It's only necessary if one wishes to be "born again." Jesus one must be born again of water and of spirit to enter the kingdom of God. Baptism is the "of water" part.
Again, Jim, there is no such phrase in the bible as "born again of water".
You have changed the entire meaning of being born again.
Jesus teaches Nicodemus using "earthly things", [
natural child birth], in order to express a heavenly reality, [
spiritual birth].
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “
How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
[ and the Spirit... was meant to dispel the popular Jewish mindset, that being a natural child of Abraham, meant automatic salvation ]
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? John 3:1-12
Please look carefully at these two key verse's in this teaching.
Verse 6 explains verse 5.
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is
born of water and
the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is
born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit.
"Born of water" is a reference to natural child birth.
One must be born, in the first place, through natural child birth, to be born again.
"Again" being a reference to the second birth.
"Again" would mean a birth has already taken place, don't you agree?
There has to be a birth in the first place, for there to be a
"birth again".
There has to be
a natural birth first, in order for there to be
a spiritual birth.
Born of water refers to the natural birth process, in which a baby is born when the mother's sack water breaks.
John uses this phrase when teaching about the Virgin Birth of Christ.
6 This is He who
came by water and blood—Jesus Christ;
not only by water, but by
water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
1 John 5:6
Came by water is a reference to natural child birth.
Came by water and blood is a reference to the Supernatural Virgin Birth, of Jesus Christ.
We are born again, by believing the Gospel message, the word of God.
...having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
1 Peter 1:23
We are born of God, and become His sons, by faith, when we believe the message of the kingdom, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
1 John 5:1
Natural water can not cause a spiritual birth... flesh gives birth to flesh, and the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
JLB