1844 Disappointment explained

Originally posted by MrGordon: ↑

Wotsup, to understand the Bible it is necessary to examine the context in which the words are used. There are times where water involves provisions from God that are essential to life. Here's an example:
(John 4:14)Whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty at all, but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water bubbling up to impart everlasting life.”

Here's another example where ''water'' means something entirely different.
(Revelation 17:1) One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me: “Come, I will show you the judgment on the great prostitute who sits on many waters,(Revelation 17:15) He said to me: “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is sitting, mean peoples and crowds and nations and tongues.

The context of John 3:5 deals with being ''born again'', as Jesus had been.
(Matthew 3:16) After being baptized, Jesus immediately came up from the water; and look! the heavens were opened up, and he saw God’s spirit descending like a dove and coming upon him.
Jesus' baptism was in literal water from the Jordan river.
Other Scriptures show this was also necessary for those desiring to become Christians.
(Acts 8:36) Now as they were going along the road, they came to a body of water, and the eunuch said: “Look! Here is water; what prevents me from getting baptized?”
Again this speaks of literal water.
(Acts 10:47) “Can anyone deny water to prevent these from being baptized who have received the holy spirit just as we have?”

As Jesus example plus what he spelled out to Nicodemus showed , both ''water'' baptism plus God's holy spirit are needed for a person to be born again.
(John 3:5) Jesus answered: “Most truly I say to you, unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

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I wasn't arguing for or against water immersion, baptism.

As God's word is Spirit, to be born of the Spirit is also to be born of the word of God.
There is also no question about it, the 2 references I gave you where Jesus was speaking of the water from him, the water is referring to the word of God.

But never the less, taking your points on board, references and the ones you didn't supply, you could rightfully say, born of water and spirit has dual meanings with regards to the water.

The act it'self of going into water, means little, if it's lacking the word of God, knowledge and acceptance of it.

Baptism in, via water, baptism of the Spirit --> 2 baptism's?
Hmm, Eph 4:5?
1 Peter 1:23, no water referenced.