on the Philippian jailer, you did not read far enough. Notice the same hour of the night he was baptized. Also noticed that he did not rejoice until after baptism. Why the urgency to baptize if it is not required?
The fact remains that the answer to the question of "What must I do to be saved? was "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved." Similar offers of salvation or justification are repeated over and over again in scripture, without baptism in the context.
Of course after the jailer trusted Christ as his Savior, the jailer received more teaching. We may infer that water baptism was mentioned. It is an inference from the fact that he got baptized, though there is no teaching about it or statement that water baptism brings salvation (which is never does in scripture). If you view it as something a man-to-be-saved does, it would be a work -- and it is clearly forbidden to think that works save.
To obey the Lord in many things is urgent. Just to know that He wants us to do something gives it urgency. It was urgent that he love his wife (if he had one).
Some are very lax on water baptism, which is very bad. But it is worse to make persons think that some religious ritual saves.
How do you know that he didn't rejoice before baptized? How could he not rejoice the moment he believed? You may as well argue he didn't breathe air when he trusted Christ, since it is not mentioned.
Alligator,
what hinders you from trusting the Lord Jesus as your only and sufficient Savior now, Savior to eternal life and never perishing?
As to Dear Cassian, give attention to the verses. Let them persuade you. Luther wasn't born when these were given. James does not refute them at all.
The Church does not have that problem. They were given the full Gospel. The Apostles taught it to them completely. That meaning is part of the context of scripture. That is what has been preserved within Christ's Body, to which His Gospel was entrusted.
You have essentially made the NT void, except for your favorite verses that you think guarantee eternal life by faith only and instant finite salvation upon a single moment of affirmation of faith. Nice philosophical concept but has nothing to do with scripture. The only part of the NT that is relevant to you are these 5-6 texts in isolation.
Apart from the repetition of the texts that don't support your premise, you also continually describe the opposite as a strawman. You are confusing salvation from death and sin, with attaining eternal life. They are totally separate events.
But carry on, nonetheless........