John 3:5-------Spirit++++++++++water>>>>>>>>>>in the kingdom
1 Cor 13:15---Spirit+++++++++baptized>>>>>>>>>>in the body
Tts 3:5-------Holy Ghost+++++washing of reg.>>>>>>>saved
Eph 5:26----the word+++++++washing of water>>>>>>cleansed
Here are four 'born again' verses and the Bible being its own best commentary makes it very plain, simple that water baptism is part of being born again.
In Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 5:26 the Greek word loutron is used for 'washing of regeneration' and 'washing of water' and refers to a laver of water, a baptismal font.
The role the Spirit, the word has in the new birth is the Spirit is the author of the word. The Bible calls the word a seed (Luke 8:11) and the seed/word is implanted in the heart when it is heard. In turn, the word brings forth faith in the heart (Romans 10:17) and instructs man on how to be saved by being water baptized (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; etc) with an obedient faith leading one to obedience in submitting to water baptism. Hence one is born again by the word, (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18).
In Acts 8, the word/the seed was implanted in the heart of the eunuch by Phillip when he preached the word to the eunuch. The word/seed produced faith in the heart of the eunuch and he obediently was water baptized. Nothing metaphorical about the water here.
Note that the Spirit did not supernaturally 'illuminate' the understanding of the eunuch apart from the word nor 'spirit baptize' the eunuch. But instead, the Spirit sent Phillip to preach the word/seed, the eunuch hearing gained faith and was obedient to the word by being water baptized/born again per John 3:5; 1 Cor 12:13; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 5:26.
Titus 3:5 and Eph 5:26 are what Christ did to save us, not something we did - read the context verses. And, of course, neither has anything to do with born again, the ticket for Jews to enter their earthly Kingdom. Born again has nothing to do with salvation. A few minutes ago I asked my son and he thinks born again is the resurrection of the dry bones and I'm starting to think he is right. Christ knew that no one during His ministry would be alive to enter the Kingdom and that everyone that entered would have to be born again, i.e., resurrected.
During this 2000 year Gentile period of Pure Grace, all water baptism does is get you wet. There are
zero works for us to do for our salvation, according to Eph 2:8-9, including water Baptism. Salvation is a 100% pure gift. None of the other verses you quoted (from Lk, Rom, Mk, Ac, 1Pe, Jam) apply directly to us today, unless they are repeated in Paul's 7 post-Acts books. They're from a time past that was all Israel/ We're not Israel. We're Gentiles. The differences in scripture between the 2 are countless.
That's what rightly divide (correctly cut) God's word means 2Tim 2:15. We must cut it just once in a place where it's all Israel on one side of the cut and all Gentile on the other side. The only place in the Bible where you can do that is the very end of Acts. Once we cut it, we have Paul's 7 post-Acts books, all for Gentiles, and 59 books which are all Israel. The Acts period was all-Israel because all Gentiles in the church were grafted into Israel. Next, we eliminate everything from our doctrine, in the 59 Jewish books, all of the Jewish possessions that we erroneously think belong to us - 10 Commandments, New Jerusalem, rapture, Acts church, the gifts, the Great Commision, water baptism You know, all the stuff the heretical mainstream denominational churches have been telling you all your life that these all-Jewish things belong to you.
They don't belong to you. None of them belonged to Gentiles when they were given, so why do you believe they belong to you now? You're not Israel and you never will be. That bit about being the seed of Abraham ended in Ac 28:28, when Israel ceased to be God's chosen people and we Gentiles replaced them, at least until this present 2000 year Gentile period is over, in about 45 more years.
Next, when you become a true believer in God's Word and your slate is cleaned of all that Israel stuff that never did belong to you, you get into Eph, Phil, Col, 1&2Tim, Titus, and Philemon, and find out what really belongs to you. You'll find the blessings are far, far, far better than anything Israel ever had. For example, we Gentiles, at least the ones that God gives the eyes of understanding (Eph 1:18) to, to see our hope and calling in Paul's 7 post-Acts books, will spend eternity in the highest heaven, where Christ now sits at the right hand of God. No one in the other 59 books EVER had a hope of going to Heaven - hard to believe after the brainwashing we've gotten from the know-nothing denominational system all of our lives, but true. The reason they know-nothing is because none of them rightly divide. A few Baptists divide, but none of them do it rightly.
