(The intention of this article is to proclaim the truth, not to hurt the sensibilities of our Christian brethren.)
Many, if not most, in Christianity have been deceived to believe that when they are converted and placed under grace they become ‘born again’. In Christianity, one is “born again” at conversion, typically in conjunction with baptism, when one has “received Christ.” Catholic theology even extends the experience to infants via its practice of “infant baptism. This belief has been embedded in the minds of many who do not stop to think that they could be wrong. Millions have been blinded by this false doctrine; they are taught that there is no need of ‘works’, no need to obey the commandments of the Eternal because they have been ‘reborn’.
THE DOCTRINE OF BEING 'BORN AGAIN' WHILE STILL IN THE FLESH COMES FROM PAGANISM
Those who believe in this doctrine will be surprised to know that having a ‘rebirth’ while still in the flesh comes from paganism.
THE PAGAN ORIGIN OF THE FALSE ‘BORN AGAIN’ DOCTRINE’.
Author and evangelist Fred Coulter writes in his book Born Again, Born of God :
…the idea of a “second birth” as a religious experience is not unique to Christianity. In fact, the concept is quite ancient. In his epochal book, The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop conclusively demonstrates that pagan religions, which had their roots in ancient Babylon, had a belief and practice of being “born again” or “twice born”.
Hislop wrote:
“The Brahmins make it their distinguishing boast that they are ‘twice-born’ men, and that, as such, they are sure of eternal happiness. Now, the same was the case in [ancient] Babylon, and there the new birth was conferred by baptism. In the Chaldean [Babylonian] mysteries, before any instruction could be received, it was required first of all that the person to be initiated [into the mysteries of the religion] submit to baptism [as a] token of blind and implicit obedience”
(The Two Babylons p. 132, emphasis added)
(See THE TWO BABYLONS by Alexander Hislop in the Books section)
● IN PAGANISM: THE DOCTRINE OF REBIRTH WHILE STILL IN THE FLESH IS LINKED TO THE RITE OF BAPTISM. ● IN SCRIPTURE: REBIRTH IS CLOSELY CONNECTED TO RESURRECTION.
Note that the pagan teaching of being “born again” while still in the flesh or “twice born” had nothing to do with being raised from the dead (as stated in Scripture) and that it was linked to the rite of baptism.
Coulter continues:
When the Eternal scattered the people from the Tower of Babel, dispersing them throughout the world, they took with them their idolatrous pagan religion. Instead of worshipping Yahweh, they continued to worship Nimrod and Semiramis and their son Tammuz (the first trinity). However, because the Eternal confused mankind’s language into many languages, these false deities took many names. Regardless of their various names in ancient and even modern languages, they are these three pagan deities: Nimrod—the father god, Semiramis—the mother goddess, and Tammuz—the son and ‘false saviour’.
In the ancient Chaldean mystery religion there was a perverted myth connected with the flood of Noah about being twice-born. The pagan priests twisted the truth to fit their religious beliefs as Hislop notes:
Whatever primitive truth the Chaldean priests held, they utterly
perverted and corrupted it. They willingly overlooked the fact that it was ‘the righteousness of the faith’ which Noah ‘had before’ the flood that carried him safely through the avenging waters of that dread catastrophe and ushered him, as it were, from the womb of the ark, by a new birth, into a new world, when on the ark resting on Mount Ararat, he was released from his long confinement. They led their votaries to believe that, if they only passed through the baptismal waters, and the penances therewith connected, that of itself would make them like the second father of mankind ‘Diphueis,’ ‘twice-born,’ or ‘regenerate,’ [and] would entitle them to all the privileges of ‘righteous’ Noah, and give them that ‘new birth’… which their consciences told them they so much needed.
The Papacy acts on precisely the same principle; and from this very source has its doctrine of baptismal regeneration been derived, about which so much has been written and so many controversies been waged. Let men contend as they may, this, and this only, will be found to be the real origin of the anti-Scriptural dogma”
(Hislop, The Two Babylons, p. 137, bold emphasis added)
Just as in ancient Babylon, this Christian “new birth” is associated with baptism, but has nothing to do with being raised from the dead to spirit life.
(For more information see THE TWO BABYLONS by Alexander Hislop in our Books section)
YESHUA’S TEACHING
This so called ‘born again’ experience is nowhere to be found in Yeshua’s teaching or anywhere in Scripture. As we will see, what Yeshua taught was something completely different from what Christianity believes and teaches.
