John 3:5

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> John 3:5 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of
> water and (of) the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
> [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born
> of the Spirit is spirit.
> 
> Quest 1 or interpreptation 1.  Does the water  mean natural birth (a
> woman breaks water during a birth or so my home ec. teacher said) and
> the spirit mean salvation birth?

For the person who poses this interpretation, I would ask them to
present any evidence that such a phrase "born of water" meant being
naturally born to the first century Palestinian Jew.

Besides that, it would make Christ's statement to Nicodemus nonsensical:
of *course* you have to be naturally born before you can get to heaven
*duh!*  <-- not to Brandom, but to the idea that Christ was referring to
a natural birth.

Let's reword Peter's response to "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

  "First of all, you must be naturally born.  Then, Repent, and
  be baptized...."

How about Mark 16:16 -- "He that is born of flesh and believes and is
baptized...."

Romans 10:9 -- "That if thou shalt be born of thy mother's womb, and
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

> Quest 2 or interpreptation 2.  Does the water mean baptism and the
> spirit mean holy ghost baptism?  (THis is mine).

This is how Apostolic Pentecostals understand this verse.

> quest 3 or Interp. 3.   How does verse 6 fit in?  

Ahhh, I believe I see where you might going with this, and how it
might lend credence to the "born of water = natural birth" POV.

Richard M.