When one takes the step from being a lost sinner into a new creature in Christ, we become born again. Jesus' suffering and death on the cross enables us to access grace. Grace is God's gift to us. It is unearned, and unmerited. It is a free gift offered by God which allows us to be saved. The way this works is found is Hebrews 9:22

Heb 9:20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Heb 9:21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

     In the Old Testament, the animal sacrifice not only had to shed it's blood, but it died as a process of the shedding of the blood. The same is true of Jesus. Though his stripes heal us, the combination of his suffering and death enabled Grace to be given to the world. The way we access grace is found in Ephesians 2:8-10...

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
    So we are saved by grace, but that salvation by grace must come through faith. One of my favorite sayings is that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. To become initally saved, to take that step from being a lost sinner into that step of being a new creature in Christ requires God's gift of grace which we access by faith. But what kind of faith is required? Will mere faith suffice? The answer is no.

Jam 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

     Mere belief or faith will never get anyone anywhere. So what kind of faith is required to access grace? Wholehearted faith...

Act 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? Act 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

     There is a hindrance from just anyone getting a water baptism. That hindrance, as the eunich found out, is that one must first believe in Jesus with their whole heart, then they can get a water baptism. What this scripture does not point out is that believing with the whole heart saves the person by grace before they ever set foot into the baptismal waters. Here is why....

Rom 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

     So with our hearts wholly believing that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead, we gain God's righteousness. By confessing that Jesus is Lord of our life (which of course means that we no longer sit on the throne of control of our life) we access salvation by grace, through faith, in Christ. From the example above, some will say that one must be baptized in water to be saved, and that without being baptized in water, there is no remission for sin. Most of the proponents of the "no salvation without first obtaining a water baptism" will cite five passages of scripture in order to back up what they believe. The first of these scriptures is Mark 16:16.

Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

     There are three problems with this scripture to support a water baptism as necessary to obtaining initial salvation. The first problem is that the "baptized" is not on both sides of the equation. For the equation to be correct, the verse would have to state, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not and is not baptized shall be damned. Since the "baptized" is not on both sides of the equation, then the equation is unequal. The second problem with this particular scripture is that in the oldest copies of Mark, Mark ends at Mark 16:8.
    Verses 9-20 do not appear in the oldest copies that we have. What occured is that redactors either at the end of the first century, or the beginning of the second century felt that the book did not end with verse 8, and so there are three different "endings" added on to Mark 16:8 which redactors living long after Mark died added on to the copies. One of those endings is what we see in Mark 16:9-20. The second is a different ending, and the third is a confluence of both endings together.
     Therefore, there are three very important things to be taken into consideration when viewing Mark 16:9-20 as it as in most bibles. The first of these is that they were added by men who lived long after Mark died. The second is that we cannot in any way attribute Mark 16:16 (which is the verse we are specifically looking at) to be the actual words of Christ. The third consideration is that we should not form the basis for our hope of eternal life on this spurious scripture.
     That brings us to the third problem one encounters with Mark 16:16. Observe John 3:14-18, which again reaffirms that faith is all one needs to access grace unto salvation...

Joh 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

     As you can clearly see in John 3:18, the equation is exactly the same as in Mark 16:16, with the exception of the word "baptized". "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already... John 3:18 proves that it is belief and not baptism that Mark is talking about. Baptism just got thrown in, is spurious, and we cannot have any way to tell if the words are the actual words of Christ; or indeed if even the addition is inspired. I will go with John 3:18. Your choice is yours to make on Mark 16:16, but it is at best a spurious choice with which to base one's salvation on.
     The second of the five scriptures that might be raised as an objection to rightly claiming that a water baptism is not necessary to first be obtained before salvation is Acts 2:38.

