Born 'again'

Born of the Spirit

TO EXIST, BE, OR BECOME:

"And God said unto Moses, I AM [H1961 hayah] THAT I AM [H1961 hayah]: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." (Exodus 3:14).

(Strongs Hebrew Dictionary): H1961 hayah: To exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass.

Genesis 1:1 & 26-27, and Genesis 2:7:

Created: When YHVH God created [bara] man, 

Formed: He formed [yatsar] man of the dust of the ground; and

Breathed: breathed (naphach) into his nostrils the breath (nshamah) of life (chay); and

Became: the man became  [H1961 haya] a living [chay] soul (nephesh).

Genesis 2:7 (Septuagint):

καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν. 

The words in English:

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [zoe]; and man became a living [zao] soul [psuche]."

The Greek word used for “living” in Genesis 2:7 in the Septuagint is ζῶσαν (zōsan), which is derived from the root verb ζάω (zaō). It does not say, "and man became a living spirit", but  ".. man became a living soul [psychḗn]."  The New Testament uses the Greek word psychḗ interchangeably in reference to: The life, mind, and soul of humans who are alive | living [zao]:  The mind/thoughts/emotions/soul of humans = the life (psychḗ) that exists with the living [zao] person whose body is not lifeless, not dead,  but there is only one God. (Eternal) life [zoe] is in Him and always existed in Him, before the creation of mankind: John 1:2 & 4 The Word was in the beginning with God. In Him was life [zōḗ], and the life [zōḗ] was the light of men. John 5:26 For as the Father hath life [zōḗ] in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life [zōḗ] in himself. 1 John 5:11-12 God has given to us eternal life [zōḗ], and this life [zōḗ] is in His Son. He that has the Son has (eternal) life; and he that has not the Son of God has not (eternal) life [zōḗ].

Only God possesses life. The created man became a living soul when the living God breathed the breath of life into him.

"The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice, but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone who is born [γεννάω gennáō] of the Spirit." -- John 3:8. "That which is born [gennáō] of the flesh (body) is flesh, and that which is born [gennáō] of the Spirit is spirit." ( John 3:6).

Born of the flesh: "And Jacob begat [gennao] Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." -- Matthew 1:16.

Note: Jesus the Messiah did not need to be be "born again". He was born of God from the first, the beginning. He was not gennao (begotten) of a human father:

"Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived [gennao] in her is of the Holy Ghost." -- Matthew 1:20.

Gennao can refer to a human life which is conceived, as well as to a human life which is born. 

Whether conceived or born, what takes place is not a (dead) human life being "regenerated or resurrected or quickened": it's conceived or born from the first, the beginning:

Born of the Spirit: 

"Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born [gennáō] from the first [anothen], he cannot see the kingdom of God. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born [gennáō] from the first [anothen]." -- John 3:3 & 6-7.

Strongs Greek Dictionary G509 [anothen]: 

From above; by analogy, from the first; by implication, anew:--from above, again, from the beginning (very first), the top. 

G 507 ano:

adverb from 473; upward or on the top:--above, brim, high, up. see GREEK for 473

VERSES WHERE [anothen] MEANS "FROM THE FIRST, THE BEGINNING" 

"It seemed good to me also, following all things accurately from the very first [anothen], to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus" -- Luke 1:3

"My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; Which knew me from the beginning [anothen], if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee." -- Acts 26:4-5

"But now, after that all of you have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn all of you again to the weak and beggarly elements, unto which all of you desire again [anothen - from the beginning] to be in bondage?" -- Galatians 4:9

A VERSE WHERE [anothen] MEANS "FROM THE TOP"

Matthew 27:51 (parallel Mark 15:38):

"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top [anothen] to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent." -- Matthew 27:51.

A VERSE WHERE [anothen] MEANS "FROM ABOVE"

"He that comes from above [anothen] is above [epano] all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth: he that comes from heaven is above [epano] all." -- John 3:31.

Strongs Greek G1883 epano:

up above, i.e. over or on (of place, amount, rank, etc.):--above, more than, (up-)on, over.

To be "born again" [gennao] does not mean to be "born twice" - it means to be born anew, from the first, the beginning, and from above.  We are born once of the flesh (the natural body), and once of the Spirit.  NOTE: Being "BORN again" does not imply being quickened to life, because stripped of the faulty interpretations of man-made theologies, in the New Testament quickening is always referring to the quickening of the body that died / the dead body:

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