⁵ Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.^[a]

²⁵ “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. ²⁶ And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.^{[a] 27} And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

³⁸ Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

²¹ And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from^[a] a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

²⁶ to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.^[a]

¹¹ Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

⁶ And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross^[a]—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. ⁷ So we have these three witnesses^[b]— ⁸ the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree.

⁴ But—

¹¹ “I baptize with^[a] water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.^[b]