Evangelicals, commonly self-identified as “Born-again Evangelicals,” generally interpret “born again” as a profound experience of repentance and faith in Jesus’s sacrifice for sins. This experience is often specific, memorable, and pivotal to their personal testimony. These experiences, usually emotionally charged, can look like reciting a “salvation prayer” from a pamphlet in order to escape eternal damnation by “inviting” Jesus into one’s heart or undergoing an emotionally intense “born again” experience, such as speaking in tongues in the case of pentecostal and charismatic groups.

Finding a comprehensive definition is challenging; however, the following statement serves as a good example of the Evangelical concept of being “born again”:

Being born again means starting over as a new creation in Christ. It’s a personal and spiritual renewal, where your sins are forgiven and your heart is transformed by the Holy Spirit. In John 3:3, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The term “born again,” however, could not have originally referred to accepting Jesus’s death for one’s sins to escape hellfire when it was first used in John 3:3, as Jesus had not yet died, nor was his death foreseen at that time. If anything, Jesus’ disciples expected Him to lead a revolt against the Romans and establish His reign (Luke 24:21). This suggests that initially, the phrase “born again” held a completely different meaning. Therefore, to assert that “to be born again” means “to avoid hellfire by accepting Jesus’s death for one’s sins” would constitute an anachronism fallacy, as it retroactively applies a concept or event (Jesus’ death and its theological interpretation) to a period before it actually happened or was comprehended in such a manner.

Nicodemus’s transformation in the Johannine narrative unfolds not as a single mystical moment, but as a gradual intellectual and spiritual awakening. He first approaches Jesus under the cover of night (John 3), beginning a journey marked by sincere yet cautious inquiry as he wrestles with the meaning of “new birth.”

This tentative curiosity matures into quiet courage. In John 7:50–51, Nicodemus publicly appeals for justice before the Sanhedrin, signaling a growing alignment with Jesus. His journey reaches its culmination at the tomb (John 19:39–40), where he finally steps fully into the light, bringing an extravagant, kingly quantity of burial spices.

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What emerges is not a sudden mystical conversion, but a steady transformation—a slow, deliberate turning of the soul. Nicodemus moves from a seeker in the shadows to a disciple in the open, embodying a rebirth that unfolds through the patient deepening of understanding in a thoughtful, searching mind.

To Be Born Again

Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

John 3:3

So, what did Jesus mean by the term ‘born again’?

To answer, we must consider two terms:

1. “Born Again”
2. “See [or ‘enter’] the Kingdom of God.”

In the first century, the phrase “born again” functioned as a recognized Jewish idiom, used of Gentiles who converted to Judaism. In Jewish language, such a convert was described as a “newborn” after undergoing circumcision, immersion, and acceptance of the Torah. Ancient Jewish sources (e.g., Yevamot 48b and 62a, along with early midrashic material) preserve this understanding, reflecting a concept already in circulation during the time of Jesus.

Against this background, the shock of John 3 comes into sharp focus. When Jesus tells Nicodemus—a Pharisee and teacher of Israel—that he must be “born again,” He applies to a devout Jew the very language typically reserved for Gentile converts entering the covenant. The implication is profound: even the most observant Jew must undergo a radical reorientation—not merely of behavior, but of understanding—moving from inherited religion to the life Jesus embodies and proclaims: loving one’s enemies, forgiving sinners, pursuing justice, extending mercy, walking in humility, and participating in the renewal of the world.

1 Peter 1:23 states, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word [logos] of God.” Here, Peter addressed an audience during a period when the New Testament, as we know it today, did not yet exist. At that time, only the “Old Testament” had been canonized. Thus, the question is, what was the “word” Peter spoke of?

Some Christians today view the Bible as God’s word. However, John’s Gospel begins by identifying Jesus—not the Bible—as the “word” (logos) of God. This influenced early Christian thought to see Jesus’ life, ministry, and teaching as the ultimate expression of God’s word. Therefore, the “word of God” likely refers to Jesus’s ministry, life, and teachings, particularly his parables and Sermon on the Mount, which were initially passed down orally.

In this context, to be born again is to educate oneself with Jesus’s teachings, values, and instructions and adjust oneself’s life, attitude, and actions accordingly. This isn’t a one-time mystical-emotional experience or a line one recites from a pamphlet but a lifelong mental journey of becoming Christ-like, including aiding the sick, helping the poor, embracing the outcast, loving enemies, forgiving trespassers, loving sacrificially, growing in empathy and compassion, becoming kinder, etc. This journey must begin with an initial realization of who our loving God is and what He truly desires from us through His word—Jesus Christ—leading to a lifelong pursuit.

Now, is “born again” supposed to lead us into paradise and away from eternal fiery torture?

The Kingdom of God

Some Christians view the “Kingdom of God” as a mystical afterlife paradise. However, this idea also diverges from Jesus’s teachings.

In Matthew 4:17 and Mark 1:15, Jesus mentions that “the kingdom of God has come near.” Luke 17:21 states, “The kingdom of God is within you,” and Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20 assert, “The kingdom of God has come upon you.“

“Near,” “within you,” and “upon you” make the Kingdom of God very different from a heavenly destination far away in the afterlife.

In Matthew 5:3, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” and in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” In Luke 8:1, we read that “Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.” He also sent out His disciples, in Luke 9:2, “to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

Clearly, the “Kingdom of God” Jesus was referring to at the time was a present reality – a spiritual mindset, lifestyle, and attitude to life —here and now. This is, in fact, a very Jewish view known as TIKKUN OLAM. The Hebrew phrase Tikkun Olam means “world repair.” In Jewish circles, Tikkun Olam has become synonymous with social action and the pursuit of justice, especially for the poor and needy.

To summarize, Jesus wasn’t a 21st-century evangelical pastor from the West preaching you must go through a mystical-emotional experience that will—once you die—help you escape Hellfire. Instead, the parables of Jesus, a Jewish rabbi, were concerned with the present. According to Rabbi Jesus, to “be born again” and “see/enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3) means stepping into a living reality that represents Jesus’ teachings and values:

The kingdom of God is…righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

My book, “The Kingdom of Yeshua: Christ’s Timeless Wisdom to Revive Your Spiritual Life,“ offers an in-depth exploration of the concepts of “being born again” and “seeing/entering the kingdom of God” and what living in that kingdom looks like.

This article was a copy-paste from my new book on hell: HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine