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No.
I mean I believed what the Holy Spirit was convicting me of. God was calling me, convicting me of my sin and my separation from him, and I believed what he was saying to me.

He was calling me to salvation. And since I believed what he was speaking to my heart I left my home and went to church.

God was speaking to your heart, calling you to salvation and you believed him. The Holy Spirit was even convicting you, yet you were not saved. You had to have:

Faith in the blood of Christ to make a person righteous before God is what saves. Not belief that he is real. Not works. But faith in the blood of Christ to take away sin guilt.
My question still remains, how is your first state (God speaking to your heart and calling you to salvation) different from Cornelius AFTER Peter spoke to him? I don't see any evidence from the text that he put his "faith in the blood of Christ", do you? When did his (their, really) faith move from "believing Him" to "putting his faith in the Blood of Christ"?

Faith is not what you do. Faith is what you believe. I believed God when he said I was a sinner and separated from him. Because I believed that and wanted to do something about it I went to church. But that is not the faith that saves. Faith in the blood of Christ to remove the unrighteousness of sin guilt is what saves. Knowing and agreeing with God that you are a sinner is not the faith that saves. Whether it gets you up out of bed to go to church or not is not what determines if that faith is saving faith, because that is not the faith that saves anyway.
OK, When did Cornelius' household move from "non-saving" faith to saving? It couldn't be when the Holy Spirit came upon them alone. That has happened many times to "unsaved" people. That fact, in and of itself, doesn't prove a "saving faith".

They [Hebrews 11] are NOT examples of persevering in our faith in the blood of Christ. You misunderstand what I wrote. They are examples of people persevering in their faith in God's promises to Abraham. We are to follow that example in regard to our faith in the blood of Christ. They continued to believe to the very end in regard to their promise. So should we in regard to our promise. That is the faith that pleases God--persevering faith.
This is one place where you are inconsistent. If the faith they had was "non-saving", as yours was at first, how is it virtuous to persevere in that kind faith?

You are trying to make the case that the OT heroes mentioned had "their promise", and we have "ours". Going back to Abraham, HIS faith was a real, saving faith when he "believed God", how is it "their promise" is any less than actual, real salvation. You are splitting hairs.

I don't know at what point anybody in Hebrews 11 was justified by what they believed except Abraham. I just know they were showing their faith by what they did and persevered in that faith. That was pleasing to God. We are to follow in that example in our faith in Christ.
And here is your other inconsistency. In your opinion, Cornelius and his household had the faith that justified. It was real, true faith, which was "sealed" by the Holy Spirit. There is no reason to think so, except that it bolsters your case against salvific baptism. There is no mention of him or his family "accepting Christ" or "having faith in the blood of Christ" but you are convinced that sometime during Peter's discourse, their faith moved from a "non-saving" to a "saving" faith. There is absolutely NOTHING in the text that alludes to this.

On the other hand, when the OT heroes are said to have faith, that INCLUDES obedience to God, you really aren't sure if this faith is saving or not. This sounds fishy.

Hebrews 11 is, of course, about persevering in saving faith.

"For yet a little while, and the coming one shall come and shall not tarry; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and keep their souls. (Heb. 10:38, 39)

Then the author continues:

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Then goes on to list all the OT heroes "by faith" verses.

What he is talking about is the kind of faith that "my righteous one shall live by". You are really not going to continue to make the claim that the faith held by ALL these greats of the OT was somehow lacking, simply to hold onto your view that "justification is a one time event"?
 
Faith is not what you do. Faith is what you believe. When the people asked Jesus, “What must we do to do the works God requires?†(John 6:28 NIV1984), he answered, 29 “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.†(John 6:29 NIV1984) he was telling them not to work for food that spoils, meaning the bread he had fed them (for they had come to him seeking that food), but that they should 'work' for the food that endures forever and gives eternal life, meaning himself. And you do that by having faith in him and the forgiveness God gives through his blood, not by doing things.

Right standing with God (righteousness) is gained by having your sins forgiven, not by doing things to make yourself righteous before God. That is impossible to do.

Did He say "the ONLY work of God is this..."?

So, Jesus just answered a point blank question, huh? There should be no need at all to attempt to find out the "real meaning" of His answer and to "rightfully divide the word" until His answer means something OTHER than the actual words, right?

