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When I was trying to register at a Christian web-side last week, there was
a check-box marked ´Are You Born Again?´.
First I thought nothing much about it – it was an American site after all...
But then I realized that You could not register at all without marking this
particular check-box!
I was a bit perplexed about this since I would not use the ´Born Again´ to
characterize myself in terms of Christian belief.
The term, so I thought was mostly used by Evangelical Christians in the US…
Why this still seems to be true – I learned that even some Anglicans in the
C of E say that they are ´Born Again´.
There does not seem to be an official position about this in the C of E – and
why should it?
After all: The term is mentioned in Article XV of the XXXIX Articles of Religion
as can be observed below:
“XV: Of Christ alone without Sin.
Christ in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all things, sin only except,
from which he was clearly void, both in his flesh, and in his spirit. He came to be the
Lamb without spot, who, by sacrifice of himself once made, should take away the sins
of the world; and sin (as Saint John saith) was not in him. But all we the rest, although
baptized and born again in Christ, yet offend in many things; and if we say we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
As everybody knows, the expression itself derives from:
John 3:3-5
“Jesus answered and said unto him,
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.”
But here an interesting thing can be noted: Clearly ‘Born Again’ refers
to baptism (Water and Spirit)!
So I am a bit doubtful as to making it into a ´special theological term´.
(I can understand Nicodemus´ question in the passage above).
_______________________________________________________________________
So: What do You think? Are You Born Again?
And if so: What does it mean for You?
a check-box marked ´Are You Born Again?´.
First I thought nothing much about it – it was an American site after all...
But then I realized that You could not register at all without marking this
particular check-box!
I was a bit perplexed about this since I would not use the ´Born Again´ to
characterize myself in terms of Christian belief.
The term, so I thought was mostly used by Evangelical Christians in the US…
Why this still seems to be true – I learned that even some Anglicans in the
C of E say that they are ´Born Again´.
There does not seem to be an official position about this in the C of E – and
why should it?
After all: The term is mentioned in Article XV of the XXXIX Articles of Religion
as can be observed below:
“XV: Of Christ alone without Sin.
Christ in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all things, sin only except,
from which he was clearly void, both in his flesh, and in his spirit. He came to be the
Lamb without spot, who, by sacrifice of himself once made, should take away the sins
of the world; and sin (as Saint John saith) was not in him. But all we the rest, although
baptized and born again in Christ, yet offend in many things; and if we say we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
As everybody knows, the expression itself derives from:
John 3:3-5
“Jesus answered and said unto him,
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.”
But here an interesting thing can be noted: Clearly ‘Born Again’ refers
to baptism (Water and Spirit)!
So I am a bit doubtful as to making it into a ´special theological term´.
(I can understand Nicodemus´ question in the passage above).
_______________________________________________________________________
So: What do You think? Are You Born Again?
And if so: What does it mean for You?
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