Note 4 at Jn. 3:5: Being born of water is not speaking of water baptism as being essential for salvation. People were born again before they were baptized in water (Jn. 20:28 with Rom. 10:9). Cornelius and his household received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-48) as evidenced by the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which Jesus said the world (lost) could not receive (Jn. 14:17) before they were baptized in water. When Peter defended his visit to Cornelius before the church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:1-18), he was trying to prove to the Jewish believers that God had granted salvation to the Gentiles also. He used the fact that they had received the Holy Ghost as proof of their new birth, but he didn't mention water baptism. If the early church had used water baptism to produce salvation, Peter certainly would have been questioned about this.

In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul said, "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel." While in no way discrediting water baptism, Paul stated that it was not the gospel. Some groups today spend much more time preaching water baptism than they do proclaiming the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus, Himself, was baptized in water, but it certainly wasn't to produce forgiveness of sins (see note 4 at Mt. 3:11, p. 32; see note 9 at Mk. 16:16, p. 505).

This water could be speaking of the Word of God (Jn. 15:3; Eph. 5:26; Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23) or the natural birth of a baby. Verse six might support the water as meaning the natural birth; however, either of these two interpretations are consistent with scripture and do not pose any inconsistencies as would water baptism.