What kind of rebirth are we talking about here?

First of all, a few clarifying remarks: With “rebirth” no technique is meant, like “rebirthing”, with which one tries to achieve change of consciousness by hyperventilation and similar things. On the contrary – rebirth is what God does with you, not something you can bring about yourself.

Likewise, rebirth does not denote reincarnation, that is, an unremitting series of “dying and being born again in a new body.” Reincarnation is foreign to the Bible, even if there are some who want to read these thoughts into the Bible. When Christians speak of rebirth, they are not thinking of death and reincarnation, but of something that happens in this life.

I am referring here to regeneration as a Christian tradition. It tries to base itself on the Bible. With the word “rebirth” or the verb “to be born again” one marks a transition. To be born again means something like transformation and for many Christians you are not really a Christian until you are “born again”. The reference is after a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in the Gospel of John, chapter 3. We will discuss this further below.

Personal or national?

Many are familiar with the term “personal rebirth”. This is how it is taught. It’s about the individual. The biblical passages quoted are interpreted in this sense. However, there are inconsistencies with this interpretation. Famous is the passage in John, chapter 3, where we read about Jesus and Nicodemus. This story in particular seems to describe rebirth excellently. Now here is the question: Was Jesus concerned with addressing Nicodemus personally in order to convince him of a personal rebirth? Or does Jesus address him as “the teacher of Israel”, is it about a national event? This is the question we are exploring here.

The rebirth, as we will see, concerns a Messianic event and has nothing to do with the present time or the church today. There is a better term for what we are experiencing today: New Creation. In this post, we will discover what rebirth means in the Bible, and why new creation is a better term for today.

Jesus and Nicodemus

The central passage that is repeatedly cited for the idea of rebirth is found in the Gospel of John. Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover feast. He did many signs that testified to His person and mission. This, of course, caught the attention of everyone in Jerusalem. One night Jesus received a visit from someone who wanted to talk about it. The conversation between Jesus and the visitor Nicodemus speaks of what later passed into Christian tradition as “rebirth.”

Here is the story of the encounter:

“Among the Pharisees was a man whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The latter came to Him by night and declared to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come as a teacher from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.

Jesus answered him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be begotten from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Then Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man who is an old man be begotten? Surely he cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born!

Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be begotten of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is begotten of the flesh is flesh, and that which is begotten of the spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised that I told you: You should be begotten from above. The breeze blows where it will; you hear its whispering, but you do not know where it comes from and where it goes. It is the same with everyone who is begotten of the Spirit.

Then Nicodemus took the floor and asked Him, “How can this happen?

Jesus answered him, “You are the teacher of Israel and do not recognize this? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, That which we know we speak; and that which we have seen we testify; yet ye receive not our testimony. If I spoke to you of the earthly and you did not believe, how will you believe when I speak to you of the supernatural?”
John 3:1-12

After these words, we read no further of Nicodemus in John 3. It is as if the conversation in John’s report is broken off after the main statements are made. Whether the following verses are part of the conversation is unclear. The further verses explain the meaning of the “heavenly one” by Jesus explaining that the Son descended from heaven.

Nicodemus came to Jesus and first confirmed the signs that Jesus had done. From this it was clear beyond doubt that God would have to be with Him. It is a remarkable statement by Nicodemus, because as a leader of the Jews and as a Pharisee, he was part of the religious leadership that was regularly critical of Jesus. That’s probably why he came “by night.” However, he came because he was looking for contact and exchange with this man named Jesus.

The connection

Now how should we understand these words? The temptation is great to apply everything immediately to oneself. This is how it is done in many churches and free churches. So you don’t look at what context this is happening in, but on the face of it you assume that you are part of the context. This is how hasty conclusions are drawn. Essentially, it is an interpretation of the New Testament. Many interpret the Bible in such a way that the Old Testament (the Tenach) concerns the Jew, but the so-called New Testament concerns the Christian. This is by no means the case. More on this, for example, in the “Overview of the New Testament, Part 1”.

These words are written in the Gospels. They describe the time from Jesus’ birth to His resurrection. During this time he preached “the gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23). The Kingdom was the good news. It was not a matter of “believe in Jesus or be lost forever,” nor was it a matter of God’s grace based on His righteousness, as Paul later spoke about it (Eph. 3:1-2). The subject of this conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus was also “the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Again, let us not jump to the conclusion that the Kingdom of God is the church or the present-day congregation. It isn’t. This statement is significant because Christians often hijack the entire New Testament as if it all speaks of believers from the nations, loosely based on the motto, “Everywhere Jesus is on it, today’s church is in it.” This view is unfortunately undifferentiated and does not do justice to the New Testament.

