How to Study John 3:3&5 (Born again/Born of Water)
John 3:3&5
“Jesus answered, ‘Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.… Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’” (CSB)
Welcome to the Bible Study Guide for John 3:3&5, which leverages questions from the CHARA Bible Study Guide when studying these verses. Below are the questions the Chara team chose to ask, in the order they chose to ask them, but feel free to use other questions or change up the order as you dive into this passage. For ANSWERS from the Chara team on these questions, check out the video below.
APPLY
Yield: What personal, cultural, or religious bias and assumptions do you bring to the text? Is the term “born again” familiar (vs 3)? Have you ever stopped to think about what it means? What about “born of water” (vs 5)?
CONTEXT
Immediate: What is the theme or main idea found in the surrounding paragraph(s)? Let’s find out what is happening leading up to our passage. Read John 2:23-25 and describe what was happening and what you learn about Jesus. Then read John 3:1-2 and consider what did Nicodemus know about Jesus and what must Jesus have known about Nicodemus?
RESEARCH
Observations & Questions: What observations or questions do you have when you reread John 3:3-6 more than once? (Hint: Consider asking two questions surrounding verses 3 and 5: 1) What does “born again” mean? And 2) What does “born of water” mean?)
Translations/Original Language: Does another Bible translation (or version) add perspective or clarity on what the original language was trying to communicate? What does a word mean in the original language? The word for “again” can have two meanings in the original language. Check out a Greek lexicon (such as blueletterbible.org or biblehub.com) or look up John 3:3 in the NET or Amplified Bible translations to see how else it can be translated. (Hint: this same Greek word is also found in John 3:31 and 19:11).
AUTHOR
Related Text: See what Jesus emphasized by looking for what is revealed through questions and answers in verses 3-6. Jesus’ answer in verse 5 is the key to answering both our questions.
1. What does born again mean? How did Nicodemus interpret “born again” (vs 4)? How does “born from above” (vs 3) and “born of the Spirit” (vs 5) help you wrap your head around what Jesus actually meant by “born again?” (Hint: see also John 1:10-13, 1 Peter 1:3)
2. What does born of water mean? In verse 5 Jesus answered Nicodemus' misguided question about a physical rebirth. How does the immediate context before (vs 4) and after (vs 6) offer the simplest explanation of what “born of water” means?
CONTEXT
Immediate: What is the theme or main idea found in the surrounding paragraph(s) and how does that help determine what the verse means? There are many interpretations for what “born of water” could mean. Some have implications for salvation (entering the kingdom of God/eternal life). Read John 3:15-18 and look for repetition. What do you learn about salvation by looking at additional context?
How does one experience the spiritual rebirth that Jesus introduced back in 3:3-6? How would the terms “eternal life” and “will not perish” in verse 16 have given Nicodemus (and us) further clarity to the life that is born again?
HISTORY
How would the original audience have heard this message? Why did Jesus tell Nicodemus this? Could Nicodemus have misplaced his confidence for admittance into the kingdom of God? (Hint: Read John 3:1-2 and Matthew 3:9.) As a Jew and a Pharisee, Nicodemus may have relied on being a descendant of Abraham to enter the kingdom of God. If that’s the case, how would Nicodemus have heard the message that he needed to be born again?
APPLY:
Express: What fears or concerns do you have about applying what you’ve learned?
Pray: “Lord, what do you want me to learn and how should I apply this to my life?”
Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection of the passage? Is there a verse that you’d like to memorize to speak truth to your heart and mind?
Join the Chara Project team as they study John 3:3&5 and see their ANSWERS to the questions asked from the CHARA Bible Study Guide.