [Are they strange to you?] 11 I assure you, most solemnly I tell
you, We speak only of what we know[#1492] [we know absolutely what we are
talking about]; we have actually seen what we are testifying to [we were
eyewitnesses of it]. And still you do not receive our [2257] testimony [you
reject and refuse our evidence — that of Myself and of all those who are born
of the Spirit].
Our NT:2257 hemon
(hay-mone'); genitive case plural of NT:1473; of (or from) us: KJV - our
(company), us, we.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance
with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft,
Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Ouch,
Jesus smacked Nicodemus in the head (figuratively) with his question, “Are you
the teacher of Israel and you don’t know this”.
This is what the Pharisees should have known, but they didn’t. Why is verse 11 speaking in the plural, “we
speak”, who is the “we”? Translators recognized the word our at the end of the
verse, therefore while there is no evidence of “we” in the beginning of the
verse, and it is not in the text, the word “our” changes the tense from first
person singular (Jesus speaking only) to
first person plural (Jesus and the Holy Spirit testifying together). Jesus is saying that He and the Holy Spirit,
who inspires people along, are speaking truthfully as eyewitnesses.
John
3:12 If I have told you of things that happen right here on the earth and yet
none of you believes Me, how can you believe (trust Me, adhere to Me, rely on
Me) if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And yet no one has ever gone up to
heaven, but there is One Who has come down from heaven — the Son of Man
[Himself], Who is (dwells, has His home) in heaven.
No
one has gone to heaven? We looked at this statement previously. I think there is a religion that has
influenced the world on a false doctrine regarding heaven. It is always best to take Jesus’ words above
men. This is the need for the dead in
Christ rising and those alive on earth being caught up with them, putting on
incorruption and immortality. If men are
already there, why do they have to rise? http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-mysteries-of-hell.html
http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/hades-gehenna-abyss-paradise.html http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-we-get-to-heaven-revelation-5_11.html
John
3:14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must
[so it is necessary that] the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], [Num
21:9.] 15 In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him,
trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal [166] life
[2222] and [actually] live forever!
Eternal NT:166 aionios
(ahee-o'-nee-os); from NT:165; perpetual (also used of past time, or past and
future as well):KJV - eternal, for ever, everlasting, world
(began).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Life NT:2222 zoe
(dzo-ay'); from NT:2198; life (literally or figuratively):KJV - life (-time).
Compare NT:5590.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance
with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft,
Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Once
one is born from above, life changes and becomes perpetual. We are living eternal life now; it doesn’t
start after our body dies. We are living
perpetually, continually, continuously, endlessly. This is why what we do now determines our
future rewards, or lack thereof.
Nicodemus
got a lot more than he bargained for, striking up a conversation with
Jesus. Jesus explains the why of being born from above.
John
3:16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world [2889] that He [even]
gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in,
clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but
have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world
[2889] in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world
[2889], but that the world[2889] might find salvation [4982]and be made safe
and sound through Him.
World NT:2889 kosmos
(kos'-mos); probably from the base of NT:2865; orderly arrangement, i.e.
decoration; by implication, the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its
inhabitants, literally or figuratively [morally]):KJV - adorning,
world.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Saved NT:4982 sozo
(sode'-zo); from a primary sos (contraction for obsolete saoz,
"safe"); to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or
figuratively):KJV - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make)
whole.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Jesus
came to deliver the earth’s inhabitants from perpetual death to perpetual life.
John
3:18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not
judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no
rejection, no condemnation — he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not
believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already
been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not
believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is
condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name.] 19 The [basis
of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for
the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have
loved [25] the darkness [4655] rather than and more than the Light, for their works
(deeds) were evil [4190]. [Isa 5:20.]
Loved NT:25 agapao
(ag-ap-ah'-o); perhaps from agan (much) [or compare OT:5689]; to love (in a
social or moral sense):KJV - (be-) love (-ed). Compare NT:5368(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Darkness NT:4655 skotos
(skot'-os); from the base of NT:4639; shadiness, i.e. obscurity (literally or
figuratively):KJV - darkness.