In his conversation with Nakdimon (Nicodemus), Yeshua said:
John 3:3 [Hebraic Roots Bible - HRB] …if a man is not born again, he is not able to see the Kingdom of YAHWEH. (Yeshua's words in purple)
IN SCRIPTURE, BEING 'BORN AGAIN'
IS CLOSELY CONNECTED TO THE KINGDOM OF THE ETERNAL
It is important to understand that being ‘born again’ is closely connected to the Kingdom of the Eternal or the Kingdom of Heaven. Many in Christianity have been led to believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is in heaven; it is the Kingdom of Heaven, not the Kingdom in Heaven. This future Kingdom is Yeshua’s main message, the Good News of the coming Kingdom of the Eternal. It is a future Kingdom and not of this age.
This Kingdom will be situated on earth. Messiah taught us to pray <…Your Kingdom come…>. The Kingdom that is to come, the Kingdom of Heaven will be established here on earth with Yeshua as its King – Revelation 20:4-6.
Yeshua continued saying to Nakdimon:
John 3:6 [The Scriptures - TS]
That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.
Yeshua describes two births:
● one birth of water (from the womb)
● one birth of the spirit.
To be able to see, to enter, or to inherit this Kingdom, one must be born of the Spirit; one must be spirit and no longer flesh. We are still flesh but when we become born of the Spirit we will be spirit; then we will be born again and we will be able to enter the Kingdom of the Eternal.
Yeshua continued saying:
John 3:8 [TS]
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.
Shaul (Paul) confirms what Yeshua said:
1 Corinthians 15:50 [HRB]
And I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood is not able to inherit the kingdom of YAHWEH, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Shaul is basically telling the Corinthians what Yeshua told Nakdimon, you have to be spirit, no longer flesh and blood, to inherit the Kingdom of the Eternal.
A few verses before, he said the following
1 Corinthians 15:44 [TS]
It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
MISINTERPRETATIONS CREATE ERROR
Much of the confusion about being ‘born again’ comes from misinterpreting the Greek word «gennao». In English we use three distinct words: beget/al, conception and birth.
But in Greek, which is the language that was used to translate the original writings of Shaul and the apostles, there is one root word having these three meanings.
It is therefore necessary to determine the meaning of Scripture before translating a word as either “begotten” or “born.”
The Greek-English Dictionary (lexicon) gives this definition of the word «gennao»:
to procreate (properly of the father, but by extension of the mother) ; beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender.
Below are some examples of the misinterpretation of «gennao»:
John 1:13 [King James Version - KJV]
Which were *born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
*Begotten would be the correct rendering because he is talking about flesh and blood. People ‘born of the Eternal’ would be ‘spirit-beings’.
The majority of translations, such as, the King James, American Standard and others render «gennao» in this verse as ‘born’.
Correct rendering of John 1:13
A few translations, such as Anderson, Concordant Literal Version, EW Bullinger, Literal Standard Version, Weymouth, Young’s Literal Translation correctly translate it as ‘begotten’.
In the book of John we find the following:
1 John 2:29 [KJV] … ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is *born of him.
*Begotten would be the right rendering here because the author is referring to people still in the flesh.
And it says the same again in
1 John 4:7 [KJV] … every one that loveth is *born of God…
«Gennao» here should be rendered *begotten of the Eternal because that person is not ‘spirit’ yet.
In the following last example the Greek word «gennao» was inspired by the Holy Spirit three times in the same verse
1 John 5:1 [KJV] Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
The Hebraic Roots Bible is one of the versions that render this verse correctly:
1 John 5:1 [HRB] Everyone believing that Yahshua is the Messiah has been regenerated from YAHWEH. And everyone who loves Him who begets, also loves the one who has been begotten of Him.
THE PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS WERE BEGOTTEN SONS OF THE ETERNAL
King David of Yisra’el had the Eternal’s Holy Spirit. When he prayed for forgiveness, after committing adultery with Bath-sheba and having Uriah murdered, he begged the Eternal:
Psalms 51:10-11 [TS] 10 Create in me a clean heart, O Elohim; and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me out from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
King Dawid (David) was aware that he had the Holy Spirit in him; therefore he was begotten of the Eternal. The prophets had received the Eternal’s Holy Spirit as well.
Kepha (Peter) wrote:
2 Peter 1:21 [HRB] for prophecy did not come by the will of man, but holy men of YAHWEH spoke when they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
They would not be called <holy men> unless the Eternal’s Holy Spirit was within them. Moreover, Yeshua said that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would be in the Kingdom of the Eternal.
