John 3:5 (WEB)
Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
Catechism · 11
The Sacrament of Baptism
“This sacrament is also called "the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit," for it signifies and actually brings about the birth of water and the Spirit without which no one "can enter the kingdom of God."” — Catechism footnote: Titus 3:5; Jn 3:5.
“From then on, it is possible "to be born of water and the Spirit"” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Jn 3:5.
“The baptismal water is consecrated by a prayer of epiclesis (either at this moment or at the Easter Vigil). the Church asks God that through his Son the power of the Holy Spirit may be sent upon the water, so that those who will be baptized in it may be "born of water and the Spirit."” — Catechism footnote: Jn 3:5.
“The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Jn 3:5.
“Thus the two principal effects are purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Acts 2:38; Jn 3:5.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
“On several occasions Christ promised this outpouring of the Spirit,” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Lk 12:12; Jn 3:5-8; 7:37-39; 16:7-15; Acts 1:8.
"Our Father Who Art in Heaven"
“There is only one God, and he is recognized as Father by those who, through faith in his only Son, are reborn of him by water and the Spirit.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. 1 Jn 5:1; Jn 3:5.
"I Believe in the Holy Spirit"
“John's baptism was for repentance; baptism in water and the Spirit will be a new birth.” — Catechism footnote: Cf Jn 3:5.
“He also alludes to the Spirit in speaking to Nicodemus,” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Jn 3:5-8.
The Church - People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit
- §782Paragraph 2 · The Church - People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy SpiritRead at vatican.va
“But he acquired a people for himself from those who previously were not a people: "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." - One becomes a member of this people not by a physical birth, but by being "born anew," a birth "of water and the Spirit,"” — Catechism footnote: Jn 3:3-5.
The Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic
“Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.” — Catechism footnote: LG 14; cf. Mk 16:16; Jn 3:5[ETML:C/].
Fathers and councils · 40
Tertullian
“Besides, he had certainly not forgotten what the Lord had so definitively stated: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God;” in other words, he cannot be holy.” — editor's note: John iii. 5.
Read the whole comment“…baptism, salvation is attainable by none” (chiefly on the ground of that declaration of the Lord, who says, “Unless one be born of water, he hath not life”), there arise immediately scrupulous, nay rather audacious, doubts on the part of some, “how, in accordance with that prescript, salvation is attainable by…” — editor's note: John iii. 5, not fully given.
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Irenaeus of Lyons
- Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies Fragments from.34Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenæus
“…as new-born babes, even as the Lord has declared: “Except a man be born again through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”” — editor's note: John iii. 5.
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John Damascene
“And He laid on us the command to be born again of water and of the Spirit, through prayer and invocation, the Holy Spirit drawing nigh unto the water.” — editor's note: Ibid. iii. 5.
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Cyril of Jerusalem
“For He says, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” — editor's note: John iii. 5.
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Augustine of Hippo
“…longer need of baptism, as the heathen have, and as itself had when it was covered with the waters,—for no other entrance is there into the kingdom of heaven, since Thou hast appointed that this should be the entrance,—nor does it seek great works of miracles by which to cause faith; for it is not such that, unless…” — editor's note: John iii. 5.
Read the whole comment“No man is “born of water and the Spirit,” except he be willing.” — editor's note: John iii. 5.
Read the whole comment“For He doth not say in that place, and of the Holy Spirit; yet this is understood.” — editor's note: John iii. 5.
Read the whole comment“For He who said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” made also an exception in their favor, in that other sentence where He no less absolutely said, “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also…” — editor's note: John iii. 5.
Read the whole comment“Did not He who said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of God,” say also, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven?”” — editor's note: John iii. 5.
Read the whole comment“For he can say, “Our Father which art in heaven,” seeing that to such a Father he is now born again of water and of the Spirit.” — editor's note: John iii. 5
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Cyprian of Carthage
“For then finally can they be fully sanctified, and be the sons of God, if they be born of each sacrament; since it is written, “Except a man be born again of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”” — editor's note: John iii. 5. [Bingham, book xii. cap. i. sec. 4.]
Read the whole comment“…of God, may be born of both sacraments, because it is written, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”” — editor's note: John iii. 5. [His exposition of this passage explains his hyperbole, nulla salus extra ecclesiam. Of which sec. 23, infra.]
Read the whole comment“For that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”” — editor's note: John iii. 5, 6.
Read the whole comment“For that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”” — editor's note: John iii. 5, 6.
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John Chrysostom
“John iii. 5” — the author cites it
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Jerome
“To Nicodemus He secretly says:—“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.”” — editor's note: Joh. iii. 5.
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Basil the Great
“Hence it follows that the answer to our question why the water was associated with the Spirit is clear: the reason is because in baptism two ends were proposed; on the one hand, the destroying of the body of sin, that it may never bear fruit unto death;…” — editor's note: cf. John iii. 5.
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Ambrose of Milan
“Nicodemus enquires about regeneration, and the Lord replies: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again by water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”” — editor's note: S. John iii. 5.
Read the whole comment“Nor, again, is there the Sacrament of Regeneration without water: “For except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”” — editor's note: S. John iii. 5.