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" point blank question...What was His answer? "Keep the commandments." You're still showing inconsistency. The words mean exactly what they say...when it bolsters your case.

BTW, nowhere does scripture draw a parallel between "works" and baptism, charity, etc. You are reading this into the text and ignoring all the evidence to the contrary.
 
God was speaking to your heart, calling you to salvation and you believed him. The Holy Spirit was even convicting you, yet you were not saved. You had to have:

My question still remains, how is your first state (God speaking to your heart and calling you to salvation) different from Cornelius AFTER Peter spoke to him? I don't see any evidence from the text that he put his "faith in the blood of Christ", do you?
No evidence?

Yes, I see the evidence. They have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the sign and seal of salvation:

13 ...you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV1984)


When I was seeking God (going to church...wanting to be saved...wondering how to do that, trying to be good) I had not yet surrendered to the forgiveness of God in Christ. I believed I was a sinner. I believed I was separated from God. I even knew I had to start doing right. But that is not the belief that saves a person. It was not until I was confronted with the knowledge of the atoning sacrifice of Christ's blood and God's willingness to forgive me through that blood that I was saved by the faith I then had in that message of God's forgiveness. Cornelius was brought to that point in Peter's speech and did receive that knowledge:

"43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message." (Acts 10:43-44 NIV1984)


The Holy Spirit is how we know Cornelius and his family believed the message of the "forgiveness of sins through his name" Peter preached and were saved.



Just chiming in as I can here...
 
It's essential to salvation in the same way other obediences 'save' us. They represent the faith that saves. No where else is as plainly understood than in the way women are 'saved' through childbirth.
But Jesus never said, "he who believes will be saved through childbirth" - Jesus doesn't say, "he who believes and speaks in tongues shall be save" - Jesus never said, "he who believes and is saved shall be baptized if he can find water" - Jesus does say, "he who believes and is baptized shall be saved". All men are born via childbirth but not all men are born again - born of water and the Spirit.

Your argument doesn't hold water - baptism remains essential to salvation just as belief and repentance are essential to salvation. That which God requires is always essential.
 
The Holy Spirit is how we know Cornelius and his family believed the message of the "forgiveness of sins through his name" Peter preached and were saved.
God is no respecter of person – salvation is the same for Jew and Gentile under the NT. Peter was instructed by God to speak unto Cornelius "words whereby he would be saved" (Acts 11:14) and those words preached by Peter included the command to be baptized in water.
And [Peter] commanded [Cornelius and his house] to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days. (Acts 10:48 (NKJV)
We know Cornelius was saved because, like Paul - Cornelius beleived and was baptized to wash away his sin.
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
(Act 22:16 KJV)
The pattern is believe and be baptized and then comes salvation.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved
(Mar 16:16 KJV)
 
God is no respecter of person – salvation is the same for Jew and Gentile under the NT. Peter was instructed by God to speak unto Cornelius "words whereby he would be saved" (Acts 11:14) and those words preached by Peter included the command to be baptized in water.
Peter's message probably did include the command to be water baptized. Although it doesn't say, there really is no reason to think it did not include that.

But the point is, Cornelius was put into the body of Christ, by virtue of the Holy Spirit (the thing that puts all people into the body of Christ), BEFORE and APART FROM his water baptism.

You see, when you have two seemingly contradictory things in the Bible--in this case, the apparent teaching that you must be baptized to become saved, and Cornelius becoming saved without baptism--you interpret them by the more compelling and plain argument. What that means is, Jesus did not mean for water baptism to be a legalistic duty, like a magic wand, through which a person is saved, though certainly some are saved that way. It's a commanded duty of the believer for sure (along with all the other things we are commanded to do). But just not the legalistic rule some have turned it into. Maybe that's one of the intended values of Cornelius' salvation experience. It shows us that water baptism was not meant to be a magic wand that saves people.


We know Cornelius was saved because, like Paul - Cornelius beleived and was baptized to wash away his sin.
I wish that was how you could know who was saved and who is not. The Bible says 'love your neighbor as yourself' is the signifying mark that identifies where the Holy Spirit dwells in salvation. And that only makes sense when you consider that salvation is having your sins forgiven, and not by merit of doing good things (that's what makes it a gracious gift). Receiving God's grace in the forgiveness of sin, and truly believing and trusting in that, changes a person into someone who then extends that same grace to others. That is how we know where the grace of God has been given and received--by how it is in turn given out to others. That is how one's salvation is confirmed, and how we know we have truly passed from death to life.

