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FAQ # 40
QUESTION 40 : I
heard preachers say that being “born of the water” is referring to the
actual baby in the mother’s womb surrounded by liquid and coming out of
that liquid; rather than it being water baptism, pointing to the connecting
phrase, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh.” Some even using the
term "your water broke." Is this true?
Before answering, let us have
the text before us:
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How
can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into
his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”
(John 3:3-6).
Notice the first line, “Except a man be
born again.” Born again refers to this New Birth
salvation, which is later broken down into “born of the water” and “born
of the spirit.” So then, being born of the water is apart of being born
again. So then if you were “born of the water” at birth why did Jesus
command us to be born again? How could this be speaking of the first birth
in your mother’s womb? Remember, it says “except a man!” “MAN” here tell
us that the person is already out of the mother’s womb, fully grown into
a living breathing human being and needs to be born again. But he cannot
enter into his mother’s womb again, so the mechanism used to re-enact
this and regenerate us is faith in water baptism and the baptism of the
Holy Ghost.
Surprisingly enough I was on the phone sometime early this year
(2003), and a friend of mine told me that he heard a prolific preacher
saying these things on television. I had no idea that preacher would say
something like that, especially as an adherent to the truth. I later found
out and even got emails about it. The same argument is used repeatedly,
being "born of the water" (John 3:5) is being born the first
time in the mother's womb, giving emphasis to the phrase "That which
is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6).
However, this is clearly wrong because
the opening verse to this said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Remember, Jesus broke it down
to Nicodemus that being born again is being “born of the water” and “of
the spirit” (John 3:5). In other words, the two composites make up being
born again.
Sorry to sound repetitive,
but how then could apart of it mean the first literal birth? How then
could being born again be the first birth of the natural womb? Why would
it be called "born again" or why would we need to be born again?
Or, why would Nicodemus say in utter confusion, "can a man enter
the second time in the womb;" giving reference to being born of the
water and spirit - born again?
You cannot separate being "born of the water"
from being born again. And, being born again is a secondary experience
to your natural birth. Those who are led to be born of the water and to
be born of the spirit are actually born of God; not 'a' or 'apart of'
the physical birth, but the new birth by Jesus Christ. John 1:13 tells
us this,
"Which were born, not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
He is the one who leads you to water baptism and supernaturally
take away all your sins; and he is also the one who supernaturally baptize
you with his spirit, evidence by unknown tongues. Again, I find this teaching
absurd, because water baptism or “born of the water” is for remission
of sins (Acts 2:38), yet one verse said that we were “shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my [our] mother conceive me [us]” (Psalms 51:5). If “born
of the water” was the first birth why were we born in sin, since “born
of the water” washes away sin? You see how stupid this is, clear erroneous
speculative theology
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