ARE YOU BORN AGAIN?

I can tell you for free that many Catholics are scared of being asked this question. The reason isn’t far fetched.

The “are you born again” question has become a weapon of ‘mass confusion’ in the hands of many of our separated brothers and sisters.

They come at us Catholics, brandishing this ‘weapon’, as though sure that we’re not saved. As a matter of fact, some persons have actually come to me with that line, “Catholics aren’t saved”.

How they arrive at such a ridiculously absurd conclusion, only God knows. But come with me, let’s pay attention to this line of questioning for a bit.

In John’s Gospel Chapter three, a Pharisee, Nicodemus by name comes to Jesus by night.

Who is Nicodemus?

John 3:1-2 gives us this information, “Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.”

Don’t forget that a Pharisee was a member of a politico-religious sect or faction among the adherents of later Judaism, that came into existence as a class about the third century B.C.

In the time of Jesus, Pharisees prided themselves for being strictly observant of the traditional and written laws. They felt they were the only true teachers of the law.

In spite of being a ruler of the Jews, and being held in such high esteem, Nicodemus risks his reputation to come ask Jesus some questions. This is why he comes at night.

His humility and personal faith in God must have led him to the realisation that Jesus was indeed a teacher sent by God.

When Nicodemus comes to Jesus, he doesn’t assume the position of one who is all knowing. He begins by affirming his faith in Jesus’s teachings, validated by the attendant miracles of his ministry.

Then Jesus begins a tete-a-tete with this genuine man who truly wants to know more about God’s kingdom.

So in the following verses Jesus says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above (v.3)”.

Nicodemus obviously does not understand this statement of Jesus, so he asks, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he? (v.4)”.

Jesus understands just how confusing his expression can be, so he explains further, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit (v.5)”.

We must be careful here. In verse 3 of John’s Gospel chapter 3, Jesus uses the Greek word ανωθεν (anothen), which means ‘from above’. But Nicodemus takes this same word to mean ‘again’ or ‘from the beginning’.

There’s a bit of argument here amongst biblical scholars regarding whether or not ανωθεν means ‘from above’ or ‘again’.

But since ‘again’ in the sense of an action taking place repeatedly is πάλιν (palin) in Greek, it’s safe to say that Nicodemus didn’t understand ανωθεν as ‘being repeatedly born’, but ‘being recreated anew’.

So it’s safe to conclude that ανωθεν is capable of being used interchangeably. And here, it may mean “from above”, but also “afresh”, “again”. The birth which is required here is certainly a second birth, but it is not a mere repetition of man’s first birth, but a begetting from above, from God.

In any case, Nicodemus misunderstands Jesus, as evident in his next question, and Jesus’ subsequent clarification that being born from above means being born of WATER and the HOLY SPIRIT.

Now let’s get to the crux of the matter.

When someone asks if you’re born again, they’re simply asking if you’re BAPTISED and CONFIRMED.

The “vast majority” of biblical scholars agree that the “water and the Spirit” mentioned by Jesus in John 3:5 refers to baptism, and the Catholic teaching is that baptism causes an actual spiritual regeneration.

“Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte ‘a new creature,’ an adopted son of God, who has become ‘a partaker of the divine nature,’ member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1265).

In the Catholic Church, we’re baptised with water and confirmed by the Holy Spirit.

While this baptism cleanses us from sin, makes us Christians, children of God, and members of the Church; in confirmation, we receive the Holy Spirit, in order to make us strong, perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.

We have elaborate celebrations of these sacraments, and we make extensive physical and spiritual preparations for them.

So if Catholics aren’t born again, no other denomination can remotely claim to be born again.

In conclusion, when anyone asks if you’re born again, let your reply be, “MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!”