John 3:5 born of water and Spirit - Eph 5:26 washed by baptism and God's word.?

Question

There has been much confusion about John 3:6. What exactly does "born of water" mean? I have had many explanations - everything from amniotic fluid to infant baptism. The newest one brought to my attention was Eph 5:25 And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and GOD'S WORD.
What is your explanation about how these two verses corelate?
Washed by God's word?

To be a little more explicit - Does anyone think that "born of water" and "washed by God's word" means the same thing?

Answer 1

Titus 3 says we are washed by our regeneration. The Spirit and the truth found in His Word through the Spirit causes us to become aware of the sin in our individual lives. This revelation causes us to change and renew ours minds, what we think and the ways we do things. It is a continuous process by which we are sanctified and purified.

If you could imagine yourself as a vessel or glass full of dirty, discolored water... the Spirit and the Word is a source of water that constantly flows into it and eventually causes that water to become pure and clear. We abide in Him, so that He can abide in us.

1 Thessalonians 5:23,24
"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass."

Answer 2

Joh 3:6 -
That which is born of the flesh is flesh - This is the answer to the objection made by Nicodemus in Joh_3:4. Can a man enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born? Our Lord here intimates that, were even this possible, it would not answer the end; for the plant will ever be of the nature of the seed that produces it - like will beget its like. The kingdom of God is spiritual and holy; and that which is born of the Spirit resembles the Spirit; for as he is who begat, so is he who is begotten of him. Therefore, the spiritual regeneration is essentially necessary, to prepare the soul for a holy and spiritual kingdom.

Eph 5:26 -
That he might sanctify and cleanse it - The Church is represented as the spouse of Christ, as the woman is the spouse of the man; and, to prepare this Church for himself, he washes, cleanses, and sanctifies it. There is certainly an allusion here to the ancient method of purifying women, who were appointed to be consorts to kings; twelve months, it appears, were in some instances spent in this purification: Six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with other things, for the purifying of women. See the case of Esther, Est_2:12; see also Psa_45:13, Psa_45:14; Eze_16:7-14.
With the washing of water - Baptism, accompanied by the purifying influences of the Holy Spirit.
By the word - The doctrine of Christ crucified, through which baptism is administered, sin canceled, and the soul purified from all unrighteousness; the death of Christ giving efficacy to all.

Answer 3

John 3:5
Water= cleansing by the Word.Being sanctified Your action=Baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
Spirit= Repenting Your action= Change your mind how you look at sin[your sin]
Kingdom= The Holy Ghost Your action = Don't doubt
Look up these two scriptures Acts 2:38 and Luke 17:20,21
blessings

Answer 4

Baptism.

At baptism we "rise to walk in newness of life". (Romans 6:3-4) We are "born again" to a new life "in Christ".

This is a washing of water by the word because baptism is "in the name of Christ" (Acts 2:36, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16). "In the name of Christ" means according to His authority (instructions). By following His instructions, we are baptized according to his command, so it is by His word we know what we must do and we submit to it.

Answer 5

Jesus is the WORD made flesh and when you are washed by the WORD you are washed by the blood that was shed by the WORD made flesh on the cross of Calvary.Born of water means being Baptized by immersion in water like John baptized Jesus in the River of Jordan when Jesus said "Let all righteousness be fulfilled.Acts 2:38 Peter said be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus for the remission of sin.I have found that all verses co relate to each other.

Answer 6

Hello Kait. Both passages refer to spiritual regeneration within the mind of man. The "water" in John 3:5 signifies cleansing from sin. The Word "washed" in Ephsians 5:26 also signifies spiritual cleansing. This cleansing as you already know is both imparted and imputed. In other words Christ covers(imparts) us with his righteousness. He then credits(Imputes) it to our account as if we had never sinned. Therefore we appear in the presence of God in his righteousness, not our own.

We have been washed. The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.(Revelation 7:13-14).