The talk of the Kingdom does not refer to what is understood as the Church today, but to what the prophets had said in the Old Testament. The Jews expected a kingdom on earth where justice reigns. It is the messianic kingdom that Matthew describes as the “kingdom of heaven” that had “come near” in the time of the Gospels (Matt 3:2 and Matt 4:17). In the prophet Daniel it was still far away (Dan 2:44; Dan 7:27), but in the New Testament it came near in Jesus as Messiah. It was this expectation of the messianic kingdom for Israel that shaped Jesus’ proclamation and the disciples’ understanding. Even after the resurrection, the disciples asked bluntly, “Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” (Acts 1:6). There, a congregation of all nations is still unthinkable. For more on the messianic kingdom proclaimed as a gospel by Jesus and the 12 apostles, read the article “The Kingdom of Heaven.”

So the Kingdom was the subject in the Gospels, not the Church of all nations – that came only with Paul (Rom 11:13 and others).

Born from above

Back to the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. Jesus explains to Nicodemus that he must be “begotten from above.” He repeats this twice, explaining it in terms of being “begotten of water and the Spirit.” This linkage has meaning. First, however, it can be stated that a word like “rebirth” is not in this place, but that it is about being “begotten from above”.

The word “beget” (Gr. gennao) refers less to birth than to origin. So it is used 39 times in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, called the “roll of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matt. 1:1-16). The word answers the question “from where” or “how” as well as “in what context”.

Now if someone has to be “begotten from above,” as Jesus suggested to Nicodemus, it was a matter of figurative language. It is about the questions “from where” and “how” and because of which connections one gets (new) life. Nicodemus, however, understood it as a physical “being born,” a birth. Jesus then corrected him by saying that someone must be begotten “of water and the Spirit,” which is not the same as bodily birth.

To be born from above, or to be born of water and the Spirit, is the prerequisite for seeing (John 3:3) or entering (John 3:5) the Kingdom of God. Let’s think about what we found before. This is a reference to the Messianic Kingdom. By no means is this about us personally “believing in Jesus,” nor is this about “the church.”

Again and again I experience how deeply old traditions are anchored in thinking. For some, it is almost impossible to let go of old ideas about the text in order to let the text apply in its own context. However, this is precisely what is needed if we are to take the biblical text seriously. This is not at all about a personal rebirth, but something much greater. Indeed, there is a context for these statements. Nicodemus should actually know about this, Jesus reminds him: “You are the teacher of Israel and do not recognize this?” (John 3:10).

Nicodemus senses great things, but in his questions he does not go beyond what his eyes can see (Joh 3:2) and what he can imagine in the flesh (Joh 3:4). Jesus, on the other hand, points to something quite different. Being born from above has nothing to do with birth, but with a spiritual reality.

Water and spirit

Jesus speaks to Nicodemus and calls him “the teacher of Israel” (John 3:10). Therefore, Nicodemus should be familiar with the Tenach writings. He should have known what Jesus was talking about, because these things are already found in the Old Testament.

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee:
If someone is not begotten of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

That which is begotten of the flesh is flesh,
and that which is begotten of the spirit is spirit.

Do not be surprised that I told you: You would have to be begotten from above.
The breeze blows where it wants;
you hear its whirring, but you do not know where it comes from and where it goes.
It is the same with everyone who is begotten of the Spirit.”
John 3:5-8

“To be begotten from above” is synonymous with “to be begotten of the Spirit.” It is about a spiritual reality where Jesus points. Nicodemus should have known that there was something, already witnessed in the Old Testament, that speaks of a reality different from that directly experienced “in the flesh.” So what we can see and feel and bring about ourselves is one thing (flesh), but there is something that can arise anew, and this comes from spirit. Flesh and spirit are figurative language and point here to a difference.

Such a difference is not new in the New Testament. It comes from the Old Testament, where it was a promise:

“And I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; from all your impurities and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you; and I will make you live in my ordinances, and keep and do my judgments.”
Ezek 36:25-27

Nicodemus should have known that. It is the prospect of a messianic kingdom in which God will not only gather His people into the land of Israel, but will also purify them, give them a new heart and a new spirit. This will make it possible for them to live out the law. When Jesus preached the “gospel of the kingdom,” He spoke to Israel alone (Matt. 15:24; Rom. 15:8). It was about the promises to Israel and that they would be fulfilled. Of course, the outlook was that the people had to be “born from above”, through water and the Spirit.

Personally or as a people?

Here lies a stumbling block in understanding many statements: when does the Bible mean someone personally and when does Scripture mean a larger group?