The Bible plainly teaches this. But water baptism? I know people who think they are saved because they fulfilled the commanded duty of water baptism, but who show themselves to not know the forgiveness of God at all! That is why Paul says the only thing that counts toward justification is faith--a faith that is seen in it's love for others, not in circumcisions, baptisms, communions, worship styles and beliefs, various doctrines, etc... Those things do not show that a person is saved. They have no power to justify a person, meaning showing them to be righteous as James teaches that (not make you righteous as Paul teaches). Even James uses 'love your neighbor as yourself' to explain how genuine faith is the faith that does something--namely, loves others. But somehow it gets used to show you can only be saved by the obedience of water baptism. That is hardly what he is teaching there in James 2.
 
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Jesus said (and the apostles often confirmed) that salvation come through a very specific and simply way. One has only to accept Jesus Christ. He has only to invite Jesus into his life, into his heart, to pray and ask for the Spirit to indwell. That's it. Nothing else to it. Baptism is the outward expression of an inward change. It is a symbol, something we do because we love Jesus and wish to show the world that we are HIS!

Jesus isn't going to say, "Uh, yeah you followed me, you clearly had the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit was ripe and over flowing in you... oh darn, looks like you didn't get the good 'ole dunkin', so off to hell with you!" He is going to say, "Come brother, let us walk together in the light of our Heavenly Father!"

Did not John the Baptist say that though he baptized in water another would come after him who would baptize in the fire of the Holy Spirit? That is true baptize! So if by "baptized" you mean having the Holy Spirit come upon you in a blaze of glory, then yes, baptism is essential, it is the very cornerstone of being a disciple of Christ, however if you mean being baptized in water, then no, it's just our outward expression of our love, which is an internal change.
 
But the point is, Cornelius was put into the body of Christ, by virtue of the Holy Spirit (the thing that puts all people into the body of Christ), BEFORE and APART FROM his water baptism.
You miss the point again - Cornelius, like all believers was baptized in water per Peter's command and it was at the point of baptism that he was placed into Christ – into the body of Christ – baptized into His death. There is no back door. When and where were you “buried with Him through baptism into death†or were you not so baptized?
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
(Rom 6:3-4 NKJV)

"Baptism is the grave of the old man, and the birth of the new. As he sinks beneath the baptismal waters, the believer buries there all his corrupt affections and past sins; as he emerges thence, he rises regenerate, quickened to new hopes and new life." ~ J. B. Lightfoot
You see, when you have two seemingly contradictory things in the Bible--in this case, the apparent teaching that you must be baptized to become saved, and Cornelius becoming saved without baptism--you interpret them by the more compelling and plain argument.
But there is no contradiction, brother. The Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius to demonstrate to those with Peter that God accepted Gentiles on the same terms as Jews. Cornelius (like the Jews before him) then heard the words that were to save his soul – he repented and was baptized in water for the remission of his sins. The only contradiction is in your mind - not in God's word.

What that means is, Jesus did not mean for water baptism to be a legalistic duty, like a magic wand, through which a person is saved, though certainly some are saved that way.
But no one here is claiming baptism is a 'magic wand' – that is your erroneous straw-man. Baptism in water is what it has always been – the instrument designed by God whereby the believer is buried in water and his past sins are 'washed away' by the blood of Christ; as he emerges from the water, he “rises regenerate, quickened to new hopes and new life'.

Baptism is no more “magic†or “a legalistic duty†than believing or repenting is magic or legalistic. All three are acts of obedience required by God. To suggest baptism in water is a legalistic duty is to completely misunderstand God's words and that is where you are left – misunderstanding God's word. Jesus was quite clear---the one who believes and is baptized is the one who shall be saved....
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
(Mar 16:16 NKJV)
 
Jesus said (and the apostles often confirmed) that salvation come through a very specific and simply way.
Yes and that very specific way was for the seeker to believe, repent and be baptized in water for the remission of sins. Are you saying you were saved before you repented? How does that work - biblically?
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(Act 2:38 NKJV)​
 
Jesus said (and the apostles often confirmed) that salvation come through a very specific and simply way. One has only to accept Jesus Christ. He has only to invite Jesus into his life, into his heart, to pray and ask for the Spirit to indwell. That's it. Nothing else to it.

So, you believe in works salvation? If you MUST DO something it's "works", right?

Baptism is the outward expression of an inward change. It is a symbol, something we do because we love Jesus and wish to show the world that we are HIS!

Where does Scripture call it a "symbol"?

Jesus isn't going to say, "Uh, yeah you followed me, you clearly had the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit was ripe and over flowing in you... oh darn, looks like you didn't get the good 'ole dunkin', so off to hell with you!" He is going to say, "Come brother, let us walk together in the light of our Heavenly Father!"

Did not John the Baptist say that though he baptized in water another would come after him who would baptize in the fire of the Holy Spirit? That is true baptize! So if by "baptized" you mean having the Holy Spirit come upon you in a blaze of glory, then yes, baptism is essential, it is the very cornerstone of being a disciple of Christ, however if you mean being baptized in water, then no, it's just our outward expression of our love, which is an internal change.

Do you think that Peter means baptism in the Spirit when he says:

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.
21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you
, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him."

It seems to me that he's saying that water baptism "now saves you".
 
Then Saul was saved before he became king?
I don't know that Saul was ever saved. The Holy Spirit was not given on the basis of faith in the old covenant but on the basis of family lineage and the calling of God for his purposes.

Wherever you see the Holy Spirit in this New Covenant that is where you have faith in Jesus' blood. That is how you receive the Holy Spirit.

"13 ...you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit..." (Ephesians 1:13 NIV1984)

Now, only people who believe and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins have the Holy Spirit. Although it's still given on the basis of family lineage and the calling of God as it was in the old covenant. We have become part of Jesus' family line and are called according to the purpose of God by our faith in Jesus, and therefore, entitled to the anointing of God reserved for them that meet those qualifications. God is so clever. So wise. So powerful. He accomplished so much through the foolishness of the cross.
 
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Peter tells us that baptism saves us "as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Nowhere does it say that we MUST be baptized to be saved, though. Rather, we must appeal to God for salvation through Christ, and one way that is accomplished is through baptism.
I like this. I think it sums it up pretty good.
 
Do you have to be baptized to achieve salvation?
Nope!

Reading the Bible nor Bsptism, nor going to church, becoming a Theologan, Saves you. Being a good boy or girl doesn't save you.

It takes you adressing God, the Son, admitting you are a sinner and definantly not yet heaven bound. REPENT of those sin in true heart felt sorrow. You confess all them (at least all you remember at the time of this prayer. Recognize the Christ did die for you and it is His bloood and sacrifice on the cross in the only path. I"I am the way, The Truth, and the Life; No one comes unto the Father, but by me." Jesus Christ.

Say guys, did I get that correct? :chin or did I miss something? :shame

I enjoy a one on one relationship the Trinity - God. And I can tell you much of experience (not just book knowlegdge) and it is totally amazing folk.

Bar Jabba
 
...I do not see repentance in the passage you reference and Jesus and Peter were clear – one cannot be saved unless he first repents. How were you saved before you repented?
I wasn't. I changed my mind about Christ and wanted to live accordingly (repentance), and surrendered my defenses about my sin and guilt to God, trusting him to have mercy on me, and I was saved.

I was water baptized two months later.


Where does Holy Writ say Cornelius or anyone is saved at the point of belief alone without the fruits of faith (repentance and baptism)?
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.
These words are very important. The first clause [belief and baptism] opposes the notion that faith alone is sufficient for salvation, without those works which are the fruit of faith. ~ The Pulpit Commentary
Baptism is (was) a metonymy for repentance. When a person wanted to repent in the first century they entered into John's baptism, a baptism for repentance. It's what you did when you wanted to officially and formally repent and turn to God. The two were so inextricably tied together that baptism means repentance. They weren't two distinct 'things' as we see them today. It isn't hard to see that a person could sincerely repent without water baptism. It's just that it was done through water baptism. So it's easy to see the connection continue with the ministry of the Apostles.



Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
(Joh 3:5 NKJV)
Jesus appears to be rather dogmatic when He says the only way to enter God's kingdom is to be born of water and the Spirit and that new birth has always included baptism in water and the renewing influence of the Holy Spirit. I do not see any exception to that statement – where do you see this exception?
Well, just show me where it says Jesus was talking exactly about water baptism as we are discussing it here in this thread and we can stop debating it. But the Bible doesn't say it so we will continue to wonder what exactly he was talking about. That's the only honest thing to say about the passage.

The connection Jesus makes with being born of water and Nicodemus' reference to being born from a literal womb implies an understanding of baptism that Jews of the day would understood far better than we gentiles would:

"10 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." (1 Corinthians 10:1-2 NIV1984)

You see, being a Jew, or one who attached themselves to the Jews as was the custom of the day, you belonged to a people who were born through the waters of the Red Sea. It was both a birth of a nation and people and kingdom of God, and a baptism by water into a nation and people and kingdom of God. A people set apart from the world by that water to now be God's people and obey him through the law of Moses.

Many a Jew took much pride in being that people. Remember, Jesus is speaking to a Pharisee, a teacher, an exalted leader of Israel for whom this special status of being a part of the chosen people of God born and baptized at the Red Sea would provoke a special sense of pride and sureness of salvation. But Jesus tells him that he must also be born from above, by the Spirit. A natural people born into the earthly kingdom of God by virtue of a birth and baptism of water at the Red Sea who keep the law of Moses is not enough. For we know from the Bible itself that Jews took much confindence and surety of salvation from the fact they were Jews and had the law and Moses (those being established at the waters of the Red Sea). That's not enough Jesus is saying. You must born 'again', by the Spirit.

That's my two cents on it. It's very consistent with the whole of scripture and reconciles the 'birth' of water in the context of the passage, and the 'baptism' of water in the overall context of the Bible.

So to narrow Jesus' 'water' to just that of mere water baptism as we know it is really selling the message short. A message that surely Nic baby would have understood far more easily than you or I. The short of it is, it's not enough to be a natural citizen of the kingdom of God under the law of Moses symbolically born and baptized at the Red Sea, you must be born 'again', and from above, to see the kingdom of God. IMO, it's not a passage about the necessity of water baptism to become saved. It's a message that it is not enough to uphold the law of Moses. You must also be born by the Spirit.



Peter was equally dogmatic on the Day of Pentecost – the birthday of the Lord's church. He dogmatically says the one who believes must then repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and then one receives the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit.

Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(Act 2:38 NKJV)
I do not see anything in Acts 2:38 that renders repentance and baptism as optional – do you? Peter was speaking via inspiration. Why did God include all three acts of obedience - faith, repentance and baptism?
With an overall Biblical view of baptism and it's history in the people of God it's easy to see that the repentance is what it's all about, not the legalism of water as the way salvation is to occur. Water baptism is just the way people repented. Think 'metonymy'. It'll make all this more meaningful, taking the religious legalism out of it and explaining the apparent contradiction between getting water baptized to get the gift of the Holy Spirit and Cornelius receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit before his water baptism. Baptism meant 'repentance'. Repentance meant 'get baptized'.


Were you “baptized into Christ” when you submitted to the ordinance of baptism or did you come to be “in Christ” some less dogmatic way?
In the non-dogmatic way: When my will broke and my heart and mind surrendered it's defenses against God and his indictment against me as a guilty sinner separated from him.
It was at that time, when I cast myself on God's mercy, that he came into me by his Holy Spirit and I belonged to him, sealed for the day of redemption...then I was water baptized two months later.
 
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In the Greek Peter said baptism saves.

Peter said baptism noW saves, some try and change the "w" in the word now to a "t".
y'mean like "not the cleaning of dirt form the body" ...?
baptizo literally means an immersion.
But "baptismos" is already an immersion rite, as well as a metaphorical meaning.
The OT type is 8 souls saved by WATER. So the NT type is used saved by WATER baptism. That killed your 'dry baptism' theory you proposed earlier.
The OT type is 8 souls saved THROUGH water. Water doesn't save them -- in fact a floating ark saves them.

