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We must always keep in remembrance the design of Christ, which we have already explained; namely, that he intended to exhort Nicodemus to newness of life, because he was not capable of receiving the Gospel, until he began to be a new man....

....We sometimes meet with the statement, that it is Christ who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost and with fire, (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16,) where fire means nothing different from the Spirit, but only shows what is his efficacy in us. As to the word water being placed first, it is of little consequence; or rather, this mode of speaking flows more naturally than the other, because the metaphor is followed by a plain and direct statement, as if Christ had said that no man is a son of God until he has been renewed by water, and that this water is the Spirit who cleanseth us anew and who, by spreading his energy over us, imparts to us the rigor of the heavenly life, though by nature we are utterly dry.

1 posted on 07/16/2012 7:21:55 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
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To: Alex Murphy

Amen!


3 posted on 07/16/2012 8:08:19 PM PDT by ReformationFan
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To: Alex Murphy

Excellent


4 posted on 07/16/2012 8:18:21 PM PDT by RnMomof7
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To: Alex Murphy

Even today, Calvin’s commentary on the book of John is the best one out there. Sola Deo Gloria!


5 posted on 07/18/2012 1:22:55 AM PDT by circlecity
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