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John 3:8

Primary
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

What this passage establishes

Jesus describes Spirit birth as real and recognizable by its effect even though the Spirit is unseen.

Why it matters in the argument

Acts gives observable accounts of people receiving the promised Spirit. Those narratives supply the Bible’s clearest pattern for recognizing Spirit reception.

Apostolic connection

Apostolic teaching distinguishes the initial sign of tongues when the Spirit is received from the later congregational gift that requires interpretation.

Common misunderstanding

Paul’s question ‘do all speak with tongues?’ concerns distributed gifts in the assembled body, not the repeated initial sign in Acts.

How to use it in conversation

Start with the promise, then compare Acts 2, 10, and 19. Use 1 Corinthians only after distinguishing initial sign, private prayer, and public gift.

Scripture connections

See which passages advance, clarify, or answer the argument

Continue this argument

Acts 2:37-38Continue the The New Birth argument with the next passage.Acts 2:1-4Continue the Tongues as the Initial Sign argument with the next passage.

Supporting Scriptures

Acts 2:39This later passage reinforces the same argument from another angle.Acts 2:33This later passage reinforces the same argument from another angle.

Earlier in the argument

John 3:5Return to the prior step in The New Birth.Isaiah 28:11-12Return to the prior step in Tongues as the Initial Sign.

Nearby curated context

John 3:3Jesus says entrance into God’s kingdom requires a birth from above.John 3:5Jesus specifies the new birth as birth of water and Spirit.John 3:16God’s love gives the Son so believers may receive eternal life rather than perish.John 3:18Condemnation turns on whether a person believes in the name of God’s only begotten Son.