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

     At first glance, this verse could be seen to state that the progression in what Peter is speaking about here is repentence, baptism in water, remission of sins as a result of the baptism in water, and then one will receive the Holy Ghost. This is a misunderstanding of the translation of the greek language into the english language. The key greek word in Acts 2:38 is "eis" and stands for the "for" in Acts 2:38.
    The greek word "eis" is defined as "into, unto, to, towards, for, among." There are three illustrations from scripture that will readily clear up this misconception of those who claim that Peter is suggesting that one must have a water baptism in order to be saved. The first illustration is that "eis" can go both forward and backward in time.
    For example, if I said that I needed to pay for $20.00 worth of gas at the gas pump, I might be stating that I need to pay for the gas I already pumped, or for gas that I had not yet pumped and would need to pay for after I pumped it.
    Another example, which I found in the crosswalk.com lexicon definition of "eis" is a poster stating that Jesse James is wanted for bank robbery. The possibility is that Jesse could be wanted for a crime he had already commited, and/or that he might be wanted because he commited crimes in the past and they want to catch him before he commits more crimes in the future. The same is true with "eis".
    "Eis" can look forward or backward in time. There are many examples of "eis" looking forward in time in the bible. There are some examples of "eis" looking back to a former time period. Here is one such example of the many....

Act 14:26 And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.

     Here "eis" is used as "for" in this verse as well. They sailed because of the recommendation of the work which they had already fulfilled. Similarly, the "for the remission of sins" is not something one gets from having a water baptism, but rather that one undergoes a water baptism for the remission of sins that one has gained before the water baptism. In other words, the water baptism is a response to the remission of sins that was gained before the water baptism was undertaken. How do I know that?
     First, I know that because remission of sins is not accessed through water baptism. Observe Acts 10:43...

Act 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

    Now we jump back to the eunich with Phillip in Acts 8. The eunich asked what hindered him from receiving a water baptism. Remember Phillip's response?

Act 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? Act 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

    The simple fact is, there is a hindrance to receiving a water baptism. That hindrance is that one must first believe in Jesus Christ with all their heart to get past the hindrance. What Acts 8 does not mention and which Acts 10:43 does mention is that by believing with one's whole heart in Jesus one also accesses remission of sins through the belief in Jesus, all before water baptism is ever undertaken.
    Secondly, look at the progression in Acts 10:43- 48...

Act 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Act 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. Act 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. Act 10:46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Act 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

    First, Peter states that remission of sins is accessed through whole heart belief in Jesus Christ. Right after he states this, the household of Cornelius obtains salvation by grace through faith and remission of sins through whole heart belief. Right on the tail of that they receive the same baptism of the Holy Ghost that the apostles themselves obtained at Pentecost. If you notice the progression, their salvation and baptism of the Holy Ghost all occur before anyone even mentions water baptism.
    Finally, at the end of this passage, water baptism is mentioned, after the fact of their already obtaining salvation by grace through faith, and remission of sins through whole heart belief in Jesus. Lastly, look at what Colossians 2:12 has to state....

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

    Water baptism can only take us so far. As you can readily see here, water baptism will not make you someone who is "risen". Why? Because only faith will get someone risen with him through the faith in the operation of God. Once again, the same saving faith that gets you risen with Jesus is the same saving faith that saves one by grace. It is the same whole hearted belief and faith in Jesus which both removes the hindrance to obtaining a water baptism, and which saves one by grace through faith before the water baptism is untertaken!
    Sooner or later when you begin to mention the defeat of these scriptures, you will hear another scripture (our third scripture) being mentioned which they assume makes another connection to the necessity of water baptism unto salvation. This scripture is John 3:5....

Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

    They will then proceed to tell you that what Jesus is really saying here is that unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. They equate this scripture to mean that a man must be born of water under baptismal regeneration and the Spirit under the baptism of the Holy Ghost to be saved. This again is a misunderstanding and robbery of the context of the passage here.
    The simple reason why is that Jesus is speaking about two births. Let's follow the context...

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

    You see, Jesus states that a man must be born again to see the kingdom of God. Right away Nicodemus, a bit confused, wonders if a person can reenter the womb and be born again a second time. This locks the first birth in, which is the physical birth.

Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

    First of all, if you are a man or woman, you had to be physically born. The contractions a mother suffers are the beginning of birth pangs, but what sets the tone that birth is immenent is the breaking of the "water". While we know now with modern technology that when a woman's "water" breaks, it is actually amniotic fluid being expelled from the womb; the process is still to this day called the "water" breaking. The first question that a doctor will ask is, "When did the water break," which will be answered by, "My water broke at such and such time."
    Therefore, the "water" birth is the physical birth that all of us have already undergone. The Spiritual birth is the second birth, by which a person becomes born again. Notice that Jesus confirms the two births in his next statement...

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

    That which is born of the flesh is the physical birth, and that which is born of the Spirit is the spiritual rebirth. For water baptism to be indicated here, especially since only John's baptism of repentance was being given at this time, the "water" would have to be on the other side of the statement of Jesus in John 3:6. The statement would then be, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of water and the Spirit is spirit. But we do not see that, do we? Since the water is not there in John 3:6, then the water refers to the physical birth, and the spiritual rebirth is by the Spirit alone. The fourth scripture has to do with a passage in 1st Peter 3....

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 1Pe 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

    I quote the whole passage here, but the "water baptism" folks will most likely quote only the latter two verses. The reason I quote the whole of the passage is to convey the context of the passage, and to point out that the "water baptism" folks skew this passage to suit themselves. In 1 Peter 3:18, we learn that Jesus suffered for our sins, the just Christ for all of us unjust people. Christ allowed himself to be tortured, beaten, whipped, mocked, spit on, and nailed to a cross and to die for a specific purpose.
    That Jesus lived a perfect life without sin fulfilled the Law of Moses, closing out the Old Covenant. Immediately after Christ's death on the cross, the temple veil was torn in two. This is very important. In the Old Covenant, the Temple Veil covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies. This small chamber at the back of the temple housed the dwelling place of God, and one other important item; the Ark of the Covenant....

Exo 25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

    The top, or lid of the Ark of the Covenant, was called the mercy seat. There is a reason for that as well...

Exo 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

    This is where God met with the high priest, and communed with the high priest, and dwelled with his people. Something else occured here once a year, called the Day of Atonement....

Lev 16:14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. Lev 16:15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: Lev 16:16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

    Once a year, a blood atonement was made by sprinkling the blood of animals upon the mercy seat. This would take away the sins of Israelites for one year, till the next atonement would be needed. They therefore looked forward to the time of the messiah, who would make a once and final offering for sin, just as we look back to the cross.
    What is important about the veil is that only the high priest was allowed back in the Holy of Holies. He would have a rope tied to him and bells around the hem of his garment to let those holding the other end of the rope that he was still alive. If he should profane or not be worthy when he entered the Holy of Holies, and God struck him dead, his servants would have a way to remove the body without having to enter the Holy of Holies, which would strike them dead as well.
    So, what is important about the veil being torn in two is that it revealed the Holy of Holies to all. No more would God's dwelling place be hidden from all but the high priest. God dwelling place would be the people themselves, as the Holy Spirit Indwells those who become saved by grace through faith. Under the once and final offering for sin by the Lamb of God; Jesus allowed all men to have a way to forgiveness of sins. That he suffered and died on the cross and took the sin of the world on to him was to usher in the New Covenant of Grace, by which we access grace through faith unto salvation. Now let's get back to 1st Peter...

