Hey Pastor John,
I have a quick question about water baptism. My Dad made sure to make mention to me today that if I do not believe in water baptism anymore, why did Jesus say it in John 3:5? He also made mention that the extra gifts are not required, which really made me question him because the Bible says we must be Born Again to enter into Heaven.
I told him because they were all under the old law, water baptism was still in effect. I tried to explain how Jesus was the testator of the New Testament and how it wasn’t in effect yet. My Dad had a hard time with that also. Is my answer to him correct? I try to be studied up for these questions, but want to make sure I’m on the right track since I’m still new to the Truth since I’ve been lied to in church religion my whole life.
Name Withheld
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Hi ——,
In John 3:5, Jesus was not speaking of water baptism. Here is what he said that night to Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a man be born of water and of spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” But that is not all that Jesus said. In the next verse, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.” That is an explanation of what Jesus said in verse 5. To be “born of water” is to be born “of the flesh”; when a pregnant woman’s water breaks, her baby is about to be born. The Bible never says anything about a person being born by being baptized in water.
Everybody on earth, saint or sinner, has been born of water; that is how we all got here. And that is why Jesus then said to Nicodemus (verse 7), “You must be born again.” That “you” in that verse is plural in Greek; Jesus was referring to all people, not just Nicodemus. Then, in verse 8, he describes to Nicodemus what the born-again experience will be like: “The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it’s coming from or where it’s going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” That is exactly what happened to Jesus’ followers on the day of Pentecost.
If people (all of whom have been born naturally) must be born by being baptized with water and then born by being baptized with the Spirit, Jesus would have told Nicodemus, “You must be born two more times”, not just “again”. Jesus knew that Nicodemus (and everyone else on earth) had the first birth; he was telling him that they all need the second one.
John’s baptism in water was still in effect at the time Nicodemus went to Jesus, as you said, but that fact has nothing to do with what Jesus said to Nicodemus that evening about the new birth.
Keep praying for your Dad. I am glad you had a conversation with him, and I hope that continues.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor John
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