Exegetical paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Exegetical paper - Essay Example As Jesus proceeded with his teaching to Nicodemus, reveals to him that man would no longer be justified by the law alone, but by believing in him as the light of the world (Witt 65). This passage has had issues of misinterpretation especially on the issue of being born of water and the spirit. Jesus also emphasized that being redeemed was pegged on believing in him. A number of Christian faithful have misunderstood the salvation that Jesus Christ brought (Witt 72; and Engelsma 1). Many have misinterpreted the concept of believing that Jesus talked about. Some have not believed in Jesus, for instance Judaism. For such category of people, this passage has been applied within a narrow prism due poor understanding. This passage is of great importance as it emphasizes the central role of Jesus in the new covenant. The understanding of verse 16 that â€Å"whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life† speaks volumes. Confusion and misunderstanding arises when believ e has to be defined. Assess verse 16 in opposite implication also indicates that whoever does not believe in him will perish. What then is it to believe? The purpose of this study is to alert everyone, irrespective of their faith, that failing to believe in Jesus is an eternal spiritual suicide on humanity (Witt 72). By reading this paper, I hope that the reader will understand the importance of salvation by faith. In the above passage, Jesus tells Nicodemus that inheriting the kingdom of God requires one to be born again. Nicodemus has no understanding of what Jesus was speaking about at this time. Therefore, he put it to Jesus that it is impossible for one to be born again physically as he cannot enter into his mother’s womb again. In response, Jesus adds that inheriting the kingdom of God is tied together with being filled with the spirit. He proceeds to tell Nicodemus that there are heavenly things that would surprise him more if he tells him about them. Jesus