I said:
"Except there are scholars who are able to date the various manuscripts over the centuries. And NONE of the earliest manuscripts includes v.9-20. That in itself indicates that those verses were added later and NOT part of inspired Scripture.
Regardless, the only baptism that saves is by the Holy Spirit, not water. Peter made that clear in
1 Pet 3:20-21."
20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waitedin the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:20-21
Peter says just the opposite of what you are teaching.
Not at all. He said exactly what I have said. Let's break it all down.
In v.20, Peter noted that 8 people were saved THROUGH water. Note that he did not say "saved BY water". In fact, the literal water would have KILLED them, as it did the rest of humanity. It was the rest of humanity that got immersed IN the water who were killed.
So, what saved the 8? The ark, a picture of Christ Himself. Those who were "baptized" by the flood weren't saved, but perished. Those in the ark were saved FROM the water.
Then, in v.21 Peter speaks of "an antitype" which NOW SAVES US. Which is described as "baptism". But, Peter doesn't mean literal water, because of the parenthesis that follows the word 'baptism'; "NOT the removal of the filth of the flesh". What removes filth (dirt) from the flesh? Literal water. So the parenthesis means "NOT water baptism".
Peter was specifically excluding literal water baptism from what saves us.
eight souls, were saved through water
Plainly a reference to water baptism.
Yes, the rest of humanity WAS immersed in literal water, and were KILLED by the literal water. Unlike the 8, who were saved THROUGH the water, or FROM the water.
Did Noah get immersed in the literal water? No. He stayed dry.
How about talking about the Jews going through the Red Sea? Paul described that event as the Jews being baptised into Moses and in the sea. Yet, they walked across the floor of that sea on DRY GROUND.
And, who got immersed? The Egyptian army. And they were KILLED by literal water.
So any argument about needing to be water baptised for salvation is ALL WET.
The Bible gives 2 clear examples of people being KILLED from being immersed in literal water, and others being SAVED by staying dry, and describing those events as a baptism.