1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

    In 1 Peter 3:20, we learn that Noah and his family (his wife and his three sons and their wives) were saved by water. Then Peter states that the like figure is whereunto even baptism saves us. The first problem here is that Noah and his family were not saved spiritually by riding on the water. They were only saved physically. In 1 Peter 3:21, in parenthesis, we find that nothing that resembles taking a bath will save us. Water baptism resembles taking a bath. It is very much like taking a bath in that if one looks at the origin of water baptism, on finds some startling correlations.
    The origin of water baptism is found in the laver of water that sat right in front of the altar during the tabernacle and temple days of Israel. The laver contained water, and several times each day, the priests who assisted in the sacrifice were required to wash their hands in the laver. The reason for this was purity.
    Water can purify and clean, but it was the actual blood of the animals that provided spiritual and eternal life, and spiritual cleansing and purity; looking forward to the cross, as we look back. The water did not save them spiritually, only kept them purified physically. What keeps us purified spiritually is the blood of Christ, not water having no properties to grant remission of sins (see Hebrews 9:22 again).
    Later, we find that the Mikvah, or purification bath is a descendent of the laver, and another connection to water baptism. When a person touched a dead body or a host of other things, they became unclean. To become clean again, they would have to take a purification bath in the Mikvah, and to offer a burnt offering. Sometimes they were also required to offer a sin offering as well.
    Therefore, water baptism, at best, is for the purification of they body, but not a purification spiritually. If we continue, we will see what really saved Noah and his family, and us as well. In 1 Peter 3:21 we see that what really saved Noah was "the answer of a good conscience toward God." Noah found righteousness in the LORD because of this answer of a good conscience, and therefore he and his family were spared from the flood.
    We are saved in the same way, with one slight difference, which is also found in 1 Peter 3:21. We are saved by the answer of a good conscience toward God; but by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which gives us victory over death. Water baptism cannot therefore save us spiritually.
    Last, but not least, we come to the last of our five verses that "water baptism" folks will use to try to convince you that water baptism is necessary to become saved.

Act 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

    As we know by now, our sins cannot be washed away by water baptism....

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

    Hebrews 9:22 tells us that the only way that remission of sins is enabled is by blood, specifically in our case the blood of Jesus. Water baptism therefore cannot enable remisson of sins. We also know by now that Acts 10:43 shows us that remission of sins is accessed by whole hearted belief in Jesus Christ...

Act 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

    Therefore, water baptism can neither enable us to receive grace, nor can it access grace. We gain remission of sins through whole heart belief in Jesus, not water baptism, according to Acts 10:43. We access grace by faith unto salvation, according to Ephesians 2:8-10. Water baptism simply cannot save anyone.

    When one looks into the origin of the two greek works used almost exclusively for baptism; "bapto" and "baptizo"; one finds that the origin of these two greek words comes from 200BC, and originates in the work of a greek botanist and chemist named Nicander. Nicander originated the greek words "bapto" and "baptizo" in the making of pickles.
    "Bapto" means to dip repeatedly, and the first stage of pickle making is to dip the cucumber repeatedly into the water solution. This changes only the outward appearance of the cucumber to resemble a pickle, but inside, it has not yet changed from a cucumber to a pickle. "Baptizo" means to immerse, and the cucumber was then immersed into the vinegar solution, which transformed the inside of the cucumber into a pickle.
    There are several baptisms spoken of in the New Testament. The baptism that Jesus was to be baptized with. The baptism of the Holy Ghost. The water baptism. Buried with Jesus in baptism. One could easily assume that these all mean the same baptism, with the exception of Jesus' baptism. The simple facts are that we have already seen in the bible how grace is enabled by the blood and death of Christ.
    We have seen how grace is accessed, which is through faith unto salvation. We have also seen that remission of sin is enabled by blood, and accessed by whole heart belief in Jesus. Water baptism simply does not play a role in any of those things, and so cannot be necessary to obtain salvation.
    Likewise, we have seen the progression of Acts 10, where the entire household of Cornelius were saved by grace through faith and received the same baptism of the Holy Ghost as the apostles did themselves at Pentecost; all before water baptism was even thought of, and administrative. This alone proves that both salvation and the baptism of the Holy Ghost can be obtained before water baptism.
    Therefore, the proper use of water baptism remains the same as it's origin and continued forms; from the laver through the Mikvah bath to water baptism. Water baptism, therefore, has two purposes, both of which are accomplished during the single water baptism. The first is that we symbolically identify with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection; and secondly we are confessing in public our salvation obtained before the water baptism to the congregation. In other words, it is an outward sign to the congregation of the inward change already wrought before the water baptism was attempted. Water baptism simply cannot and will not save anyone. Notice what occurs in John 20:22...

