The New Testament uses the term “born again”.  Many people understand this term to mean conversion.  They view themselves as having been born again.  They call themselves “born again Christians”.

But what, according to the Bible, does the term “born again” mean?

The first thing to do is look at the meaning of the Greek word that is translated “born”.  That word is gennao.  According to Strong’s Concordance gennao can mean: bear, be born, beget, conceive.

Here are examples of these four different meanings.

• To bear (or give birth)

Luk 1:13  But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear [gennao] you a son, and you shall call his name John.

• To be born

Heb 11:23  By faith Moses, when he was born [gennao], was hidden three months by his parents,…

• To beget, or to father

Mat 1:1  The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
Mat 1:2  Abraham begot [gennao] Isaac, Isaac begot [gennao] Jacob, and Jacob begot [gennao] Judah and his brothers.

• To conceive

Mat 1:20  But while he [Joseph] thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived [gennao] in her is of the Holy Spirit.

Having looked at the meaning of the Greek word gennao, we are now ready to look at passages where the phrase “born again” is used.  We must look at the context and any other Scriptures that relate to it in order to determine its meaning.

Perhaps the most important passage of Scripture which uses the term “born again” is John 3:1-8.  This passage describes how Nicodemus came to Christ at night to talk to him.  Christ discussed with Nicodemus the subject of being born again.

Joh 3:1  There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Joh 3:2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born [gennao] again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 
Joh 3:4  Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born [gennao] when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born [gennao]?” 
Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born [gennao] of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 
Joh 3:6  That which is born [gennao] of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born [gennao] of the Spirit is spirit. 
Joh 3:7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born [gennao] again.’ 
Joh 3:8  “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Throughout this passage gennao is translated born.  We must ask ourselves if this is the correct translation?  To answer that question we must consider the context.

Was Jesus talking about being born or being conceived?  What did Nicodemus think?  Nicodemus asked how can a man enter his mother’s womb a second time?  So clearly Nicodemus thought Jesus was talking about being born a second time.  Did Jesus correct Nicodemus?  No.  So clearly Jesus was talking about a second birth, not a second conception.  Thus, the word gennao here in John 3:1-8 is correctly translated as born.

In this passage we learn that there are two literal births.  Not one literal and one figurative or symbolic, but two literal births.  The first birth is one we have all experienced.  But what is the second birth?  Let’s read this passage again, starting in verse 3.

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born [gennao] again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

This second birth Christ calls being “born again”.  We must be born again to see the kingdom of God. 

Joh 3:4  Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born [gennao] when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born [gennao]?”

Nicodemus thought the second birth was a birth as a physical being like the first birth.  But Christ explained it was a birth as a Spirit being.

Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born [gennao] of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 

Some think being born of water is baptism.  But we are not born at baptism.  Jesus is talking about two births: the first is of water, the second is of Spirit.  In the womb we are surrounded by waters, which break just before birth.  So, it makes sense to understand “born of water” to mean our first birth.  The second birth is being born of the Spirit.  Christ said we need to experience this second birth of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:6  That which is born [gennao] of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born [gennao] of the Spirit is spirit.

Here are the two births again but explained in a different manner. The first birth is being born of flesh.  Our parents were flesh.  We were born of them and so we are flesh too.  The second birth is being born of the Spirit.  In the future, when we are born of the Spirit we will become spirit.

Joh 3:7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born [gennao] again.’ 

It is perhaps difficult to grasp, but we must be born again.  We must experience a second literal birth.

Joh 3:8  “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born [gennao] of the Spirit.”

This is not a description of someone born of flesh.  This is a description of a spirit being.  This is again confirmation that Jesus is talking about a literal future birth as a spirit being.

This second birth is of course the resurrection to eternal life, to an incorruptible body.  In 1 Cor 15 the apostle Paul talks about the resurrection.

1Co 15:51  Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—
1Co 15:52  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This passage in John 3:1-8 tells us three important things:

1. There is a second birth which Jesus calls being born again.
2. We must experience this second birth to enter the kingdom of God.
3. The second birth is being born of the Spirit which results in us being spirit rather than flesh – this is the resurrection to eternal life.

According to what we have just read in John 3, “born again” refers to being born as a spirit being.  This is a key point which helps us understand other verses which we will look at.

The phrase “born again” also appears in 1 Peter 1:3 and 1 Peter 1:23.  In these two Scriptures “born again” is translated from the Greek word anagennao.  It’s just the same word gennao prefixed with ana, which means again.  Let’s look at 1 Peter 1:3 first.

1 Pet 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again [anagennao] to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Is “begotten us again” the correct translation?  The context is living the Christian life now.  So yes, “begotten us again” is correct.  Our first begettal was when we were conceived by our human father.  But now our heavenly Father has begotten us by the Holy Spirit, to a living hope of a resurrection through Christ’s resurrection. 

Now, let’s look at 1 Pet 1:23.

1 Pet 1:22  Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 
1 Pet 1:23  having been born again [anagennao], not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

Is born again the correct translation?  The context is living the Christian life now.  Remember the key point that “born again” refers to being born as a spirit being.  So, it shouldn’t be translated as born again.  We are not yet born again.  1 Pet 1:23 should read: “Having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible.”  We were all begotten once through our physical father’s seed or sperm.  It’s corruptible, that is, flesh.  It doesn’t last forever.  When we receive the Holy Spirit we are begotten again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible.  The analogy here is very clear.  We were all begotten (conceived) from the physical seed (or sperm) of our father, and nine months later we were born.  When we received the Holy Spirit at the laying on of hands at our baptism, we were begotten again (conceived again), not of physical, corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed.  We were begotten (conceived) of God’s Holy Spirit.  A lifetime later, at our resurrection we will be born again, not of flesh as in our first birth, but of the Spirit, and then we will be spirit.

Conclusion

The term “born again” refers to being born as a spirit being.

1. There is a second birth which Jesus calls being born again.
2. We must experience this second birth to enter the kingdom of God.
3. The second birth is being born of the Spirit which results in us being spirit rather than flesh – this is the resurrection to eternal life.