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Athanasius of Alexandria
“Whence He said to the Jews also: “Except a man be born again,” not meaning, as they thought, birth from woman, but speaking of the soul born and created anew in the likeness of God’s image.” — editor's note: See John iii. 3, 5.
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Gregory of Nyssa
“Now, the work properly belonging to the Divine energy is the salvation of those who need it; and this salvation proves effectual by means of the cleansing in the water; and he that has been so cleansed will participate in Purity; and true Purity is Deity.” — editor's note: S. John iii. 5
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Hippolytus of Rome
“This is, says (the Docetic), what the Saviour affirms: “Except a man be born of water and spirit, he will not enter into the kingdom of heaven, because that which is born of the flesh is flesh.”” — editor's note: John iii. 5, 6.
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Catena Aurea on John
- John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
Nicodemus coming to Jesus, as to a man, is startled on learning greater things than man could utter, things too lofty for him. His mind is darkened, and he does not stand firm, but reels like one on the point of…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on John
The question put thus sounds as if a boy might enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born. But Nicodemus, we must remember, was an old man, and took his instance from himself; as if he said, I am an old…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
Thou callest Him Rabbi, and sayest that He comes from God, and yet receivest not His sayings, but usest to thy master a word which brings in endless confusion; for that how, is the enquiry of a man who has no strong…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
It is the Spirit that speaketh, whereas he understandeth carnally; he knew of no birth save one, that from Adam and Eve; from God and the Church he knows of none. But do thou so understand the birth of the Spirit, as…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
While Nicodemus stumbles, dwelling upon our birth here, Christ reveals more clearly the manner of our spiritual birth; Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
As if He said, Thou understandest me to speak of a carnal birth; but a man must be born of water and of the Spirit, if he is to enter into the kingdom of God. If to obtain the temporal inheritance of his human…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
If any one asks how a man is born of water, I ask in return, how Adam was born from the ground. For as in the beginning though the element of earth was the subject-matter, the man was the work of the fashioner; so…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
Because He does not say, Except a man be born again1 of water and of the Spirit, he shall not have salvation, or eternal life; but, he shall not enter into the kingdom of God; from this, some infer that children are…
Read the whole comment - Haymo of HalberstadtCatena Aurea on John
But Nicodemus being unable to take in so great and deep mysteries, our Lord helps him by the analogy of our carnal birth, saying, That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
Do not look then for any material production, or think that the Spirit generates flesh; for even the Lord’s flesh is generated not by the Spirit only, but also by the flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
But who of us does not see, for example, that the south wind blows from south to north, another wind from the east, another from the west? And how then do we not know whence the wind cometh, and whither it goeth?
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on John
It is the Holy Spirit therefore, Who bloweth where He listeth. It is in His own power to choose, whose heart to visit with His enlightening grace. And thou hearest the sound thereof. When one filled with the Holy…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
The Psalm soundeth, the Gospel soundeth, the Divine Word soundeth; it is the sound of the Spirit. This means that the Holy Spirit is invisibly present in the Word and Sacrament, to accomplish our birth.
Read the whole comment - Alcuin of YorkCatena Aurea on John
Therefore, Thou knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; for, although the Spirit should possess a person in thy presence at a particular time, it could not be seen how He entered into him, or how He went…
Read the whole comment - Haymo of HalberstadtCatena Aurea on John
Or, Thou canst not tell whence it cometh; i. e. thou knowest not how He brings believers to the faith; or whither it goeth, i. e. how He directs the faithful to their hope. And so is every one that is born of the…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
Or thus: If thou art born of the Spirit, thou wilt be such, that he, who is not yet born of the Spirit, will not know whence thou comest, or whither thou goest. For it follows, So is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John
This completely refutes Macedonius the impugner of the Spirit, who asserted that the Holy Ghost was a servant. The Holy Ghost, we find, works by His own power, where He will, and what He will.
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Cross-references · 43
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.10.
Cited together in On the Mysteries Chapter 4.
Cited together in Catechism §1225.
Cited together in Catechism §1262.
Cited together in Catechism §2790.
Cited together in Epistles Letter 71.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 24 and 1 other place.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.10.
Cited together in Catechism §782.
Cited together in A Treatise on the Soul Chapter 39.
Cited together in Catechism §782.
Cited together in Catechism §2790.
Cited together in Catechism §2790.
Cited together in Catechism §2790.
Cited together in The Refutation of All Heresies VIII.3.
Cited together in Catechism §1215 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Catechism §782.
Cited together in Catechism §2790.
Cited together in Catechism §1225 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Catechism §1225 and 2 other places.
Cited together in Catechism §1225 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 24.
Cited together in Epistles Letter 71.
Cited together in Against Heresies Fragments from.34 and 1 other place.
Cited together in The City of God XIII.7.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews I.13.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews I.13.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews I.13.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews I.13.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.10.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews I.13.
Cited together in On the Mysteries Chapter 4.
Cited together in Catechism §782.
Cited together in Catechism §782.
Cited together in Catechism §782.
Cited together in Catechism §782.
Cited together in The City of God XIII.7.
Cited together in The Refutation of All Heresies VIII.3.
Cited together in The Refutation of All Heresies VIII.3.
Cited together in The City of God XIII.7.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 24.
Cited together in Catechism §846 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Catechism §1225 and 1 other place.