As I didn't bring up "dry baptism", but you did, I'm glad you've agreed with your own view. To do otherwise would've been strange. However, your proposal baffles me. Noah's family didn't get immersed in water.
The flood water cleansed the earth of the filth of the flesh. Yet water baptism is not for cleasing away filth but water baptism is the answer of a good conscience towards God.
You're intending to say the flood water was cleansing dirt from the flesh of those who perished? You don't mind that I disagree. That's not at all what Peter is referring to. In point of fact those who die in floods are muddy, dirty, and unclean. That's simply a fact. That's not what Peter is referring to.

Peter is clearly referring to the idea of baptism as a water bath. He's denying the action of the water to cleanse the flesh is what he means by "baptism". Get it straight: Peter's not talking about baptism as a bath.
Again, in Acts 2 Peter convicted his listeners with the sin of murdering the Messiah so much so they were 'pricked in their heart" and asked Peter what must they do. What was the "answer" Peter gave them for their conscience of sin? Be baptized for remission of sins. Having sins remitted would erase that guilty conscience of sin.
Two things Peter commended, and it's two things Christians commend to those who ask. But to demand that both are necessary to salvation because they're recommended -- that's quite an overreach. It's not what Peter said.
It does not matter what word translators used, 'by' or 'through' still proves my point. The OT type was 8 souls saved by/through WATER and the mirror reflection/anti-type is us by saved by/through water baptism.
That's not the case. "Through" water says the water is a participant -- but as in the case of Noah, it may well be the adversary. "By" water says the water is somehow an instrument.
Water is the very thing Peter is talking about inthe context.
So where is water present in the "answer in good conscience toward God"?

No, in point of fact Peter isn't saying anything particular about the water. He's saying that salvation is brought to us through water, but by the answer in good conscience toward God.
He just said 8 souls were saved by WATER
There it goes again -- it's through, and it's not by. Eight souls were not saved BY getting wet They were actually kept out of the water.

Peter actually uses that "not" the word you keep complaining about -- "baptism saves you -- NOT the cleansing of dirt from the body, BUT (what does save you?) an answer in good conscience toward God."

It's not the water's action -- it's the heart's action that saves.
and the NT antitype is us being saved by WATER baptism....
"they were saved through water; likewise baptism saves you -- NOT the cleansing of dirt from the body, BUT (instead) an answer in good conscience toward God."

It's not hard to understand -- it just needs to be read.
those in the OT were saved by WATER and us under the NT are saved by WATER.
THROUGH water -- for we've already determined that Noah's family was saved by not being immersed in water ... :thumbsup
Then in the parenthesis Peter explains the difference between these two waters that save.
No water is an answer in good conscience. A human heart is an answer in good conscience.
The saving water of baptism is not for cleansing the filth of the flesh as the flood water did but the water of baptism is the answer of a good conscience for water baptism remits sins and the flood waters could not remit sins.
Here's where the whole thing departs Greek expression.

Peter says Noah's family was brought safely through water -- a water of death, a baptismal water by Greek expression. A killing water.

And that's the real commonality of the Noahic and the Christian baptismal waters -- both are preserved through death. That's what Peter is talking about. "Baptism" isn't a recall of water as if it's cleansing your body. "Baptism" is a recall of the death of Christ, and our heartfelt response in good conscience toward God is also death to this world, but life by the Spirit.
People try hard to misunderstand something so simple.
Yeah. Well, tell us how Noah was immersed and make it consistent with Peter's assertion. People will often try to hang onto a simple answer; but Scriptural consistency is more important.
In Acts 2:38 peter commanded them to repent AND be baptized. The conjunction 'and' shows that repentance and baptism are two different things.
That's simply wrong. Hebrew expression constantly restates the same thing twice with an "and" in between. "Let them become a snare and a trap." A snare is a trap. Reiteration of the same concept using a different word, that's downright regular for this area of the Middle East.
You quote Lk 24:47 "that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations,"
Peter preached repentance and he preached "forgiveness of sins, when he told them to be baptized for remission of sins.
Luke didn't said something about baptism in Lk 24:47. So I guess they're in conflict? But according to Paul (Luke's mentor) they weren't (Gal 2). So Peter's reference to baptism must not be absolutely necessary. Sure, it's normal. But not necessary.
One has to have his sins washed away by the blood of Christ, Rev 1:5. Christ shed that blood that washes away sin in His death, Jn 19:34. So I must have access to His death where His blood was shed for it to wash away my sins and baptism, not repentance, is how I gain access into Christ's death, Rom 6:3-6. Nowhere does repentance put one in Christ's death. Col 2:11ff it is when one is buried in baptism that God does the operation/work of removing the body of sin, not at repentance.
Lk 24:47 does put repentance there.
Mk 1:14-15 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." (ESV)
Mk 6:12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.
Lk 13:3 unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Lk 13:5 unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Lk 15:7 there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Lk 15:10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
2 Pt 3:9 not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance [hm, not baptism].
 
