John 3:5 does not require (or even speak about) Baptism for Salvation (The Other Denom, Edition)

WRONG.

Nicodemus was asking how to be born AGAIN. He was thinking in human terms - but Jesus explained to him how to be born again in HIM:
John 3:1-7
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born* from above.”

Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”

Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’

NOT that difficult to parse . . .

 

A person has to read baptism into verse five. I believe that is termed eisegesis.

 

That's actually pretty silly.,

In laymen's English, YOU version of the conversation went something like this:

Jesus answered and said to him, “I'm telling you right now, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

Nicodemus said to him, “How can an old guy be born again? H can't go back to his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”

Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of his mother's womb.

Nicodemus would have laughed and said - "Ummmm, EVERYBODY is born from their mother's womb, Einstein" - and he would have giggled all the way back to the Temple.

Jesus was talking about being BORN AGAIN in HIM at BAPTISM.
Where does Jesus go right after Nicodemus leaves??
He and the Apostles go a'Baptizin at the river.

John 3 is literally drenched in Baptismal Water . . .

 

The Early Church UNANIMOUSLY read John 3:5 as being about Baptism.
Were they all "wrong" until the 16th century??

 

A person is not born again via water baptism. Do you believe that water baptism saves? If so, you cannot be a Baptist.

 

You cannot legitimately make that universal statement. You might be able to say that the State sanctioned and controlled Roman Church taught that John 3:5 was about water baptism, but it is fallacious to say the early church and Apostles taught what you believe.

 

For something that is not required, it sure is mentioned quite a bit in the Holy Writ.

Now, let us go to St. John Chrysostom: "But let us now return to the subject. First defilements of the body are washed out, and then God heals various infirmities by means of water. For because God would bring us nearer to the grace of baptism, he not only cleanses defilements but heals diseases. For those figures which come nearest to the reality, in baptism, the Passion, and others are seen more clearly than the older ones. For it is the same with those who form a king's bodyguard : they are more splendidly apparelled than those at the other end of his equipage. And the angel came down and troubled the water, and imbued it with healing power; so that the Jews might learn that the Lord of Angels had far more power to heal all the diseases of the soul. But just as here it was not simply the natural property of the water that healed, (otherwise it would have always have done so) but it happened through the work of the Angel : so it is not simply water that works on us, but after the water has received the grace of the Spirit, then it looses us from all sin." St. John Chrysostom (From the 35th/36th Sermon on St. John's Gospel)

So, I will ask the question: Baptism is still useless?

 

Every Early Church Father who wrote on the subject UNANIMOUSLY believed that John 3:5 was about Baptism.
Show me ONE Early Church writing to the contrary . . .

 

The Bible states explicitly that Baptism saves us:

1 Pet. 3:21
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:38
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

 

There is no quote from an Early Church Father in post #8.
Just your bad interpretation of John 3:5.

I asked for QUOTES from the Early Church Fathers . . .