Have faith dear friends in God

Romans 10:9
Revelation 3:20
John 1:12

Answer 7

Changes in our spiritual life are also gradual. They take place one step at a time, and spiritual growth will be easier if we know that it does not take place in a moment. It is an ongoing process. Jesus said, "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) Many passages in the Bible indicate that being born again spiritually will be just as much a step by step process as physical conception, gestation, birth, growth, and development. For example, Peter describes it in seven distinct steps: "Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control perseverance, and to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." Only by completing this process can we be sure to enter the Kingdom of God. (2 Peter 1:5)

" Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word."(Eph 5:25-26)

For without this they would abuse their superiority and headship, and, wherever this prevails as it ought to do, it will infer the other duties of the relation, it being a special and peculiar affection that is required in her behalf. The love of Christ to the church is proposed as an example of this, which love of his is a sincere, a pure, an ardent, and constant affection, and that notwithstanding the imperfections and failures that she is guilty of. The greatness of his love to the church appeared in his giving himself unto the death for it. Observe, As the church’s subjection to Christ is proposed as an exemplar to wives, so the love of Christ to his church is proposed as a pattern to husbands; and while such exemplars are offered to both, and so much is required of each, neither has reason to complain of the divine injunctions. The love which God requires from the husband in behalf of his wife will make amends for the subjection which he demands from her to her husband; and the prescribed subjection of the wife will be an abundant return for that love of the husband which God has made her due.

Answer 8

Answer: This is a biblical answer based on what the text says (from the Greek). John 3:6 [rainy] water is indeed amniotic fluid from giving birth, not baptismal water. On the other hand Eph 5:25 washing with water simply mean bath water, again no baptism implied. You question regarding correlation between the two is not water (baptism) but Christ.

Expanded answer: Here are a few biblical truths: We know that God is spirit. We know that man is body (fresh), soul and spirit. We know that we worship God in spirit and in truth. We also know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; we can get towards the father (God) except through Jesus.

To understand John 3:6 we need to add more context John 3: 2-8 which is the first part of a conversation.

John 3:2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

The key is “I tell you the truth”. You see the phrase “born again” and “born of water and spirit” Baptize is not used. From the Greek, we get gennaO anOthen MAY-BE-BEING-generatED anew (Strong 1080 0509) and gennao ekhuOr kai pneuma MAY-BE-BEIMG-generatED OUT OF-water And OF-spirit (Strong 1537 5204 2532 4151). For gennaO we have offspring; by analogy, produce (literally or figuratively), fruit, generation. Jesus first follows this word with “anew” and expanded by “out of water and of spirit”. The word water (Strong 5204) means “rainy water”. So we have water as part giving bith, not baptize.

What about the half, of spirit (Strong 4151). This word is used often and means a current of air, i.e. Breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit. In the verse 6, the both spirits are the same word as verse 5. John 3:6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to spirit. There is a physical world (flesh) and a spiritual world (divine). Man’s soulful nature in not address in this page.

To understand Eph 5:25, we need to add context Eph 5:21-31:
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
The key verse is 21. Verse 22-24 is the wife submission. Verse 25-30 is man’s submission. Verse 31 is Genesis 2:24. Verse 33 reiterates husband and wife submission. Verse 32 ties Submission to one another back to a profound mystery, Christ and his Church.

Answer 9

John is referring to spiritual birth.

Paul is referring to the relationship that husbands are called to love their wives.

Washed by the word? That is simply learning how to walk the path of a Christian. We get dusty in the world. We need the cleansing and refreshing of the truth of the word of God.

I also would say that Jesus was obedient to God, and was water baptized. He is setting an example to husbands in this scripture. To be humble and obedient to the Father, before he could have his bride.(the church)

edit:
I do believe that when Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus he spoke of physical birth. When John was speaking, he is talking of the living water of Jesus Christ. Remember the woman at the well? Jesus said to her, I have living water which you will never thirst again. And she said where is this water? It was Jesus himself.

So in that sense, I think that you could say we are washed by God's word. Jesus is the word. He is called the word in the bible. In John 1 it says that the Word became flesh...if you would like more input please email me.

Answer 10

The exactitude of the how is varied. What's important is the cleansing. By the waters of baptism are we cleansed of the stain of Original Sin. By the Blood of Christ are our sins paid for and the penalty for them cleansed from His Book. By the Word of the Lord (Jesus) are we cleansed of our fallen nature and given what we need to rise to the best we can become.

Hope this helped.