Born of Water and the Spirit...

                        Verses quoted within the text of this blog are quoted from the                             Authorized Version of the Bible

Jesus said "You must be born again"

            John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
            unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
            kingdom of God.

                 This is the "Gate" into the kingdom

            John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
            Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he
            cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
      Water and the Spirit - These are the two components of being born
      again, but what does this mean to us? Necodemus asked "can a
      man enter again into his mothers womb?
          Here are three ways of understanding "born of water":


         1) Water - Natural birth - this is not logical. If He was
          refering to the natural birth He could not have said "again"
          and also it would have gone without saying.
         2) Water - Baptism - This is the doctrine proposed by the Real
          Life OTP Church. It is certainly not wrong as baptism is commanded
          and also in one place the words "through baptism we are
          saved" is used. 1 Pet 3:20,21 
          However, this doesn't seem to fit the typology of the
          word perfectly. It is...
          Not a symbol of birth but death.
            Examples of, "Commanded" to be baptized:
            Acts 2:38 "Repent, and be baptized"
            Acts 8:12 "...they were baptized, both men and women."
            Acts 10:47,48 "...And he commanded them to be baptized"
            Acts 22:16 "...arise, and be baptized"
            Romans 6:3,4 ..."baptized into his death"
          Baptism a type brought forward from the Old Testament:
            1 Corinthians 10:1-4  "...that Rock was Christ"
            1 Corinthians 12:13 "...we all baptized into one body"
            Galatians 3:27 "...have put on Christ"
            Ephesians 4:5 "One Lord, one faith, one baptism,"
            Colossians 2:12 "...Buried with him in baptism"
          Baptism is for our "conscience:"
            1 Peter 3:21 
             21. The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now
            save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,
            but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the
            resurrection of Jesus Christ:
         3) Water - an example of being cleansed by the "Word"
            Ephesians 5:25,26 "...washing of water by the word"
            Psalms 119:9
            Cleansed by the word
            Psalms 1:1-3
            Psalms 19:7-11
            Psalms 78:4-8
            Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not
            sin against thee.
            Psalms 119:97-105
            Deuteronomy 6:6-9
            Deuteronomy 17:18 
            Joshua 1:7 
            John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken
            unto you.
            2 Timothy 3:15-17
            James 1:21-25