Joh 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit:

    When you ask the "water baptism" folks what this verse means, they will waffle a bit and tell you that it is a promise of the baptism of the Holy Ghost which will be received at Pentecost. This simply is not the case, since Jesus does not state, "You will receive, but rather "receive ye." Receive ye is a term that has a powerful present tense to it.
    Secondly, if we look past the english words to the greek language that the bible was originally written in, we find something startling. The Greek word for "breathed on" is "emphusaō". The definition is "to blow or breathe upon," from the Strongs Exhaustive Concordance, and "to puff" in Thayers NT Lexicon of NT greek. Why would Jesus breathe on the apostles after he rose from the dead and just before he ascended up to heaven? The answer is found in Genesis 2:7...

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

    The hebrew word for "breathed" in this verse is "naphach" and means "to puff". There is a bigger dynamic going on here and in John 20:22 than first meets the eye. This dynamic can be understood by understanding that man became more than a living person. Man in Genesis 2:7 became a "living soul."
God breathed into the nostrils of Adam and Adam became a living soul. This soul separates us from the animals, but to have a living soul means that one is spiritually alive, and therefore a spiritual creature. God created Adam to be a spiritual person. Jesus is John 20:22 is restoring mankind to his original spiritually alive state; and this is what occurs with us when we are saved by grace through faith.
    Upon obtaining initial salvation, the Holy Spirit Indwells us, and we become spiritual persons, restored to the condition of Adam at the Creation. The main difference between us and Adam is that Adam was created with no sin. We unfortunately have the memory of sin from our previous sinful lives still quite fresh in our minds, and of course the sins we continue to commit and get forgiven as we strive towards Christmindedness.
    There is only one other time listed in the bible when God divinely breathes upon something, and this occurs in 2 Timothy 3:16....

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
    The word inspiriation is the english word which means "God-breathed." So, by now, the "water baptism" folks will be asking, "If Jesus restored them to the original spiritual condition of Adam, then why was the baptism of the Holy Ghost necessary?" The answer to this question is simple: God instilled the Holy Spirit into the apostles to allow salvation to come into their beings, and the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit in order to help them prepare for the events coming in Acts 2.
    When Pentecost hit, the baptism of the Holy Ghost is not the Indwelling. As John 20:22 proves, they are two separate operations of the Holy Spirit. While they do happen simultaneously at rare occurences, such as the events of Acts 10, most often they occur at different intervals; the Indwelling coming at initial salvation and the baptism of the Holy Ghost at some later point in our walk.
    But most importantly, the baptism of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost and also listed in Acts 10 was a special equipping with power and gifting of the spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit. This function of the Holy Spirit has two purposes. The first is to grant power in order for spiritual leaders like the apostles to boldly go out and preach the good news of the gospel. But the Holy Spirit also gifted them with the spiritual gifts listed in 1st Corinthians 14; with which Peter could speak to the crowd in his own tongue and be understood by everyone within the sound of his voice by everyone in their own tongue.
    The Holy Spirit also gifted them with the spiritual callings found in Ephesians 4, that of teacher, and apostle, pastor, and prophet so as for them to go out and continue building the church that Jesus Christ started.
    In summary, the simple fact from the bible is that water baptism will never save anyone spiritually. We are saved by grace through faith. Remission of sins comes through whole heart belief in Jesus Christ. Our righteousness given from the Father comes from whole heart believing that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Our salvation is obtained through confessing Jesus as our Lord, and Ruler, and Master, and the throne of our lives vacated by ourselves in order to allow Him to rule our lives.
    As the correct interpretation of those five passages show, water baptism simply saves no one, and never will.