Born of Water and the Spirit

If there ever is a passage to fully embrace CIE (Context Is Everything), it might be right here in the third chapter of John’s Gospel. Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of God to Nicodemus as He uses the language and imagery of being “born again.” Unfortunately and unwisely, we have used the phrase “born of water” to imply water baptism and have thus opened up a decisive and unnecessary can of worms.