The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 275

ea.ve. (3) BeCBuse, in an o.nalogous pa1sage, "He who believeth and is baptized, she.11 be saved," baptism and faith are not regarded as the sarue thing, There may be baptism without faith, and faith without baptism. (4) BecauRe to underste.nd baptism by "the water" here involves the absurdity of extending the same meanin 6 to the word everywhere in this Gospel wherever e.nything spiritual is meant by water. But let it be conceded that " born of water " does refer to baptism, there is nothing in the passage to justify the theory of regeneration by ba.ptism. (1) Consider that John the Baptist made a me.rked distinction between baptism by water and baptism by the Holy Ghost. He could administer the one; Jesus only could administer the other. (2) As Pusey concedes there was no such thing as baptismal regeneration till the Spirit was given after the ascension of Christ, there could have been no such thing when Jesus spoke to Nicodemus-no possibility of a man on that night being born both of water and of the Spirit. (3) Scripture uniformly represents faith, not baptism, as necessary to salvation. As a matter of fact, faith was, in adults, regarded as necessary to baptism; and as faith is the pure effect of regeneration, regeneration ca.n, no more than faith, be the effect of baptism. We have instances in the New Testament of regeneration before baptism, and therefore without baptism; therefore baptism does not regenerate (Acts x. 44-48; etc.). (4) Much as John speaks of regeneration in his First Epistle, he never connects it with baptism. Yet, in naming the tests of regeneration, he never includes baptism among them. (5) Regeneration is expressly referred to the Word, and not to baptism (1 Pet. i. 23; Jas. i. 18). There is an analogy, indeed, in the relation of baptism and the Word respectively to salvation. The Word saves, as baptism saves ; yet all who hear it do not believe, just as all the baptized are not regenerated. (6) If" water" in the text means baptism, then baptism is necessary to salvation. Then, all the unbaptized, not to speak of the whole body of the Quakers, are lost. (7) This theory implies that all the baptized are saved. Yet Simon Magns was still unregenerate after his baptism. (8) If this theory be true, people are born of God who have not a single mark of regeneration, but rather every sign of godless apostasy. (9) Such an interpretation makes it difficult to understand why our Lord rebuked Nicodemus for not knowing it : "Knowest thou not these things? " He knew there was baptism, but he did not know it involved regeneration. (10) If baptism is equivalent to regeneration, why should it be so seldom referred to in Scripture? Faith, which is the true means of our salvation, is mentioned everywhere. Yet baptism is only mentioned twice in Romans, seven times in Corinth.ia.ns, only once in Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews, and Peter. IV. THE NECESSITY OF THE NEW BillTII. "That which is of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is of the Spirit, is spirit." Nicodemus had spoken of a man entering once more into bis mother's womb, and being born again. Our Lord declares that if such a. thing were possible, it would not effect the new birth. Children will always be like their parents. Grace does not descend with blood. Therefore there is a profound necessity for the life of the Spirit being imparted by the Spirit. V. THE MYSTERY OF TIIE NEW BIRTH. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, . . . but thou canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goetb." We cannot account for the beginning, or the influence, or the direction of the wind. So there is deep mystery in the action of the Holy Spirit upon the spirit of man; for while man preserves his absolute moral freedom, the Spirit works in him to will and to do according to his goou pleasure. VI. THE EVIDENCE OF TIIE NEW BIRTH. " Thou hearest the sound thereof." \Ve cannot know all the mysteries of the wind, but we see and feel the effects of its presence in nature. So the mystery of regeneration comes visibly to the surface of Christian life in the fruits of that life. Vera. 9-13.-The advent of a wholly new teaching. Nicodemus asks in surprise, "How can these things be?" And Jesus, with equal surprise, asks how a teacher in Israel can be ignorant of them, Then he discloses a new scheme of truth. I. THE NEW TEA0lllNG. "We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen." Mark: 1. Its nature. "That we do know." (1) Jesus knows the truth, for he is the Truth itself. (2) He imparts it by the Spirit of truth. (3) It is a blesseu thing to know what be knows-" the truth as it is in Jesus." 2, Its source. "That 138 'l'HE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO S'l'. ,JOHN. ( 011. m. 1-36.