THE BORN AGAIN DOCTRINE: DECEPTION? (WAS JESUS HIMSELF BORN AGAIN? IF YES; WHEN AND HOW DID IT OCCUR?) The unique but controversial gospel of John recounts an intriguing discourse between Jesus and Nicodemus wherein the former is said to have declared: Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again (John 3v3). This declaration is and continues to be a dividing factor among denominations of Christians as to its genuine interpretation and the “HOW FACTOR”. A majority of believers generally understand the born again experience as a process in which an individual undergoes a spiritual rebirth (regeneration) of his soul or spirit by the Holy Spirit, contrasted with the physical birth everyone experiences with persons professing to be born again often stating that they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The traditional and historic church denominations generally understood being born again as spiritual regeneration through the sacrament of baptism by the power of water and word. This understanding persists in Roman Catholicism, in some parts of Anglicanism, in Lutheranism and in Eastern Orthodoxy. However, since the era after the Reformation, Evangelical Protestants have predominantly understood being born again as an experience of CONVERSION, and then symbolized by the baptism of immersion and rooted in a commitment to ones own personal faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. CLIMAX If Jesus is the way, the truth and the Life (which all Christians do believe to be so) then a possible starting point to a better understanding of the Born-Again doctrine could be by asking the question: WAS JESUS HIMSELF BORN AGAIN? IF YES; WHEN AND HOW DID SUCH OCCUR? Some will be quick to posit that Jesus was ‘God’ and needed not to undergo such an experience. To that, a simply question will I throw to them thus: What is more humiliating, discrediting, dangerous and deceptive? Jesus’ Baptism or Jesus’ Born Again experience if ever it did occur? With no iota of a doubt, many will agree to the fact that Baptissing God was needless and more damaging than a possible occurrence of the latter. John’s baptism implied that Jesus had sinned and needed repentance and cleansing. What a message Jesus may have passed on to His viewers (He who is said to be sinless, God reincarnated) as he submitted to John’s baptism of repentance. If Jesus could do such a thing (to fulfill all righteousness as he posited) then Jesus must have being Born Again at some point. WHEN? WHEN? WHEN? WHEN? The silence is very deafening, isn’t it? DECEPTION? (John 3v6) Most Christians especially the pulpit-controlled folks believe that this concept must be achieved before death by any Christian who dreams of inheriting eternal life. I wonder if they who claim to be born again have eliminated their flesh cabins (their bodies) or are truly still embodied therein, predestined to change after death, or when Jesus returns and raptures those fortunate enough to have made that choice. I find it difficult to understand how a person can believe one can be born again in this life, just from the lack of logic in the phrase itself. How can one be reborn? Fortunately, the Bible itself poses this perplexing question, and answers it profoundly; thought persons promoting this concept intentionally or ignorantly ignore that answer completely. It takes no great effort to find exactly what born again means. The phrase only appears three times in scripture. Let’s flash back: Nicodemus gets these responses from Jesus: ♦ Jesus said I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ♦ Nicodemus, obviously confused by his declaration, further asked: How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mothers womb, and be born? ♦ Jesus then answered I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Then Jesus makes a golden declaration: THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH IS FLESH; AND THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT. Please, take special note of the phrase Flesh is Flesh and Spirit is Spirit. (Spirit is Spirit; Spirit is not flesh and spirit) ♦ And to further reinforce the reality of his point, he then added Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Ok, let’s go deeper. The word spirit in the phrase Spirit is spirit is translated from the Greek word ‘pneuma’, implying a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze. This certainly agrees with the widely accepted understanding of what spirit means. And, we can see that Jesus clearly describes the nature of spirit by using wind as an analogy. So, Jesus is saying the spirit is like the wind; it goes where it does and you can hear it, but you cannot see it. In the simplest of terms; the spirit is invisible. Nothing complicated about that. Jesus simply says that every one that is born of the Spirit is like the wind, which you cant see or, therefore, is invisible. Jesus first said that spirit is not like flesh/the human body, which is seen, and then clearly confirms that anyone, who is born again is not flesh, but spirit, which is invisible. However way you look at the puzzle, there is no way to get around the fact that anyone who claims to be born again (according to Jesus) must be invisible. If scripture is the reference to the Born Again doctrine (and I think all Christians do agree on that) then all those claiming to be born again are simply saying they are invisible. No human in flesh and blood can scripturally justify his/her claims of being born again. . This greatly is in line with Paul’s declaration in 1 Corinthians 15v50 as he lays down the criteria for inheriting the Kingdom of God. There’s a great difference between being begotten by the father and being born-again. To be continued……
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 11:53:40 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015