NT:4639
skia (skee'-ah); apparently a primary word; "shade" or a shadow
(literally or figuratively [darkness of error or an adumbration]):KJV - shadow.(Biblesoft's
New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Evil NT:4190 poneros
(pon-ay-ros'); from a derivative of NT:4192; hurtful, i.e. evil (properly, in
effect or influence, and thus differing from NT:2556, which refers rather to
essential character, as well as from NT:4550, which indicates degeneracy from
original virtue); figuratively, calamitous; also (passively) ill, i.e.
diseased; but especially (morally) culpable, i.e. derelict, vicious,
facinorous; neuter (singular) mischief, malice, or (plural) guilt; masculine
(singular) the devil, or (plural) sinners:KJV - bad, evil, grievous, harm,
lewd, malicious, wicked (-ness). See also NT:4191.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
By
not believing in Jesus, people are judged already. The tribunal the unsaved face is for not
believing Jesus, the light, because men love the darkness because their works
are hurtful and morally culpable. We have been given a choice, but some would
rather continue in their ways rather than be born from above. Because people love the shadows, they look for
an infusion of spirit power to help them in their malice. This is the difference between being re-born,
to spiritual darkness, or born from above, a new birth that loves the
light.
John
3:20 For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come
out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his
activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved. 21 But he who practices truth
[who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be
plainly shown to be what they are — wrought with God [divinely prompted, done
with God's help, in dependence upon Him]. AMP
The
difference between the one who believes, and the one who does not believe is
obvious. It is hard to talk to someone
about the new birth if they have a mischievous heart. Peter talked a little more about this; let’s
look at this from three different translations.
1
Peter 1:3-4 Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an
ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4
[Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay
[imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, AMP
1
Peter 1:3-4 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this
Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been
given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, 4 including a future in
heaven — and the future starts now!(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary
Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
1
Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah!
Because of his great mercy he has granted us a new birth, resulting in an
immortal hope through the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, from the dead 4
and to an inheritance kept in heaven for you that can’t be destroyed,
corrupted, or changed. ISV
A
future that cannot be corrupted or changed, that starts now, and is reserved in
heaven for us. This is a great summation
of the benefits of being born from above. The contentions between Jew and
Gentile caused some discussion in the first century church. Peter and Paul both tried to emphasize that
it is not by genealogy or lineage that we are saved. This comes up a little
further in the chapter. Again let’s get
a fuller perspective from three different translations.
1
Peter 1:23 You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin
(seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting
Word of God.AMP
1
Peter 1:23 Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from
mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life
conceived by God himself (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language
© 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
1
Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not by a seed that perishes but by one
that cannot perish—by the living and everlasting word of God.ISV
Paul,
in his letter to the Romans, tells us that if we use our mouth and voice to
declare Jesus is Lord and we trust that the Father God raised him from the
dead, we will be saved. Jesus explained
that to be born from above we would know and enter the realm of God. Paul tells
us the physical declaration and trust in God is how we are rescued to eternal
life, just as Jesus told us to believe or trust on him when he is lifted up. Again, there is no difference between Jew and
Gentile. Let’s look at this section from
Romans in both the Amplified and the Message.
Rom
10:9-13 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is
Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth)
that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart a
person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is
justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he
confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his]
salvation. 11 The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to,
relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.
[Ps 34:22; Isa 28:16; 49:23; Jer 17:7.] 12 [No one] for there is no distinction
between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously
bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith]. 13 For everyone who
calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved. [Joel
2:32.] AMP
Rom
10:9-13 Say the welcoming word to God — "Jesus is my Master" —
embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising
Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're
simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. 10
With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say
it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and
me!" 11 Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this —
heart and soul — will ever regret it." 12 It's exactly the same no matter
what a person's religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting
the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. 13
"Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help." (from THE MESSAGE: The
Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights
reserved.)
When
we expand our understanding of what our new birth i.e. salvation is about, we
can better communicate it to others. We
are not born again as a do-over, but we are born from above, a new, miraculous procreation,
led by the Holy Spirit. We are born from above when we believe and say that the
one who was lifted up, is Lord Jesus.
Then we can be moved along by the Holy Spirit. We may not know how the
Holy Spirit works, but he lives within us, inspiring us to do God’s will. The
Holy Spirit will help us to know and enter the realm of The God. Once we know
the realm of God, much of life starts to make sense. This is why if one has been saved for a long
time, it becomes more complicated to explain the new birth to someone who
doesn’t know or understand it. The
people we speak to have to believe what we are saying and not love the shadows
or evil behaviors. If someone desires to
live in the light, they will hear and believe that Jesus was lifted up and is
Lord and Savior.