Matthew 8:11 [TS] And I say to you that many shall come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, and Yitshaq, and Ya‛aqob in the reign of the heavens
Therefore the Spirit of the Eternal was ‘dwelling in them’ – they were ‘begotten of the Eternal’ – but they were not ‘born of the Eternal’ yet – for Yeshua is the firstborn of many brethren. They will be born of the Eternal or ‘born again’ at the resurrection.
But if they were begotten of the Eternal by the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before Messiah was born, how could Yeshua be called “the only begotten Son of the Eternal?
The Scriptures calling Yeshua the only begotten Son of the Eternal all apply to his begettal as the human Son, his first birth of his mother Miryam. Yeshua was the only human ever begotten by the Eternal prior to human birth.
In the book of Revelation we see that Yeshua is the ‘first born from the dead’.
Revelation 1:5 [TS] ...יהושע Messiah, the trustworthy witness, the first-born from the dead...
YESHUA FIRST BORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN
Romans 8:28-29 [TS] 28 And we know that all matters work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 Because those whom He knew beforehand, He also ordained beforehand to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, for Him to be the first-born among many brothers.
Romans 8:29 is not referring to Yeshua’s human birth through his mother Miryam in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem) simply because many were born before him. It refers to Yeshua’s second birth, to his being ‘born again’, making him the first born among many brethren.
Was his experience that of a sinner who was converted and put under grace? Did he receive forgiveness from sin like the supposedly ‘born again’ Christians say they experience?
Obviously the answer is no!
When Shaul says <the first born of many brothers> he is not speaking of a conversion of a sinner. It was not the same kind of ‘born again’ experience that is being falsely taught and widely accepted.
Yeshua the Messiah is the first born of all children in the Eternal’s kingdom:
Colossians 1:18 [TS] And He{Yeshua} is the Head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that He might become the One who is first in all.
AN APPARENT CONTRADICTION BECOMES CLEAR
Some versions translate 1 John 3:9 as the following:
1 John 3:9 [KJV] Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
This verse seems to contradict the first chapter of the same book:
1 John 1:8-10 [KJV] 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
So it is not impossible for a follower of Yeshua who has the Holy Spirit in him/her to sin. The apparent contradiction lies in the rendition of some words again.
The correct rendering of 1 John 3:9 would be
1 John 3:9 [HRB] Everyone who has been begotten of YAHWEH does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been begotten of YAHWEH
<does not practice sin> – this refers to habitual action. One begotten of the Eternal does not usually or regularly sin.
ONE WHO IS BEGOTTEN OF YAHWEH DOES NOT PRACTICE SIN
YESHUA IS THE ONLY ONE BORN AGAIN
Yeshua is the only one who has been born again! He was ‘born again’ at the time of his resurrection when he became a spirit being (that which is born of the Spirit is spirit). As a divine spirit being, the firstborn from the dead, Yeshua was able to manifest Himself as a man, with an appearance that looked like flesh and bone.
Here are two instances when he appeared as a ‘spirit being’:
● On the road to Emmaus, he appeared to the two disciples, conversed and parted bread with them and suddenly he vanished out of their sight – Luke 24:31.
● The disciples were hiding from the Jewish authorities in a room with closed doors and suddenly Messiah appeared among them. He could appear and vanish, he was spirit – Luke 24:36.
A few verses further Yeshua says he is ‘flesh and bones’:
Luke 24:39 [TS] “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.
This was not an apparition, but the clothing of the spiritual body, which evidently repeats the general outlines of the physical body, though in a rarer and more subtle substance.
(FB Meyer)
He does not say “flesh and blood”; for the blood is the life of the animal and corruptible body (Genesis 9:4), which “cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50); he says “flesh and bones,” implying the identity, but with diversity of laws, of the resurrection body
(Jamieson-Fausset- Brown)
WE WILL BE ‘BORN AGAIN’
Shaul tells us we will be the same as Yeshua at the resurrection:
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 [TS] 51 See, I speak a secret to you: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
When Messiah comes again, those that died in him will resurrect as spirit beings in the same way he did. Those that are caught alive at his coming will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye into spirit beings. Whether resurrected or transformed in the blinking of an eye, we will be spirit beings, we will be ‘born again’… As of now, if the Spirit is dwelling in us, we are only begotten of the Eternal, and we must overcome this world until such a time when we will be ‘born again’, born from above.
Sources:
The Two Babylons – Alexander Hislop; Raymond McNair; Fred Coulter; Edited by Nazarene Notes