I was reading Jesus conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:1-15, this is how I interpret it.
Would you say I interpret it wrong?
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John 3:1-15
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ViaCrucis
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When a Gentile converted to Judaism part of the conversion process involved a ritual washing in the mikvah, a ritual washing pool.
So when Jesus tells Nicodemus that to see God's kingdom one needed to be "born of above" or "born anew" and Nicodemus, a well trained man of Torah, acts confused, Jesus asks, "How do you not get this?" And Jesus specifies, "You must be born of water and Spirit".
This new birth means, of course, more than simply the ritual washing in the mikvah. Christians have long and always interpreted John 3:5 as a clear reference to Baptism. Christian Baptism, of course, has its antecedent in the Jewish mikvah, in particular we see St. John the Baptist doing something unique with ritual washing--calling people to repentance in anticipation and expectation of Messiah's arrival, of the coming King who brings with Him God's kingdom. And thus John offers a washing of repentance, fulfilling the role of the Elijah in Malachi's ancient prophecy of Elijah calling Israel to repentance before the Day of Yahweh.
At the conclusion of Matthew's Gospel Jesus gives the Apostles the Great Commission, telling them, "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, instructing them of all that I have taught you."
On the Day of Pentecost, in Acts 2, the Spirit poured out upon the disciples in fulfillment of John the Baptist's words, "I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" St. Peter says these words to the gathered Jewish pilgrims in Jerusalem, "Repent and be baptized, all of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, this is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
St. Paul in Romans 6 writes, "Don't you know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ were baptized into His death? We were buried with Him in Baptism unto death, so that even as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God the Father we too might walk in newness of life." And also in Galatians 3, "All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
St. Peter in his epistle perhaps makes the point more clear, "This represents Baptism which now saves you, not as a cleaning of dirt from the body, but as a pledge of new conscience before God in accordance with Christ's resurrection"
"You must be born again" "You must be born of water and Spirit"
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Into Christ.
For the forgiveness of sins.
Receive the Holy Spirit.
Cleansed by water with the Word.
It now saves you.
A clean conscience before God.
Buried with Christ.
Crucified with Christ.
Raised with Christ to new life.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17
-CryptoLutheran
So when Jesus tells Nicodemus that to see God's kingdom one needed to be "born of above" or "born anew" and Nicodemus, a well trained man of Torah, acts confused, Jesus asks, "How do you not get this?" And Jesus specifies, "You must be born of water and Spirit".
This new birth means, of course, more than simply the ritual washing in the mikvah. Christians have long and always interpreted John 3:5 as a clear reference to Baptism. Christian Baptism, of course, has its antecedent in the Jewish mikvah, in particular we see St. John the Baptist doing something unique with ritual washing--calling people to repentance in anticipation and expectation of Messiah's arrival, of the coming King who brings with Him God's kingdom. And thus John offers a washing of repentance, fulfilling the role of the Elijah in Malachi's ancient prophecy of Elijah calling Israel to repentance before the Day of Yahweh.
At the conclusion of Matthew's Gospel Jesus gives the Apostles the Great Commission, telling them, "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, instructing them of all that I have taught you."
On the Day of Pentecost, in Acts 2, the Spirit poured out upon the disciples in fulfillment of John the Baptist's words, "I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" St. Peter says these words to the gathered Jewish pilgrims in Jerusalem, "Repent and be baptized, all of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, this is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
St. Paul in Romans 6 writes, "Don't you know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ were baptized into His death? We were buried with Him in Baptism unto death, so that even as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God the Father we too might walk in newness of life." And also in Galatians 3, "All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
St. Peter in his epistle perhaps makes the point more clear, "This represents Baptism which now saves you, not as a cleaning of dirt from the body, but as a pledge of new conscience before God in accordance with Christ's resurrection"
"You must be born again" "You must be born of water and Spirit"
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Into Christ.
For the forgiveness of sins.
Receive the Holy Spirit.
Cleansed by water with the Word.
It now saves you.
A clean conscience before God.
Buried with Christ.
Crucified with Christ.
Raised with Christ to new life.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17
-CryptoLutheran
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And responding in anticipation for what I think is a reasonable question:
"How can water do such great things?--Answer.
"How can water do such great things?--Answer.
It is not the water indeed that does them, but the word of God which is in and with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is simple water and no baptism. But with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says, Titus, chapter three: By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying." - Martin Luther's Small Catechism
-CryptoLutheran
-CryptoLutheran
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theophilus777
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No, not wrong. I think there is room for your understanding to grow, and I hope that is why you are here. Of course, staying in the Word will do more, but sharing, and asking questions, is all part of the process.
I have heard our spirit referred to as our "control panel." Regeneration of this is another Scriptural term, that I think refers t the same thing as the passage under discussion here.
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ViaCrucis
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The OP's understanding is quintessentially Gnostic. The duality of spirit and matter, the innate goodness of spirit and the innate ignorance of matter. The body of flesh is at best a temporal suit worn upon by the spiritual essence or soul, at worst it is a prison of the soul.
Both are incompatible with Christian teaching. Which affirms the basic goodness, and the ultimate immortality of the body, of matter, of creation.
-CryptoLutheran
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theophilus777
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I didn't see him state matter is ignorant, but this is something else for the OP to examine.
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Receiver
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We are born of man, of "the flesh", mortal.
If we receive God's Spirit we are born again, of the Spirit and receive an immortal life.
This began with the disciples at Pentecost:
"they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4, compare John 3:8, 12)
Until you enter into this relationship with God you will not be able to understand what his kingdom is about.
and continues the same today!
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