Matt 3:
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Let's take a look at the first part of this verse: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance"

Now, John is still directing his speech toward the Pharisees and the Sadducees, but it is in the presence of all the others who came to check out John and all those who came to be baptized.
This was a witness to them. And the acts of a predestined, chosen, vessel: a witness who proceeded YAHSHUA'S coming, calling all who will to repentance.

"repentance"
3341 metanoia (met-an'-oy-ah);
from 3340; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another's] decision):
KJV-- repentance.
3340 metanoeo (met-an-o-eh'-o);
from 3326 and 3539; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (morally, feel compunction):
KJV-- repent.
3326 meta (met-ah');
a primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly, denoting accompaniment; "amid" (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive case association, or accusative case succession) with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between 575 or 1537 and 1519 or 4314; less intimate than 1722 and less close than 4862):
KJV-- after (-ward), X that he again, against, among, X and, + follow, hence, hereafter, in, of, (up-) on, + our, X and setting, since, (un-) to, + together, when, with (+-out). Often used in composition, in substantially the same relations of participation or proximity, and transfer or sequence.
3539 noeo (no-eh'-o) or noieo (noy-eh'-o);
from 3563; to exercise the mind (observe), i.e. (figuratively) to comprehend, heed:
KJV-- consider, perceive, think, understand.
3563 nous (nooce);
probably from the base of 1097; the intellect, i.e. mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling, or will); by implication meaning:
KJV-- mind, understanding. Compare 5590.
1097 ginosko (ghin-oce'-ko);
a prolonged form of a primary verb; to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as follow, with others not thus clearly expressed):
KJV-- allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) know (-ledge), perceived, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.
(Strong's)

3341 metanoia-
a change of mind (heart), as it appears to one who repents of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done
3340 metanoeo-
1) to change one's mind (heart), that is, to repent
2) to change one's mind (heart) for the better, to amend heartily with abhorrence of one's past sins
3326 meta-
with, after, behind
3539 noeo-
1) to perceive with the mind, to understand, to have understanding
2) to think upon, to heed, to ponder, to consider
3563 nous-
1) the mind, comprising alike the faculties of perceiving and understanding and those of feeling, judging, determining
a) the intellectual faculty, the understanding
b) reason in the narrower sense, as the capacity for spiritual truth, the higher powers of the soul, the faculty of perceiving divine things, of recognizing goodness and of hating evil
c) the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially
2) a particular mode of thinking and judging, that is, thoughts, feelings, purposes, desires
1097 ginosko-
1) to learn to know, to come to know, to get a knowledge by perception, to feel, to become known
2) to know, to understand, to perceive, to have knowledge of
a) to understand
b) to know
3) a Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman (compare Gen. 4:1)
4) to become acquainted with, to know
(Thayer's)

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance"

Let's stop and think upon this "baptism of water".
Is it simply a witness to others that one has made a conscience decision to become spiritually cleansed?
Or, is there more to this first baptism?
Is it simply a ceremonial act that Christians were instructed to undergo?

Baptism is not a sideshow. It is not an act necessarily for the benefit of others, simply to show them that you are something/someone special, or something/someone which has been made outwardly clean.
If one was to think that way, then that one should just take a bath, and it would be the same thing.

True baptism can, and often does, bring about an inkling of remembrance of being placed in the womb, as one is lowered into the water.
And, upon being brought back up out of the water, an inkling of remembrance of being born innocent of the womb of woman.

Baptism is a sign unto our FATHER that you have made this solemn and sober decision, and that you are ready and willing to be spiritually cleansed, in order that you may become fit to be a goodly vessel unto HIM.

Again, this first baptism is a cleansing of the spirit of the flesh man. It is the first step in becoming anew in YAHSHUA, JESUS CHRIST.

