{"id":28192,"date":"2024-04-01T03:06:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-01T08:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/?p=28192"},"modified":"2025-11-14T15:14:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T21:14:28","slug":"unless-one-is-born-of-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apologeticspress.org\/unless-one-is-born-of-water\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cUnless\u201d One Is Born of Water?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Much of Christendom rejects the act of baptism as being of essential significance. Water baptism is typically viewed as a symbolic ritual that a person ought to engage in after accepting Jesus to become a Christian\u2014but the act is not essential to salvation. Hence, water immersion is not generally considered to be a prerequisite<\/strong> to the forgiveness of sin. However, in Jesus\u2019 interaction with Nicodemus, His language suggests otherwise. He used an exceptive statement when He declared to Nicodemus: \u201cMost assuredly, I say to you, unless<\/strong> one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God\u201d (John 3:5). Whereas older versions rendered the underlying Greek with the word \u201cexcept\u201d (e.g., ASV, KJV), newer translations generally use the word \u201cunless.\u201d The underlying Greek expression is \u1f10\u1f70v \u03bc\u1f74 (pronounced ay-on<\/em>, may<\/em>). A perusal of its use in the New Testament quickly reveals that the logical force<\/strong> of the expression is \u201cif and only if.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logicians, philosophers, and mathematicians define \u201cif and only if\u201d as a \u201cbiconditional logical connective between statements\u201d and, therefore, a statement of material equivalence.1<\/sup><\/a> So an \u201cif and only if\u201d statement indicates a necessary and sufficient condition<\/strong>. The logical force of Jesus\u2019 use of \u201cunless\u201d is that I will enter the kingdom if and only if<\/strong> I am born of water and the Spirit. As an example, the statement \u201cUnless the fruit is a banana, I cannot eat it\u201d is logically equivalent to \u201cI can eat fruit if and only if<\/strong> the fruit is a banana,\u201d which is also logically equivalent to saying, \u201cI can eat the fruit if the fruit is a banana, and I can eat no other fruit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observe that in an exceptive clause, when a single condition is specified, it constitutes the one and only means by which the stated goal may be achieved. Respected Greek grammarian A.T. Robertson gives examples of this construction under his discussion of four classes of the conditional sentence.2<\/sup><\/a> Consider the following 10 instances:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1.<\/strong> Matthew 26:42\u2014\u201cAgain, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, \u2018O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless<\/strong> I drink it, Your will be done.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: The \u201ccup\u201d of crucifixion could be achieved if and only if<\/strong> Jesus \u201cdrank\u201d it, i.e., endured it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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2.<\/strong> Mark 3:27\u2014\u201cNo one can enter a strong man\u2019s house and plunder his goods, unless<\/strong> he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: A strong man\u2019s house can be entered and plundered if and only if<\/strong> the strong man is first bound.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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3.<\/strong> Mark 4:22\u2014\u201cFor there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that<\/strong> it should come to light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: Things were kept secret if and only if<\/strong> they would later be divulged.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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4.<\/strong> John 3:27\u2014\u201cJohn answered and said, \u2018A man can receive nothing unless<\/strong> it has been given to him from heaven.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: A man can receive divine information from heaven if and only if<\/strong> God wills\/allows it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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5.<\/strong> John 10:37\u2014\u201cIf<\/strong> I do not<\/strong> do the works of My Father, do not believe Me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: Believe Me if and only if<\/strong> I perform miraculous works of God.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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6.<\/strong> John 15:6\u2014\u201cIf <\/strong>anyone does not<\/strong> abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: A person can avoid hell if and only if<\/strong> he abides in Christ.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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7.<\/strong> John 16:7\u2014\u201cIt is to your advantage that I go away; for if<\/strong> I do not<\/strong> go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: The Helper would come to the apostles if and only if<\/strong> Jesus went away.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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8.<\/strong> 1 Corinthians 9:16\u2014\u201cFor if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if<\/strong> I do not<\/strong> preach the gospel!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: Paul could avoid woe if and only if<\/strong> he preached the Gospel.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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9.<\/strong> 2 Timothy 2:5\u2014\u201cAnd also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless<\/strong> he competes according to the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: An athlete is crowned if and only if<\/strong> he competes according to the rules.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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10.<\/strong> Revelation 2:22\u2014\u201cIndeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless<\/strong> they repent of their deeds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: Jezebel could avoid a sickbed and tribulation if and only if<\/strong> she repented of her deeds.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Consider three additional biblical illustrations of this grammatical principle:3<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Luke 10:6\u2014\u201cAnd if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not<\/strong>, it will return to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: Your peace will return to you if and only if<\/strong> a son of peace is in the house.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Luke 13:9\u2014\u201cAnd if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: Cut it down if and only if<\/strong> it does not bear fruit.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Revelation 2:5\u2014\u201cRemember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place\u2014unless<\/strong> you repent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logical Force<\/strong>: The Ephesian Christians could avoid the removal of their lampstand if and only if<\/strong> they repented.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Observe that in each of these cases, the logical force of the underlying Greek is \u201cif and only if.\u201d Only on the sole grounds of the stated condition may the action be accomplished or avoided. <\/strong>Whatever other stipulations\/prerequisites are given that may be equally essential (e.g., believe), nevertheless, the use of e)aVn mh\\ demands that the condition stipulated by the exceptive clause be met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 3:5<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The application of this grammatical principle to John 3:5 lies in the words selected by Jesus to clarify for Nicodemus the only way to achieve the new birth: \u201cJesus answered, \u2018Most assuredly, I say to you, unless<\/strong> one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.\u2019\u201d Jesus\u2019 use of \u201cunless\u201d implies the following logically equivalent statements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n