Verses often taken out of context or misused: John 3:5
John 3:5 [5] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (ESV)
Many people use this verse to argue that baptism is required for salvation.
This is a great example of understanding the proper exegesis of scripture and not eisegesis. Exegesis – the process of getting out of Scripture what is truly there. Eisegesis – interpret and read information into the text that is not there.
God’s word does not contradict itself. In a difficult to interpret passage, use scripture to proof itself. The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works of any kind, including baptism.
Ephesians 2:8–9 [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (ESV)
2 Corinthians 5:21 [21] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (ESV)
Romans 3:22–24 [22] the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (ESV)
Romans 5:1 [1] Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)
Galatians 3:24 [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. (ESV)
John 3:36 [36] Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (ESV)
To add anything to the gospel is to say that Jesus’ death on the cross was not sufficient to purchase our salvation. To say that baptism is necessary for salvation is to say we must add our good works and obedience to Christ’s death to make it sufficient for salvation.
What does this text say? The first thing to note is that the word baptism is found nowhere in the context. We must then determine what Jesus meant by His reference to “water” and what Nicodemus would have understood that reference to mean. It appears to be referencing renewal or spiritual cleansing. This would have made sense to Nicodemus as water is used figuratively for regeneration and spiritual cleansing throughout scripture. A little earlier in John, Jesus referenced this idea with the woman at the well.
John 4:13–14 [13] Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, [14] but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (ESV)
And a little later He does so in:
John 7:37–39 [37] On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. [38] Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” [39] Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (ESV)
Look at the context of John 3:5:
John 3:1–8 [1] Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” [3] Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [4] Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” [5] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ [8] The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (ESV)
This verse study is not about rejecting baptism. It is about understanding the wrong usage of today’s verse. Baptism is an important step of obedience for a Christian. Christian baptism is the means by which a person makes a public profession of faith and discipleship. It beautifully illustrates, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and our identification with it. At the same time, it also illustrates our death to sin and new life in Christ.
Romans 6:3–4 [3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (ESV)
