If the “original” sin was committed by Adam and all who came after him “inherited” that sin, as all denominationalist believe, how could one be BORN AGAIN? The Greek for these words are very revealing, they are anothen gennao. Anothen (again) is an adverb of place or time, the word is broken up into two parts (ano)-above, and (-then), denoting from the beginning, anew, as before (Galatians 4:9. John 3:7). It is used in John 3:31-”from above”. Again in John 19:11; James 1:17. and James 3:15-17. In the conversation with Nicodemus it tells “WHEN” AND WHERE A PERSON AGAIN BORN!!. WHY OR HOW would one be “born again” when God had already predetermined their destiny, it would be useless!! In 1 John 3:9; 2:29; 4:7; and 5:1,4,18. John is referring to this type birth! This birth is FROM GOD, not from man; it came from above, not from a physical man on the earth; and was NOW being mentioned, not offered, to Nicodemus, for as yet no sacrifice had been offered to allow this mighty work, not even the baptism Jesus offered though His own disciples! John 4:1-2
Nicodemus was a now a Jew in shock. Like Job, he began to defy, deny, and declare impossible what Christ was revealing. THIS JUST COULD NOT BE!! Being a ruler of the most religious people on the earth, birth records to them had been the most precious possession! They guarded their ancestry with their life. The Jews determined their situation and status by their being able to trace their birth ancestry back to Abraham. There was a group among them who had positive proof of their ancestry and were called the PHARISEES OF THE PHARISEES. In the return from Babylon, every Jew checked, traced, corroborated, their ancestry. This was the biggest movement of their day!! To them and their religion, their birth was EVERYTHING. Every Jewish male was added to the ancestral role when circumcised on the eighth day. They forfeited their land possession if their ancestry was not in check. To be told one had to be “born again” put Nicodemus head in a spin, his faith in doubt, and his precious land, promised him by God to Abraham, at risk. Immediately, Nicodemus was beside himself.
From whence was the baptism of John, the Baptist? Jesus commandingly informed Nicodemus that this new type of birth was a prerequisite to “entering the kingdom of Heaven”!! This was even MORE disturbing to him. Had not John’s baptism been offered to all who wished to enter that Kingdom? Assume Nicodemus had already been baptized of John the Baptist and see where this would put Nicodemus!! You mean John’s baptism WOULD NOT put you into the Kingdom of Heaven?? WHAT GOOD WAS JOHN’S BAPTISM? If the baptism “from above” put you somewhere John’s baptism could not put you, what was John doing?? Baptist baptism today, claims this doctrine. They teach their baptism WILL NOT AND DOES NOT PUT YOU IN THE KINGDOM, you are sure you saved BEFORE you are baptized and have to testify of your salvation. Your testimony is then voted on and if accepted your baptism is arranged. You are already saved, they teach, and their baptism only puts you in the Baptist Church, definitely not the Kingdom of Heaven!! Some of our brethren want Baptist baptism to be treated as equal to the baptism of Christ for the remission of sin!! Acts 2:38 Something that would not put you into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son!! Colossians 1:13, THEN OR NOW will not put you in touch with the blood of Christ and is NOT God’s plan to save!! You mean John’s baptism was not equal to the baptism “from above,” yet many of our brethren teach and transfer those baptized after their salvation experience (as they call it) in the Baptist denomination into the Body of Christ?? Have I missed the verse that teaches John’s baptism was “from above”?!!
The verb “be born again” is from the Greek word gennethe- to be begotten, to be born, used of men to describe a begetting. Used allegorically, Galatians 4:24-26; of conception, Matthew 1:20; or the act of God in the birth of Jesus (Jesus was NOT said to be the son of God at His physical birth from the womb of Mary, He was called Son of God when resurrected from the grave) Acts 13:30-34; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5; Psalms 2:7 There are two Greek words for son, huios and teknon. Huios is reserved for the Son of God. It signifies relationship, not birth. Christians are named tekna Theou always, huios gives evidence of the dignity of one’s relationship, equality, and sameness. Jesus was telling Nicodemus that there was a birth that was soon coming of which man had never been invited!! The sacrifice offered “from the foundations of the world” was soon to be made. It was TIME. Galatians 4:4
