The New Birth in the Bible and the Early Church

De: José Miguel Arráiz Roberti

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Chapter three of the Gospel of John recounts the conversation between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus. During this exchange, Jesus captures Nicodemus's attention with a memorable statement: "Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus meant at the time, as he tried to interpret His words literally. "How can a man be born when he is old?" he asked (John 3:4). Jesus replied, "Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). For those of us who believe that Jesus is truly the Messiah, the Son of God, we understand that His words to Nicodemus were of great importance, as He was establishing a requirement for salvation. In this brief book, I aim to explore the different interpretations of this episode, both in Catholicism and Protestantism, and examine how it has been understood throughout history by Christians, starting with the early Church and tracing through the first four centuries of Christianity.