In the case of Nicodemus it is quite clear: Nicodemus is “the teacher of Israel” and Jesus thus addresses him in his function for the people. He should have known what Jesus was talking about. Nicodemus was not primarily meant personally, but there was a promise for his people. Of course, he, as a Jew, should also personally participate. However, Jesus is not speaking to Nicodemus here as if it were only about him, but he is speaking about the people, of which Nicodemus is part.

So Jesus is not talking to Nicodemus about “personal salvation” or “5 pieces of advice on how to escape hellfire,” but about the importance of Old Testament promises to Israel. Nicodemus was to realize that there would be a future for the people of Israel, but that future would need spiritual renewal according to the statements of the prophets. Of course, this then also affects himself, so individually. However, the origin is in the promise for the physical people of Israel, for the Jews.

This should be noted: In the conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus points out that Nicodemus and all the people must be “born from above” so that they can enter the Messianic Kingdom. Of course, this also affects the individuals in the people. But it would be wrong to simply remove the people of Israel from the context, as is common today when a “rebirth” is mentioned.

This link between the people and the individual is unique to Israel. While individuals believe, they are also part of an expectation for the people. This belongs together. We cannot detach the individual from the context in the Gospels, as is usually done today when talking about “rebirth.” This is about an expectation for the entire people. That is the starting point.

Today it is different. Today we have a calling by God’s grace. It is not tied to a particular people or nation, but today’s church is a “called out multitude” (Gr. ekklesia) from all nations. This is different. Today, it is really a matter of individuals being called. When they believe and trust the words of God’s grace (Eph. 3:1-2), you become part of the body of Christ, this present-day church of which Paul alone – as “apostle to the nations” – speaks. This is also an affiliation, but one in the opposite direction:

1. When something in the Gospels applies to individuals, it comes from a promise to the people – of which they are already part. (People > Individual)
2. If anything in Paul’s letters applies to individuals, then those individuals are included in the church. (Individual > Community)

The unraveling of the Gospels thus begins where we recognize that although individual people are addressed in the Gospels, there is always a messianic event on the horizon in which the people of Israel as a whole were to participate. In the Gospels, the individual stands within a larger messianic proclamation.

The regeneration

“Then Peter took the floor and said to Him [Jesus]:
Behold, we have left everything and followed You: What shall our portion be?

Then Jesus answered them:
Verily I say to you: You who have followed Me,
in the Second Coming, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory,
I will sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Mt 19:27-28

This “regeneration” or “re-generation” (Gr. palingenesia) is the actual rebirth. The Elberfelder translation speaks of it this way. Again, it is not about birth, but about procreation, lineage, connection. It is a term that Jesus now refers to the dawn of the messianic kingdom, when this age will be replaced by a new age. Then what the prophets had foretold about Israel will take place. A new Israel will enter a new age. A few chapters later, Matthew mentions this “throne of glory” in Jesus’ end-time discourse (Mt 24 – Mt 25). This speech concerns the transition to the new messianic age.

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy messengers with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them [die Nationen] from one another, but as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
Mt 25:31-32

Back to the quote from chapter 19, so Jesus promised the disciples that at this revival, when He Himself would sit on the throne of His glory, the 12 disciples would not only be there, but they themselves would sit on 12 thrones and judge the 12 tribes of Israel.

The change of parameters

Something has changed. The Gospels do not concern our present time. What happened? The New Testament is not a one-size-fits-all pulp. What is said to Israel does not automatically apply to the non-Israelites. The talk of “rebirth” as a description of a transformation now seems less than accurate. The Gospels speak of something different than is happening now.

While Jesus (and the 12 apostles) have a clear mandate for Israel – to confirm the promises to Israel (Matt 15:24; Rom 15:8; Gal 2:7-9), the nations were waiting for Israel to mediate. At that time, believers in the nations had to join Israel if they wanted to become part of these promises. But then nothing happened. Israel as a people rejected this way. There was only one church in Jerusalem and scattered believers among Jews and proselytes, such as in the Jewish community in Antioch.

It is only when Paul is called and begins his ministry that things change. He was called as the only apostle for the nations. Great Commission or not, the Twelve never did missionary work and Paul does something different than “make disciples of nations, baptizing them and teaching them to keep commandments” as it says in Mt 28:20. Read more in the article “Mission or evangelism – the Great Commission tested”.

