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What does it mean to be born again?

Direct

A clear verse states this directly, and no higher-or-equal-authority text overturns it.

To be "born again" means to receive a new, spiritual life originating from God himself, not from human effort or physical descent, through the Spirit of God, and this new birth is the necessary condition for entering God's kingdom.

Jesus states it plainly and directly in John 3:3–8, and every other author across the New Testament, Peter, John, Paul, James, independently confirms and develops the same teaching with no contradiction at any level of authority.

Key texts:
John 3:3Tier 2 · Jesus
“Jesus answered him, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.””
John 3:5Tier 2 · Jesus
“Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.”
John 3:6Tier 2 · Jesus
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

…and 18 more verses weighed in the full analysis.

This is a summary.

See SAM's complete analysis, every verse it weighs, ranked by who is speaking (God, Jesus, the apostles), with the full step-by-step reasoning and word-for-word verified citations. New accounts get two free questions.

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Original-language words behind this answer:
eulogētós (Greek G2128)archaîos (Greek G744)ktísis (Greek G2937)parérchomai (Greek G3928)póthen (Greek G4159)boúlomai (Greek G1014)kainós (Greek G2537)anástasis (Greek G386)thaumázō (Greek G2296)châdâsh (Hebrew H2319)

SAM answers from primary-source texts only, weighing each verse by its authority tier. Every quotation is verified word-for-word. How the method works →

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