A literal reading of John 3:3–7 shows that it is Israel (as a nation) that must be “born again.” Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus in this passage, and the pronouns are key to a proper interpretation. This smacks as heresy to most of us in the evangelical community. But is it actually taught that those of us in the Body of Christ are born again?
First, in verses 3 and 5, Jesus addresses Nicodemus individually using the singular pronoun “thee”: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee…” (KJV). This shows Jesus is speaking directly to Nicodemus personally. The topic is birth—or more precisely, being “born again.” For something to be born again, it must have been born once already.
Second, notice the shift to the plural pronoun in verse 7: “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” Who does “ye” refer to? Jesus is addressing Nicodemus, who is described as “a ruler of the Jews” (verse 1). Therefore, the “ye” (plural “you”) refers to the people Nicodemus rules over—that is, the nation of Israel.
Third, the Old Testament contains several passages describing Israel as created or “born” by God:
- Exodus 4:22–23
- Deuteronomy 32:6
- Isaiah 43:1
- Isaiah 43:15
- Isaiah 44:2
- Hosea 11:1
In the New Testament, Paul never speaks of being born again, rather he introduces the “new man” or the “body of Christ”, which he calls a “new creature” (see Ephesians 2:15, Ephesians 4:22-24, Colossians 3:9-10 and other related passages). This is not a rebirth of something old, but something entirely new, revealed to Paul by Jesus Christ.
The term “body of Christ” is Paul’s theological metaphor for the church itself—all believers united to Christ as members of one spiritual man, with Christ as the head (e.g., 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, where he writes, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular”; similarly in Romans 12:4-5, Ephesians 4:4-16, and Colossians 1:18, 24).
Finally, I don’t think this needs to be a major point of contention. When people say they are “born again,” I understand what they mean in the common Christian sense. They are professing their eternal salvation. But wouldn’t you agree it’s better to pay close attention to what the text is literally saying?
Roger Feenstra 