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| "Born Again" |
The term "born again" can sound a bit strange and confusing, especially
to those who are not familiar with Christianity, or Christian Vocabulary.
The phrase born again comes from the passage of scripture John 3:3-21.
In this section of scripture a man named Nicodemus visits Jesus during the
night in a kind of private or secret meeting. Nicodemus was a member of the
Jewish sect known as the pharisees, who were the religious leaders of the Jews.
The priesthood of Judaism as well as the Sanhedrin (the ruling council/court of the
Jewish people, also known as the gerousía or the Beth-Din) were dominated by
the pharisees. However, at the time of Jesus the leadership of the pharisees had been
taken over by friends and allies of king Herod for political gain. The priesthood
and the sanhedrin had both been taken over by people who were not true adherents
of pharisee teachings. Thus, since Jesus posed a threat to their political power,
the leaders of the pharisees and the sanhedrin were set against him.
While the leaders of the pharisees were opposed to Jesus, some pharisees recognised
that Jesus was a teacher come from God. Nicodemus was one of these and he came to
speak with Jesus and learn who he was.
John 3
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicode'mus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are
a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God
is with him." 3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is
born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicode'mus said to him, "How
can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's
womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one
is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.' 8 The wind
blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know
whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of
the Spirit." 9 Nicode'mus said to him, "How can this be?" 10 Jesus answered him,
"Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?"
What Jesus says to Nicodemus at first seems somewhat cryptic and confusing.
Nicodemus did not understand what he meant and so Jesus tried to explain it
to him. The problem was that Nicodemus was trying to understand a spiritual
matter but he was thinking in physical terms.
When Jesus said "born again" the words he used can be translated "born again",
"born anew", or "born from above", and a few verses later Jesus says we must be
born of the spirit. Jesus is refering to the fact that mankind exists in a state
of spiritual death, or spiritual seperation from God. When Adam fell from grace,
the spirit of man, which had been given by God, was seperated from God. Jesus
is saying that in order to enter the kingdom of God our spirit must be born anew.
The connection between God and our spirit must be reborn. The words Jesus used
can also mean born (or generated) from above, this reflects that our spiritual
rebirth is not something we do or earn, it is something that God does in us.
In the verses which follow Jesus speaks more about being born of the spirit
and how we can be saved. In verse 16 Jesus says what has become probably the
greatest and most well known bible quote... John 3:16 "For God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not die
but have everlasting life."
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