. . . this second birth is of “water
and the Spirit” (3:5). There has been considerable debate over what Jesus means
by “water.” The best interpretation of “water” is one that identifies “water”
symbolically, as that which cleanses the believer. Water is used to represent
the spiritual washing that must take place for one to be regenerated. Such an
association of water with cleansing Is supported in the OT. As already seen,
Yahweh promises in Ezekiel 36:25-27, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and
you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will
cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put
within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a
heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in
my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Matthew M. Barrett, “The
Scriptural Affirmation of Monergism,” in Whomever He Wills: A Surprising
Display of Sovereign Mercy, ed. Matthew Barrett and Thomas J. Nettles [Cape
Carol, Fla.: Founders Press, 2012], 153-54)
Further Reading
Baptism, Salvation, and the New Testament: John 3:1-7
See my book (*), “Born of Water and of the Spirit”: The Biblical Evidence for Baptismal Regeneration (2021) for a full-length discussion of the biblical evidence for this doctrine (as well as responses to common "proof-texts" against it, such as Eph 2:8-10 and 1 Cor 1:17)
(*) for those who want a free PDF of this book, email me at ScripturalMormonismATgmailDOTcom)