Born Again of Water and Spirit

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born
when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can
he?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the
Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is
flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you,
“You must be born again.” The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it,
but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of
the Spirit’”(John 3:3-7*).

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great
mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, … for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable
but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:3, 23).

Born of Water

“Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts
2:38).

“For [the Holy Spirit] had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 8:16).

“And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:48a).

“And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ And they said, ‘Into John's baptism.’
Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in
Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:3-5).

“Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on
His name” (Acts 22:16).

"He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16a).

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been
baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism
into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so
we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4).
*
All scriptures are quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB), unless indicated
otherwise.

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“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ”
(Galatians 3:27).

“And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the
removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with
Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working
of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-12).

“…when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of
the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh,
but an appeal to God for a good conscience -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (I
Peter 3:20b-21).

Born of the Spirit

“Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for
what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John
baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from
now’” (Acts 1:4-5).

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. … And they
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit was giving them utterance” (Acts 2:1,4).

“All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the
Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them
speaking with tongues and exalting God” (Acts 10:45-46a).

“It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country
and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the
Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said to him, ‘No, we have not even heard
whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ … And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the
Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying’
(Acts 19:1-2,6).

"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out
demons, they will speak with new tongues” (Mark 16:17).

“I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all” (Paul, I Corinthians 14:18).

The Apostles Taught the New Birth of Water and Spirit

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“‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord
and Christ -- this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this, they were
pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall
we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many
as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’ And with many other words he solemnly
testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation!’ So
then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added
about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles'
teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling
a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And
all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began
selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might
have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from
house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their
number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:36-47).

“All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the
Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them
speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can
refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did,
can he?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:45-
48a).

“It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country
and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the
Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said to him, ‘No, we have not even heard
whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ And
they said, ‘Into John's baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance,
telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When
they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had
laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking
with tongues and prophesying” (Acts 19:1-6).

“He saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his
mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit”
(Titus 3:5, NET Bible).

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