“Born of water and Spirit” occurs as a reiteration of John 3:3’s phrase “born again”. The word, “again” possess two meanings. Though Nicodemus translates the word as “a second time,” the word also means “from above.” It is this later interpretation, which Jesus seems to intend.n other words, we are not to take this is first you must be born of water and then of spirit; rather, unless one is born of water and spirit in v5 is parallel to unless one is born again in v3.