If Jesus were indeed speaking of physical birth when he said, "born of water" surely someone, Paul, Peter, or even an angel from Heaven, would have thought so PRIOR to the Reformation. Let's be clear---all of the great reformers understood "born of water" as water baptism.
Nonsense. (
Respectfully nonsense? ) Paul very clearly understood that "water" was part of being SAVED---not part of SALVATION. I'm certain Paul was aware of Cornelius and family, who were filled with the Spirit and spoke with tongues---prior to being "dipped". Cougan would have us believe that the HOLY SPIRIT FILLING
preceded their salvation. Contradicting the text, focusing on the words "I had just BEGUN speaking when the Spirit fell on them", contradicting
the account of all that Peter said JUST BEFORE they began tonguing/exalting (if Peter had only BEGUN saying the WHOLE SPEECH, then WHEN do ya' s'pose he got the REST of the speech UTTERED?)
The fact remains, Peter said:
"God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also AFTER BELIEVING in the Lord Jesus Christ". Peter believed, received the Holy Spirit. Cornelius' family/friends believed, received the Holy Spirit (Acts11:17). They were saved. And
THEN they were waterbaptized.
It doesn't matter what this or that one believed in the early church---
we have the exact same information as they did---have we walked with Christ and talked with the Disciples? Neither did they! We have the WORD. And the structure is clear:
"Unless one is BORN AGAIN, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
"How can a man be born TWICE? Can he enter his mother's womb again?"
"Truly, 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, that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
Nick asked about being born TWICE. Jesus said, "you must be born of the FLESH (the FIRST birth), and you must be born of the Spirit ( the SECOND birth). Jesus is speaking comparitively of
two births---flesh, and Spirit. If "WATER" was "WATERBAPTISM",
then it is no longer comparison, it is THE SAME.
"WATERBAPTISM" (if that's what He MEANT) would be inseparable from "SPRITUAL BIRTH"---and thus
NO COMPARISON. Yet, contextually, verses 5 and 6 are CONNECTED: "unless one is born of water and the
Spirit; that which is born of
flesh, that which is born of
Spirit.
Verse 6 is not a NEW AND DIFFERENT CONCEPT, which it WOULD BE if "water" was "baptism". Nick said, "born twice?" Jesus said, "water and Spirit, flesh and Spirit".
Jesus was ANSWERING Nick's question about TWO BIRTHS---which makes sense here: waterbaptism and Spirit, flesh and Spirit, or, flesh and Spirit, flesh and Spirit?
"HUDOR"---water
1) water
1a) of water in rivers, in fountains, in pools
1b) of the water of the deluge
1c) of water in any of the earth's repositories
1d) of water as the primary element, out of and through which the world that was before the deluge, arose and was compacted
1e) of the waves of the sea
1f) fig. used of many peoples
"Born of water", is "born of the Earth". If He had MEANT baptism, then why did He not SAY baptism? It is irrelevant what this one or that one said, we have the TEXT. It does NOT say waterbaptism, it says "HUDOR". Verses 5-6 say water/flesh, Spirit/spirit. They do NOT say water-Spirit/Spirit, flesh.
Nick said, "How can a man enter his mother's womb and be born a second time?" Jesus said, "You gotta be WATERBAPTIZED and SPIRIT-BORN"---come now, that doesn't even make sense. Jesus said,
"You gotta be EARTHLY born (water/HUDOR), AND born of the Spirit; that which is born of flesh is flesh, that born of Spirit is spirit. You don't see the wind and yet you know it's there, SO ARE THOSE BORN OF THE SPIRIT!"
You know, Mr. Johnson, Cougan certainly made it clear that he believes salvation is by faith.
I'm afraid he does NOT. Cougan believes "salvation is by faith, AND waterbaptism". Cougan asserts that
it is the ACT of beng waterbaptized that achieves salvation---it is the WATER ITSELF that accomplishes the "remission of sins", the "burying with Christ", the "washing away and repentance of sins". Scripture after Scripture have demonstrated that it is the NAME OF JESUS that does the washing, not the WATER. Cougan asserts that Cornelius' family/friends were filled with the Spirit,
BEFORE believing/salvation---Peter clearly disputes that in Acts11:17. They were SAVED---doesn't matter how distateful you find the verse, we cannot change what Peter said.