So Paul – with him things change. Here the nations come on stage in a completely different way. The prophets saw nations as blessed through Israel. But now Israel was going a different way, Paul made it clear that there was a new way:

“What follows from this? What Israel seeks it has not obtained; but the election it has obtained [the church in Jerusalem, 12 apostles and Jewish believers]. The rest were hardened, as it is written, God gives them a spirit of stupefaction, eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, till this day (Isa. 29:10; Deut. 29:4).”
Rom 11:7-8

However, this is not the end of the road for Israel. The apostle declares in the same chapter:

“For if their present rejection of the world is reconciliation, what will their reacceptance be but life from the dead?”
Rom 11:15

And the summary of all statements from the Epistle to the Romans until now:

“For God includes all together in contumacy, that He may have mercy on all.”
Rom 11:32

While it is no different for Israel at the moment than it is for any other nation, God will one day provide a future for the people again. In this day and age, all nations are equal and God does not call based on affiliation, but He calls by His grace. The apostle who was mentored with this special commission was Paul (Rom 11:13; Gal 2:7-9; Eph 1:1-10, etc.).

Paul is the only one who speaks of the “body of Christ.” The “kingdom” is no longer an issue. The Messianic Kingdom has no place in today’s proclamation. His proclamation culminates in the fact that Jew and Gentile both now have access to the Father through one Spirit (Eph 2:13-18). Jew and Gentile are in the same position before God. That is a feature of this day and age.

Rebirth or new creation?

Therefore, it is no longer about rebirth for the messianic kingdom. Also, the regeneration is not before us, as Jesus presented it to his disciples. I’m sure it will happen again, but today is different. Today, by grace, Paul calls out the body of Christ, wherein believers from all nations are united. There is no mediation from the people of Israel to the other nations today. This was the expectation from the prophets, but it was not fulfilled. What happened next? Something new was happening. This newness lay in the calling of the apostle Paul. Through Paul, it now goes directly to the nations – without any intermediary role from Israel. That was mind-blowingly new.

“Therefore I, Paul, am the bound of Christ Jesus for you who are of the Gentiles – for if you have heard of the administration of the grace of God given to me for you.”
Eph 3:1-2

This grace of God is the foundation. He reconciles us to Himself. Now we can be reconciled. If we let ourselves be reconciled, then wonderful things will happen. Transformation happens then, too. The apostle describes it as follows:

“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, there is a new creation: the former things passed away, behold, they are become new.

But all this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself: He does not impute their offenses to them and has set down in us the word of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are messengers for Christ, as if God were speaking through us. We plead for Christ: Be reconciled to God! For He who knew not sin made Him to be sin for us, that we might become God’s righteousness in Him.”
2Cor 5:17-21

Not a new birth, but a new creation. Paul has the broadest vision in the New Testament. This is true both for the future and for the breadth of the Gospel. He does not just change the former gospel of the kingdom a little bit, but introduces completely new things. This also requires new words. The word “rebirth” or “born from above” has become obsolete for the time being. The context is not given today. There is a new word for this: “new creation”. Not only is this well justified, but in context it clarifies excellently what it is all about.

The bath of rebirth

There is one more place we need to talk about. It reads in Paul’s letter to Titus and reads as follows:

“But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of works (which we do in righteousness), but according to His mercy, through the Bath of the regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which He pours out upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that we, being justified in the same grace, might become lot holders, according to the expectation of eonian life.”
Titus 3:4-7

Here is the same word for regeneration as in Matthew 19. If one has read along carefully up to this point, the connection should be quite clear. Here Paul uses a word that was used by Jesus in the Gospels in a very specific context. In the context of the Gospels, the regeneration is an expression of the Messianic Kingdom. This is how Jesus uses it. Paul is not talking about the kingdom, but something that is happening spiritually. It is figurative language, but in a different way than in the Gospels. So it’s not that “rebirth applies to us now after all,” as I’ve sometimes heard it said.

Just before, Paul spoke figuratively with regard to the church that God wanted for Himself “a people to purify” (Titus 2:14). Strong, figurative language that does not rely on a human lineage. It is God’s work, brought about by His grace (Titus 2:11). When the apostle speaks a few verses further about people coming to salvation through the “bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,” this was not a reference to a literal water baptism, nor to a “magical granting of the Spirit.” Bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit are mutually dependent. One explains the other. It is a statement in two parts. It is about a spiritual renewal. This establishes the purification from the people. People have become different. It is an experience in the here and now. In contrast, the Second Coming for Jesus was a messianic event in the future.

Titus 3:5 cannot be used to justify regeneration as it is often taught today. Today is a special time, of which the prophets knew nothing, and of which Jesus also did not report in the Gospels. Only later does Paul make it known by revealing secrets. It was new. There were even new words that are found only in Paul, just as there are other terms only in the Gospels.

• Rebirth (being born from above) is typically part of Israel’s expectation. Messianic Event.
• New creation (in Christ) typically belongs to the present time and Paul’s gospel. Personal Event.