To answer the OP's question, it really behooves people to read what the bible says about baptism. Here are the key verses on baptism in the New Testament:
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. (Mark 16:15f)
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;" (Matthew 28:18ff)
1 - Baptism is commanded. It requires faith, and it requires obedience. And it is for salvation.
“Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” (Acts 2:38-40)
2 - Baptism is commanded. It requires repentance. It requires obedience. It is for salvation. It is for the forgiveness of sins - and the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41)
3 - Baptism is how we're added to the church. It requires faith (receipt of His word); it requires obedience.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Gal 3:27)
4 - Baptism is how we clothe ourselves with Christ, when we are clothed with Him; and it requires obedience.
A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” (Acts 16:14ff)
5 - We are judged faithful [obedient] after being baptized. This is one of several actual examples of NT conversion. Faith and obedience are required.
“Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8:26-34-39)
6 - Baptism is part of preaching Jesus to people. Rejoicing follows. This is another of several actual examples of NT conversion. Hearing (about Jesus), faith, and obedience are required.
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. (Acts 16:30ff)
7 - Baptism is part of preaching salvation to people. Rejoicing follows. This is yet another example of NT conversion. Faith, hearing (the word of the Lord) and obedience are required.
Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name. (Acts 22:16)
8 - Our sins are washed away in baptism. Faith and obedience required - and, at least in Paul's case, immediacy. This is one of two examples of Paul's conversion.
Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (I Cor 1:10-16)
9 - We received our identity in Christ in baptism. Understand Paul's argument here - he is arguing for unity in the church on the basis of their identity in Christ, based on whom (Jesus) was crucified for them and in whose name (Jesus') they were baptized.
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (Rom 6:3f)
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Gal 2:20)
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Col 2:10ff)
10 - In baptism we share in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. This is the key argument for our identity in Christ. Faith and obedience are crucial here as well.
These are the key verses regarding baptism in the New Testament. There's nothing arcane or uber-religious about them. They are all quite simple to understand. None require a theologian or seminary degree to grasp, and I pray this simple list will help you understand better.
Old Covenant Baptism vs. New Covenant Baptism (water vs. Spirit)
Water baptism was a part of the Old Covenant system of ritual washing. The Old Covenant priests had to wash before beginning their service in the temple. (Ex. 30:17-30) When Christ was water baptized by His cousin John in the Jordan River, He was under the Old Covenant system. He also only ate certain foods, and wore certain clothes, as prescribed by the 613 Old Covenant laws. Christ was water baptized by John and then received the Holy Spirit from heaven. The order is reversed in the New Covenant. A person receives the Holy Spirit upon conversion, and then believers often declare their conversion to their friends and family through a water baptism ceremony. Which baptism makes you a member of Christ’s Church?
The New Covenant conversion process is described below. (Born-again)
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
(A person must “hear” the Gospel, and “believe” the Gospel, and will then be “sealed” with the Holy Spirit.)
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
(See Jer. 31:34 for the New Covenant promise, and 1 John 2:27 for the fulfillment)
============
Which baptism is a part of the salvation process, based on what the Bible says?
What did Peter say below?
Acts
11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Acts
11:16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said,
John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Based on Luke 3:16, and John 1:33, and Acts 11:15-16, the most important thing about the word "baptize" in the New Testament has nothing to do with water. The Holy Spirit is the master teacher promised to New Covenant believers in Jeremiah 31:34, and John 14:26, and is found fulfilled in Ephesians 1:13, and 1 John 2:27. Unfortunately, many modern Christians see water when they read the word "baptize" in the text.
Based on the above, what is the one baptism of our faith found in the passage below? How many times is the word "Spirit" found in the passage, and how many times is the word "water" found in the passage?
Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith,
one baptism, (See 1 Cor. 12:13)
“baptize” KJV
Mat_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:
Mar_1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Water or Holy Spirit?, See Eph. 1-13.)
Luk_3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
Joh_1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
Joh_1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
1Co_1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (See Eph. 4:1-5)
Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. (Old Covenant ----> New Covenant)
How many people have been saved by the Old Covenant water baptism of John the Baptist?
Who did John the Baptist say is the greatest Baptist that ever lived in Luke 3:16? What kind of New Covenant baptism comes from Christ?
Hebrews 9:10 Old Covenant vs. New Covenant
(CSB) They are physical regulations and only deal with food, drink, and
various washings imposed until the time of the new order.
(ESV) but deal only with food and drink and
various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
(ESV+) but deal only with R5food and drink and R6
various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
(Geneva) Which only stood in meates and drinkes, and
diuers washings, and carnal rites, which were inioyned, vntill the time of reformation.
(GW) These gifts and sacrifices were meant to be food, drink, and items used in
various purification ceremonies. These ceremonies were required for the body until God would establish a new way of doing things.
(KJV)
Which stood only in meats and drinks, and
divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed
on them until the time of reformation.
(KJV+)
Which stood onlyG3440 inG1909 meatsG1033 andG2532 drinks,G4188 andG2532
diversG1313 washings,G909 andG2532 carnalG4561 ordinances,G1345 imposedG1945
on them untilG3360 the timeG2540 of reformation.G1357
(NKJV) concerned only with foods and drinks,
various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
(NLT) For that old system deals only with food and drink and
various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.
(YLT) only in victuals, and drinks, and
different baptisms, and fleshly ordinances—till the time of reformation imposed upon
them .
