Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 3:4-5

"Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother`s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God!" — John 3:4-5 (ASV)

Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

At first Jesus said that a man could not see the kingdom of God unless he is born again; now he tells Nicodemus that a man cannot enter the kingdom unless he is born of water and of the Spirit. There must be a cleansing; he must be born of water. There must be a spiritual life; he must be born of the Spirit, or he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

If the "water" mentioned here relates to baptism—which I greatly question—then, certainly, it shows the way of entrance for a believer, publicly, into the kingdom of God. But if it relates to the purifying power of the Spirit of God—as I believe it does—then it teaches us that no one enters into the kingdom of God and becomes a partaker of its privileges—which is something more than merely seeing it—unless the Spirit of God is to them as water purifying them from sin. This is the reason why one cannot enter into the spiritual kingdom until one is born again, born from above.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

We understand the passage to mean, "Water, that is, the Spirit;" but it may refer to the purifying influence of the Word as symbolized by water. I do not think that baptism is referred to here at all.