10. (Verse 5). Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to you: Unless one is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God:
as if to say: I do not mean the birth that is from the womb, but that which is from water: I do not mean the birth that is from seed, but that which is from the Holy Spirit: because that birth is carnal and manifest, this one is spiritual and hidden. On this account he says:
11. (Verse 6). What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the spirit is spirit. Therefore, just as generation from the flesh is carnal, so generation from the spirit is spiritual: above in chapter one: "Who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Nor is it only spiritual, but indeed also hidden: and therefore the natural-minded Nicodemus ought not to marvel if he does not understand. On this account he says:
12. (Verse 7). Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again, even though you do not understand.
13. (Vers. 8.). The Spirit breathes where He wills: where He wills, by giving grace: Romans 9: "He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens." And you hear His voice, in the preachers: Matthew 10: "For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you." And you do not know whence He comes or whither He goes: Job 9: "If He comes to me, I shall not see Him; and if He departs, I shall not understand." So is everyone who is born of the Spirit, namely spiritual and hidden: Romans 6: "For we have been buried together with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ rose from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life." Just as burial and death and life are spiritual, so also is generation.
14. (Vers. 9.). Nicodemus answered. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the manner of understanding this spiritual regeneration, which because Nicodemus did not possess, he therefore doubts and inquires; whence he says: Nicodemus answered and said to Him: How can these things be? And in this the diligence of Nicodemus is noted, who did not cease from inquiring until he understood. Chrysostom: "If the Jews had heard, they would immediately have departed in derision"; and therefore he who was moved through the captivation of the intellect and through faith deserves to be more fully instructed by the Lord. Therefore He humbles him; on account of which He says:
15. (Vers. 10.). Jesus answered and said to him: You are a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things? As if to say: you consider yourself a great teacher, and yet you are ignorant of the beginnings of faith. Hebrews 5: "When you ought to be teachers by reason of the time, you need again to be taught what are the elements of the beginning of the words of God." As if to say: if you wish to understand, you must humble yourself and believe, because if you do not believe this, neither will you be able to understand greater things. Therefore He says:
16. (Vers. 11.). Amen, amen, I say to you, that we speak what we know: " we, that is, I and my Apostles," as the Gloss says; or we in the plural intimates the mystery of the Trinity. And what we have seen we testify: below in chapter 8: "What I have seen with my Father, this I speak"; and thus I ought to be believed; but nevertheless you do not believe. Therefore He adds: And you do not receive our testimony: below in chapter 5: "I have come in the name of my Father, and you do not receive me." And if you do not receive the small things I have said nor believe them, much less will you in great things. Therefore He adds:
17. (Vers. 12.). If I have spoken earthly things to you and you do not believe, how, if I tell you heavenly things, will you believe? As if to say: you will not; and therefore the manner of understanding is to believe lesser things through faith before one arrives at sublime things. First Corinthians 3: "As little ones in Christ, I gave you milk to drink, not solid food." But if they would not receive milk, how could they receive solid food? — From the foregoing, therefore, it is clear that regeneration is necessary, is spiritual and hidden, and that no one can understand it unless he believes.
QUESTIONS.
18. Question I. There is a question about what he says: Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
On the contrary: 1. If this was a precept, then no one can be saved unless baptized of water and the Holy Spirit. — Against this: There were many Martyrs who were not baptized.
Likewise, there are many who have faith and are overtaken by death; but it is said below in the same place: Everyone who believes in the Son of God does not perish; therefore if he is not baptized, he will still be saved.
2. But if it is not a precept, then he speaks wrongly in saying that one cannot enter into the kingdom of God, because "to see" is here taken as the vision of the fatherland.
I respond: It must be said that there is baptism of water, of the Spirit, and of blood. It must therefore be said that according to the common law all are bound to be baptized, because it is a precept. But if impossibility intervenes, either grace is present, namely the baptism of the Spirit or of blood, or it is not: if it is, it supplies for that baptism when there is no possibility. But if it is not present, impossibility does not excuse nor bring about salvation, not because of transgression of the precept, but because of the stain of original sin, which has not been removed through grace.
And thus it is clear that those who have formed faith are saved when they are overtaken by death.
19. Question II. Likewise it is asked whether from that time it was necessary to be baptized. — That it was , seems apparent:
1. Because at that time the judgment was promulgated that without this there was no salvation.
2. Likewise, if it was not instituted then, when therefore was baptism instituted?
Master Hugo responds and distinguishes a threefold time of grace: one in which circumcision alone was in effect, as before the coming of Christ; one in which baptism alone, as after the manifestation of the Gospel; and one in which both were mixed, as in the middle time, and then circumcision had its effect, and for that time it was not necessary to be baptized, nor did the Lord here authoritatively promulgate the necessity of regeneration, but revealed to a friend what he was about to do.
2. As to the question: when was baptism instituted? It must be said that materially, when Christ was baptized; formally, when he rose again and gave the form, at the end of Matthew; effectively, when he suffered, because from that it had its power; but finally, when he foretold its necessity and usefulness, as here: Unless one is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, etc.
20. Question III. Likewise there is a question about what he says: What is born of the flesh is flesh.
1. Therefore also what is born of the spirit is spirit; therefore what is born of a holy one is holy; therefore a holy man begets a holy man, namely his son — which is manifestly false; rather, a sinner.
2. Likewise, if what is born of the spirit is spirit, then what is born of God is God; but we are all born of God, as is said in 1 John 5; therefore we are all gods.
I respond: It must be said that this is to be understood per se: that which is born from flesh generating, namely insofar as it is flesh, is carnal: similarly concerning spirit, it is spiritual.