TheologyMay 4, 2025

“Of Water and Spirit” – What Did Jesus Mean in John 3:5?

In John 3:5 Jesus says something that has often been discussed:
“Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

What does this mean – especially the “water”? Some say it refers to baptism. Others think it is an image for something else. In this article we look at the most important interpretations and consider which one fits the text best.

Two Major Groups of Interpretations

The interpretations can be broadly divided into two groups:

“Water” stands for baptism

“Water” does not stand for baptism

I will present both groups to you – and say at the end which explanation seems most convincing to me.

Views that Connect “Water” with Baptism

a) Christian Water Baptism

The theologian Heinrich Meyer argues: “Water” refers to Christian baptism. In this view, the water is the means through which something happens (Lat. causa medians), while the Spirit is the actual power behind it (Lat. causa efficiens).¹ Together they would then lead to regeneration, according to Meyer.

Critique:
This view is widespread – but problematic. Christian baptism did not yet exist at the time of the conversation with Nicodemus. Why then should Jesus speak of it? Nicodemus could hardly have understood it, and yet Jesus indirectly challenges him with it. Furthermore, in the following verses (vv. 6 and 8), which also refer to the new birth, Jesus speaks only of the Spirit – no longer of water. This suggests that Jesus is not speaking here of an external ritual.

b) The Baptism of John

Another proposal comes from A.T. Robertson, an expert in Greek. He argues: Jesus is speaking of the baptism of John – that is, a baptism of repentance in which people confessed their sins.³

The Expositor’s Greek Testament also interprets the baptism of John as a symbol for turning away from one’s old way of life and recognizing one’s need for cleansing.⁵ Perhaps Jesus wanted to show thereby: what matters is not outward descent or Jewish heritage, but inner renewal.

Critique:
God speaks in Ezekiel 36:25–27 of cleansing his people with pure water and giving them his Spirit. This passage is almost certainly the background against which Jesus speaks the words in John 3:5, because

Both passages connect the receiving of the Spirit and water

Jesus expects Nicodemus, as the teacher of Israel, to understand his words (John 3:10). He certainly would have known this Old Testament passage.

The “sprinkling with clean water” is an image in this passage in Ezekiel. It is reminiscent of purification rituals from the Old Testament – for example, how one had to cleanse oneself from the impurity caused by death. Water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer was used for this purpose (cf. Num 19:17–19; Ps 51:9).⁶

Even though there are similarities to the baptism of John, Ezekiel primarily refers not to an external ritual but to an inner cleansing – effected by God’s Spirit. This also fits well with the context of verses 24 to 27. Therefore it is rather unlikely that Jesus in John 3:5 is alluding to the baptism of John. Rather, the connection to Ezekiel recalls that this concerns a deep spiritual renewal.

Views that Do Not Connect “Water” with Baptism

a) Water as Natural Birth

Another proposal comes from the theologian Willem H. Oliver. He argues: “water” stands for natural birth – that is, the amniotic fluid that plays a role in birth.⁷

His arguments:

In verse 6 Jesus explains that there are two kinds of birth: one from flesh (natural) and one from Spirit (spiritual). This corresponds to “water and Spirit” in verse 6.

Nicodemus apparently thought that it was enough to be born a Jew to belong to God. Jesus contradicts this.

Some church fathers also say that one must first be born physically before one can be spiritually born again.⁷

Critique:
This view has weaknesses. There is little evidence that “water” was a well-known image for natural birth in Jesus’ time. The only hint comes from a later Jewish text (4 Ezra, c. AD 100).⁸

Furthermore, the close connection between John 3:3 (“born again”) and John 3:5 (“born of water and Spirit”) suggests that Jesus is probably not speaking of two separate births – but of one single, spiritual birth.⁹

3. Water as Cleansing by the Spirit

Here is the interpretation that seems most coherent to me. It comes from interpreters like Matthew Poole and John Calvin. Both say: “water” symbolically represents the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit.

Poole refers to Old Testament texts such as Isaiah 44:3 or Ezekiel 36:25–27, which show how God cleanses his people inwardly.¹⁰

Calvin writes:

“The water means nothing else than the inward cleansing and quickening of the Holy Ghost.”¹¹

He also emphasizes: in the following verses Jesus speaks only of the Spirit – this shows that “water” and “Spirit” belong together and both describe the work of God.

Conclusion: What Does John 3:5 Mean?

When one looks at all the interpretations, it becomes clear: the symbolic interpretation – water as an image for cleansing by the Spirit – fits best. It is biblically grounded (Ezekiel 36), understandable in the Jewish context of the time, and it explains why Jesus in the following verses speaks only of the Spirit.

Jesus therefore does not call Nicodemus to a ritual act, but to a deep, inner renewal.

Footnotes

Heinr. Aug. Wilh. Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Handbook on the Gospel of John, 5th ed. (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1869), 156–157.

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1933), John 3:5.

Ibid.

Expositor’s Greek Testament, commentary on John 3:5 – https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/3-5.htm

Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophet Ezekiel, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Leipzig: Dörffling und Franke, 1882), 354.

Ambrose, On the Holy Spirit 3.10.59 (ed. Schaff 1885q).

Don Carson, What Does ‘Born of Water and the Spirit’ Mean in John 3:5?, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/born-of-water-and-the-spirit/.

Ibid.

Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, vol. 3 (New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, 1853), 290.

John Calvin, The Gospel of John, trans. by August Wilhelm Fürer, Calvin’s Commentaries on Holy Scripture (Logos Bible Software, 2024), John 3:5.