Some time ago I wrote to a friend concerning John 3:16. He had objected to the "L" of "TULIP" as unscriptural based on this text. I wrote him my answer and then blogged it here. This was some time ago, probably two to three months after coming to the doctrines of grace. Since then I have come across some interesting information concerning John 3.

 

Two, maybe three weeks ago, my dear wife and I were listening to Dr. White on his Dividing Line program. We listened to an archived episode from 3/7/2005. In it, Dr. White spoke with a caller concerning the claim that John 3:5 is describing water baptism. Dr. White's contention was that, in reality, this should be viewed from the point of view of a First Century Jew. This, of course, makes absolute, total, and perfect sense.

 

What would a first century Jew think of when they heard the term "Water and Spirit"? Well, consider that Christian baptism had not yet been invented (One could argue that John Baptist's was indeed Christian, but this is a topic that will be considered in another post). Nicodemus was not only a Jew but a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews (Joh 3:1), and a master of Israel (Joh 3:10). Henry says concerning him:

"Not many mighty and noble are called; yet some are, and here was one. Not many of the rulers, or of the Pharisees; yet.
1. This was a man of the Pharisees, bred to learning, a scholar. Let it not be said that all Christ's followers are unlearned and ignorant men. The principles of the Pharisees, and the peculiarities of their sect, were directly contrary to the spirit of Christianity; yet there were some in whom even those high thoughts were cast down and brought into obedience to Christ. The grace of Christ is able to subdue the greatest opposition.
2. He was a ruler of the Jews, a member of the great sanhedrim, a senator, a privy-counsellor, a man of authority in Jerusalem. Bad as things were, there were some rulers well inclined, who yet could do little good because the stream was so strong against them; they were over-ruled by the majority, and yoked with those that were corrupt, so that the good which they wished to do they could not do; yet Nicodemus continued in his place, and did what he could, when he could not do what he would."

Given this, we can reasonably be assured of the man's knowledge of the Holy Writ. According to White, what would have occurred to a man of these credentials was  Ezekiel 36:25-26: "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." The water is the washing of regeneration; the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. (c.f. Tit 3:5-6)

Gill says of this text: "...By 'water' is meant, in a figurative and metaphorical sense, the grace of God, as it is elsewhere; (see  Eze 36:25) which is the moving cause of this new birth, and according to which God begets men again to, a lively hope, and that by which it is effected; for it is by the grace of God, and not by the power of man's free will, that any are regenerated, or made new creatures...Very pertinently does our Lord make mention of water, it being his own element: regeneration is sometimes ascribed to God the Father, as in 1Pe 1:3, and sometimes to the Son, 1Jo 2:29 and here to the Spirit, as in Tit 3:5, who convinces of sin, sanctifies, renews, works faith, and every other grace; begins and carries on the work of grace, unto perfection; he cannot enter into the kingdom of God; and unless a man has this work of his wrought on his soul, as he will never understand divine and spiritual things, so he can have no right to Gospel ordinances, or things appertaining to the kingdom of God; nor can he be thought to have passed from death to life, and to have entered into an open state of grace, and the kingdom of it; or that living and dying so, he shall ever enter into the kingdom of heaven; for unless a man is regenerated, he is not born heir apparent to it; and without internal holiness, shall not enter into it, enjoy it, or see God."

Henry says: "First, The regenerating work of the Spirit is compared to water, Joh 3:5. To be born again is to be born of water and of the Spirit, that is, of the Spirit working like water, as (Mat 3:11) with the Holy Ghost and with fire means with the Holy Ghost as with fire. 1. That which is primarily intended here is to show that the Spirit, in sanctifying a soul, (1.) Cleanses and purifies it as water, takes away its filth, by which it was unfit for the kingdom of God. It is the washing of regeneration, Tit 3:5. You are washed, 1Co 6:11. See Eze 36:25. (2.) Cools and refreshes it, as water does the hunted hart and the weary traveller. The Spirit is compared to water, Joh 7:38, Joh 7:39; Isa 44:3. In the first creation, the fruits of heaven were born of water (Gen 1:20), in allusion to which, perhaps, they that are born from above are said to be born of water." For the sake of context and honesty, it should be seen that Henry continues by saying: "It is probable that Christ had an eye to the ordinance of baptism, which John had used and he himself had begun to use..."

Calvin argues: "So far as relates to this passage, I cannot bring myself to believe that Christ speaks of baptism; for it would have been inappropriate." Later he opines: "By water, therefore, is meant nothing more than the inward purification and invigoration which is produced by the Holy Spirit. Besides, it is not unusual to employ the word and instead of that is, when the latter clause is intended to explain the former. And the view which I have taken is supported by what follows; for when Christ immediately proceeds to assign the reason why we must be born again, without mentioning the water, he shows that the newness of life which he requires is produced by the Spirit alone; whence it follows, that water must not be separated from the Spirit."

So we can see that James White's interpretation has support from such learned men as Calvin, Henry and Gill. I would further add that if Nicodemus' mind was set upon the prophet Ezekiel throughout this discourse it would eplain Christ's statement concerning the Spirit and the wind: "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." (John 3:8) in the light of Ezekiel 37.