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So, you believe in works salvation? If you MUST DO something it's "works", right?
If you're commanded to stop doing something, is that doing something?

Paul has already said "he who does not work but believes ..." (cf. Rom 4:4-5). So -- what's meant by "not work" what Paul means by "not work".
 
The verses you cite are both in reference to the Jewish law, specifically circumcision.
The verse I cited (Rom 4:5) and the verses Paul cited exemplifying the justification of Abraham were before circumcision was introduced, and long, long before the Law was introduced.

Paul's logic in Romans 4:4 is that works deserve a wage -- but God's grace isn't working on a wage, but on faith in God to forgive. If you require works -- any works by Paul's definition -- that qualifies into the logic of Romans 4:4, and thus Paul rejects it. In other words, anything you work that requires God to pay with salvation -- that's the work Paul is talking about.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God -- 9 not because of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Paul is actually contrasting "works" of the law with "good works". He goes on with his contrast of faith vs works of the law...
Paul hasn't even mentioned the Law up to this point. So no, Paul isn't contrasting Law with good works. Paul is contrasting works as prerequisite, with works as result. "not from works ... for good works." (Ep 2:8-10) It's what Paul wrote.
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands -- 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ.

Every time Paul contrasts faith and works it's in the context of the Law, specifically circumcision. He is not talking about good deeds, but works of the law. Acts 15 records the major heresy of the time and this is what Paul is responding to.
Sorry, no. There's no such connection being made here. Paul's very direct statement is not to put the works cart before the horse of salvation -- works follow, they don't pull the salvation horse along.
 
The OT type is 8 souls saved THROUGH water. Water doesn't save them -- in fact a floating ark saves them.
You are completely missing what Peter is saying. In 1 Peter 3:21 he is clear - “baptism now save us”. What part of now save us do you not understand? Peter says the antecedent is not the ark - the antecedent is water, i.e., Noah was 'saved by water' and that water is the anti-type to which baptism now also saves us as the answer of a good conscience toward God as it points us to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The connection between baptism and our salvation can only be missed by those who choose to miss it because of their sectarian biases.
1 Peter 3:21

The like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us
@#$%- There are some various readings here in the Greek text, but the sense is not essentially varied. Some have proposed to read (ῷ hō) to which instead of (ὅ ho) which, so as to make the sense “the antitype to which baptism now also saves us.” The antecedent to the relative, whichever word is used, is clearly not the ark, but water; and the idea is, that as Noah was saved by water, so there is a sense in which water is made instrumental in our salvation. The mention of water in the case of Noah, in connection with his being saved, by an obvious association suggested to the mind of the apostle the use of water in our salvation, and hence led him to make the remark about the connection of baptism with our salvation. The Greek word here rendered “figure” - ἀντίτυπον antitupon - “antitype” means properly, “resisting a blow or impression,” (from ἀντί anti and τύπος tupos) that is, hard, solid. In the New Testament, however, it is used in a different sense; and (ἀντί anti) in composition, implies resemblance, correspondence and hence, the word means, “formed after a type or model; like; corresponding; that which corresponds to a type” - Robinson, Lexicon. The word occurs only in this place and Heb_9:24, rendered “figures.” The meaning here is, that baptism corresponded to, or had a resemblance to, the water by which Noah was saved; or that there was a use of water in the one case which corresponded in some respects to the water that was used in the other; to wit, in effecting salvation. The apostle does not say that it corresponded in all respects; in respect, e. g., to quantity, or to the manner of the application, or to the efficacy; but there is a sense in which water performs an important part in our salvation, as it did in his. ~ 1 Peter 3:21

~ Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible​
 

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