John 3:1-8
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish council.
2 He came to Jesus one night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that God has sent you as a teacher. No one can perform the miracles you perform unless God is with him."
3 Jesus replied to Nicodemus, "I can guarantee this truth: No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above (anoothen)." This is normally translated born again.
4 Nicodemus asked him, "How can anyone be born when he's an old man? He can't go back inside his mother a second time to be born, can he?"
5 Jesus answered Nicodemus, "I can guarantee this truth: No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the spirit (pneuma).
6 Flesh and blood give birth to flesh and blood, but the Spirit (pneuma) gives birth to things that are spiritual (pneuma).
7 Don't be surprised when I tell you that all of you must be born from above (anoothen).
8 The wind (pneuma) blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it's going. That's the way it is with everyone born of the spirit (pneuma)."
(from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)
The next usage of anothen is in verse 31:
John 3:31-34
He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him. KJV
What was it that Jesus expected Nicodemus to know? For starters, Ezek 11:19:
"And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:" KJV
Also, Ezek 36:26-27: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." KJV
Finally, Jer 31:33-34: "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." KJV
This is what Jesus knew and expected Nicodemus to know as well. Jesus expected "those days" that Jeremiah spoke about, to begin immediately after his ascension and culminate with the Battle of Armageddon, when the Kingdom of God would begin. His mindset was a relatively short period of time.
Now, let's take a look at anagennao, to produce again, to beget again, to beget anew. Its first usage is in 1 Peter 1:3-5:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
NKJV
The second and final usage 1 Peter 1:22-23: "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, NKJV
In contrasting the usages of these Greek words we can immediately see that there is no mention of "seed" or any "begetting" in John. Not only that, but we also see with that seed is an incorruptible, undefiled inheritance that does njot fade away with time! It is also interesting that 1:5 mentions "the last time," perhaps a parallel of "after those days."
In summary we know Jesus was talking to "a master (teacher) of Israel" and that he, Jesus, was referring to some Hebrew Scriptures when he spoke of being born from above and seeing and entering the kingdom of God. For the Jews, it was going to be impossible for them to enter into the kingdom without God making it happen. Ezekiel and Jeremiah show us that God was going to put his spirit in them and they are, in the future, going to walk in his ways.
On the other hand, both Jew and Gentile can be begotten again now, enjoy the current benefits of salvation, reap the rewards of our godly works in heaven and then enjoy the full benefits of salvation after those days of the tribulation. I would say there is a vast difference between what Jesus and Peter were speaking of. And these are just the ones on the surface!
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