Romans 6:5 reveals water baptism is essential:
5 "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:"
I'm still not seeing any commandment in that context whereby Paul commanded water baptism OTHER than his talking about the inclusive nature of as many who were water baptized, they too were enjoined into the death and resurrection with Christ. Again, not one commandment for it for all believers. One is arguing from silence to establish that legalistic doctrine for water baptism from this context or any other addressed in the latter parts of Paul's epistles. Those who think timeline is not relevant, they are willfully ignorant.
Also, taking a verse ripped from its context, thus isolating it from the full meaning of the discussion from which you ripped this verse, you do err; especially when you ADD to the verse meaning that's nowhere upheld in that context or any other that is relevant for us today. Look at that pesky little word "if" in that verse; he clearly was including those who were water baptized into burial with Christ. Yes, but that is not a
commandment for all to be water baptized. Let's look further down in that context:
Rom 6:11
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We see here Paul's drawing a line of INCLUSIVENESS to those who are not identified as having been water baptized. Not one phrase in that context commands water baptism in addition to the GRACE by which they were already saved and dead with Christ.
If you can't see that in the text, then that can only be slated as a lack of understanding of the clear message within that context or it's willful blindness on the basis of what one WANTS to believe.
1 Corinthians 12:13
For
by one Spirit [
Not by water, but 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 the contrast. The conditional IF in Rom. 6:5, NOT being a commandment but rather an inclusiveness of those who were indeed water baptized, they too were baptized into the death and resurrection with Christ AND partake of the baptism by the Spirit under the Gospel of Grace. Paul having to deal with contentions over whose name some were baptized into in relation to others, that shows to us the foolishness behind bickering over water baptism, and to settle the matter, he instructed being RE-BAPTIZED into the name of Christ Jesus. Yes, adults can and do become eaten up with pride even in which name into which they were baptized.
THAT is systematic theology at its best when one considers the totality of the information ending at the latest destination of Paul's epistles, written at the latter part of his ministry before his murder, that gives to us the needed storyline of the progression unto the REAL story behind what is relevant for us today.
I've already quoted for everyone that there is ONE baptism, not two...not water AND Spirit. It is ONLY by Spirit.
MM