2 Cor 5:17-19
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (KJV)

"reconciliation"
2643 katallage (kat-al-lag-ay');
from 2644; exchange (figuratively, adjustment), i.e. restoration to (the divine) favor:
KJV-- atonement, reconciliation (-ing).
2644 katallasso (kat-al-las'-so);
from 2596 and 236; to change mutually, i.e. (figuratively) to compound a difference:
KJV-- reconcile.
2596 kata (kat-ah');
a primary particle; (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case [genitive case, dative case or accusative case] with which it is joined):
KJV-- about, according as (to), after, against, (when they were) X alone, among, and, X apart, (even, like) as (concerning, pertaining to touching), X aside, at, before, beyond, by, to the charge of, [charita-] bly, concerning, + covered, [daily-], down, every, (+far more) exceeding, X more excellent, for, from ... to, godly, in (-asmuch, divers, every, -to, respect of), ... by, after the manner of, + by any means, beyond (out of) measure, X mightily, more, X natural, of (up-) on (X part), out (of every), over against, (+your) X own, + particularly, so, through (-oughout, -oughout every), thus, (un-) to (-gether, -ward), X uttermost, where (-by), with. In composition it retains many of these applications, and frequently denotes opposition, distribution, or intensity.
236 allasso (al-las'-so); from 243; to make different:
KJV-- change.
243 allos (al'-los);
a primary word; "else," i.e. different (in many applications):
KJV-- more, one (another), (an-, some an-) other (-s, -wise).

2643 katallage-
1) exchange,
used of the business of money-changers, exchanging equivalent values
2) adjustment of a difference, reconciliation, restoration to favor in the New Testament of the restoration of the favor of God to sinners that repent and put their trust in the expiatory death of Christ
2644 katallasso-
to change, to exchange, as coins for others of equivalent value
a) to reconcile (those who are at variance)
b) to return to favor with, to be reconciled to one
c) to receive one into favor
2596 kata-
1) down from, throughout
2) according to, toward, along
236 allasso-
to change, to exchange one thing for another, to transform
243 allos-
another, other


1 Pet 1:22-23
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (KJV)

"Being born again" is a phrase taken from the Greek word: anagegenneeme'noi.
313 anagennao (an-ag-en-nah'-o);
from 303 and 1080; to beget or (by extension) bear (again):
KJV-- beget, (bear) X (again).
303 ana (an-ah');
a primary preposition and adverb; properly, up; but (by extension) used (distributively) severally, or (locally) at (etc.):
KJV-- and, apiece, by, each, every (man), in, through. In compounds (as a prefix) it often means (by implication) repetition, intensity, reversal, etc.
1080 gennao (ghen-nah'-o);
from a variation of 1085; to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to regenerate:
KJV-- bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring.
1085 genos (ghen'-os);
from 1096; "kin" (abstract or concrete, literal or figurative, individual or collective):
KJV-- born, country (-man), diversity, generation, kind (-red), nation, offspring, stock.
1096 ginomai (ghin'-om-ahee);
a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"- erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):
KJV-- arise, be assembled, be (-come, -fall, -haveself), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.

313 anagennao-
1) to produce again, to be born again, to be born anew
2) metaphorically, to have one's mind changed so that he lives a new life and be conformed to the
will of God
303 ana-
into the midst, in the midst, amidst, among, between
1080 gennao-
1) used of men who fathered children
a) to be born
b) to be begotten;
used of women giving birth to children
2) metaphorically,
a) to engender, cause to arise, excite
b) in a Jewish sense, of one who brings others over to his
way of life, to convert someone
c) used of God making Christ his son
d) used of God making men his sons through faith in Christ's work
1085 genos-
1) race
a) offspring
b) family
c) stock, race, nation,
that is, nationality or descent from a particular people
d) the aggregate of many individuals of the same nature, kind, sort
1096 ginomai-
1) to become, that is, to come into existence, to begin to be, to receive being
2) to become, that is, to come to pass, to happen;
used of events
3) to arise, to appear in history, to come upon the stage;
used of men appearing in public
4) to be made, to be finished;
used of miracles, to be performed, to be wrought
5) to become, to be made