i luv the bible

Commentary by Cathy Depestre
Posted on: 11/4/2009 19:52 pm

We are saved by grace through faith.(Eph.2:8) Faith comes by the hearing of the word of God.(Romans 10:17)We are born again by the incorrutible seed, the ever abiding word of God (1 Peter 1:23).The Lord Jesus said, “The words I speak to you, they are spirit, they are life.”(John 6:63). The word of God is thus life giving spirit. Peter therefore said,”Lord, whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” Thus the word of God is the seed that gives life. The word of God is also liken to water ( Ephesians 5:26). In the Sripture where the reference is to flowing water as symbol the Holy Spirit is intended, while in other cases the word of God is meant. The seed germinates in and by the water. The Holy Spirit uses the word of God. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-14)It is the very work of the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus and glorify Him. He therefore reveals Jesus as savior to the sinners.

My understaning of the new birth is that when the word of God, or say the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit applies. The sinner sees his hopeless position as sinner. He repents which means he not only regrets for his sins, but starts abhoring the sin altogether.He believes the Gospel and puts faith on the Lord Jesus as savior.He demonstrates the obediance of faith by acceting the lordship of Jesus christ, becoming His disciple. As he repents and believes His sins are forgiven by the shed blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Now that his sins are forgiven, the holy spirit gives him divine life. The sinner is born anew, born from above. I am agrreable to the proposition that John 3:5 can be rightly understood as” by water even ( or, that is) the Spirit- The holy Spirit using the word of God. Baptism is not the new birth, but it is the outward testimony of what has taken place within. A person is baptised because he has become the disciple of the Lord Jesus (Mt.28;18-20)

Commentary by Jayant Christian
Posted on: 5/12/2009 16:36 pm

John 3:5 has often been misused as if being born again is somehow related to the act of water baptism. It is assumed, without any proof whatsoever, that “water” signifies baptism. If “water” is arbitrarily defined as baptism, then we could just as justifiably say, “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living baptism” in John 7:38. If this sounds foolish, it is no more so than the idea that baptism is the source or the means of being born again.

Here is how I understand John 3:5:

(1) The Greek reads: “born of water and [kai] Spirit.” It is not born of water and of the Spirit, as if there are two sources. But the fact is, there is only one source of the new birth in this passage: the Spirit: “born ek water kai Spirit,” which can read, “born out of water even the Spirit.”

(2) The Greek word kai is often rendered even, and “born of water even the Spirit” is what W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testement Words calls “the epexagetic or explanatory use” (Vol. IV, page 252). Similar in use to “God even (kai) the Father” and “Jesus even (kai) our Saviour.”

(3) The same writer, John, in a near context, makes “water” synonymous with the Spirit: “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit . . . ” (John 7:38, 39). This shows that water is emblematical of the Spirit.

In every place where men are said to be “born” spiritually, the word EK [out of] is used, which indicates SOURCE. When “means” are in view, the word DIA [by or through] is used. And in no place in the Bible is any one said to born ek baptism or dia baptism. Baptism is neither the source nor the means of the new birth.
(from Bob Ross)

Commentary by gm
Posted on: 4/1/2009 09:05 am

1)Dear Pastor,Jason W.Elder,You have expressed the importance of the “BLOOD”
of Jesus Christ in your own style of language.I wish to add some comments for the benefit of some visitors.
Heb.9:22″Without shedding of blood there is no remission.”Read Lev.17:11;
Rom.3:25;Eph.1:7;2:13;Col.1:14;1 Pet.1:18,19;1 John 1:7;Rev.1:5.
“..if righteous come by the law,then Christ is dead in vain.” Gal.2:21.Read Matt.26:28;Mark 14:24;Luke 22:20;1 Cor.11:25;Heb.9:11-22.
2)”Repent”-It is the key word in Acts 2:38.It was the first sermon of Peter.
Read Acts 3:20 also.John the Baptist preached,”Repent,ye,for the kingdom of God is at hand.”Matt.3:2. Jesus preached,”The time is fulfilled,and the kingdom of God is at hand;Repent ye,and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:15.
3)Repentance involves the change of mind and heart which leads to the change
of action.It contains two elements (i)to turn from & (ii)to turn to(Read 1 Thes.1:9;acts 14:15).Repentance is making an about turn.One has to regret for the sins of omissions & commissions & turn to God.
4)Paul has stated that the Corinthians were saved by the gospel.1 Cor.15:1,2
Rom.1:16.Read 2 Thes 2:13,14 “…God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth;
wherefore he called you by our gospel.”One has to hear & know the gospel so that he can believe& be saved..John 5:24;Rom.10:13,14.
5)”..the wages of sin is death.”Rom.6:23.Jesus Christ has died on the cross in our stead and paid the penalty of death for our sins .The perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ has obtained the forgiveness of sins.One has to believe on the finished work of Christ to be saved.Rom.3:24;10:9.
6)”But as many as received him(Jesus)to them he gave power to become the sons of God,even to them that believe on his name.”John1:12;Read Gal.3:26.
They were not born of blood,nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man,but of God.John 1:13.Here the spiritual birth (being born again) is implied.Being born in a Christian family to godly parents does not mean that there is no need to be born again.But there is good chance of getting saved for those persons who are born to godly parents.Acts16:31.Mere Church attendance or membership does not save a person.Compare Acts 2:47″..And the Lord added to the church such as should be saved.”
“Therefore if any man be in Christ,he is a new creature;old thing are passed away;behold all things become new.”2 cor.5:17.Read Gal.6:15;Titus 2:14;3:15.
“We are born in this world to make a difference.In order to make that change internal changes must take place.Just as a worm feels the discomfort of its cocoon and begins making changes to transform into a beautiful butterfly,and be set free, we also can be transformed into beautiful creatures.”-The caterpillar is called the “Enemy of the farmers”.But the butterfly(coming from a caterpillar by the change)is called the “Friend of the farmers”as it helps the growth of the vegetation through pollination.
Read Gal.1:23;Phile.1:11.
7)Baptism identifies us with the burial of Jesus Christ.Read Rom.6:4;1 Pet.
3;21.The baptism signifies as “being dead to our sinful life & resurrected
to a new life in Christ.”Read Mark 16:16;1 cor.12:13;Gal.3:27-29

Commentary by Alex
Posted on: 1/10/2009 03:40 am

RE: jk’s cmt on John 3:8 & Baptismal Regeneration

I don’t know what version of the Bible you’re using for Acts 2:38 but its the wrong one. You need to go to Wal-Mart and get a King James Bible.

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ FOR the remission of sins…”(Ac 2:38)

“For” means “because” or “because of,” as in John 3:16 “For (because) God so loved the world…” In other words, Acts 2:38 says you ought to get baptized because your sins have been remitted.

I’m a baptist, I baptize believers, but baptism has absolutely nothing to do with salvation. “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” (1Co 1:17)The Gospel is separate from baptism. As for being “born of water” when you were born, your mother’s water broke. Its as simple as that.

The new birth is NOT about being baptized! If water washed away sins, you’d have to soak all night! The power’s not in the water, the power’s in the BLOOD!

http://jasoneldersblog.wordpress.com

Commentary by Jason W. Elder
Posted on: 1/9/2009 16:26 pm