Is Baptism in water a work or a command? Is it necessary for salvation?

I'm gonna disagree

Jesus said those words looking forward to the establishment of His church.
After He had been given all authority, He then said The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved
All conversions end in baptism.

I received the spirit the moment i call out to God and received his grace gift of eternal life. because I, who was dead in tresspasses and sins, was made alive through the redemption in Christ.

You inadvertently make my point for me. Making disciples has nothing to do with getting saved.

I'll be glad to discuss why I disagree. I just felt we were going in circles.

I suggest to you that it would be best to let Matt. 28 and Mark 16 compliment each other since it's the same conversation. Kinda like we know Jesus was on the Mount of Olives in a garden in a place called Gethsemane. We need 3 gospels to get all that information.

So Jesus tells the apostles to make disciples baptizing them in His name. He also says that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. So whoever believes and is baptized in the name of Jesus will be a disciple and will be saved. That is the pattern Jesus gives the apostles and that is the exact pattern we see.
Now even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip,
And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized

If we take out the parenthetical expression from 1 Pt. it's easier to see how baptism saves.
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you, ,through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
How does baptism save us through the resurrection of Jesus:
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus (make disciples) have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
Baptism is how we are united with Jesus in death and therefore in the resurrection also.

That is why all conversions end with baptism, to complete the conversion.

Why does Peter mention the flood and water to symbolize baptism?

He gave those wordsto the world

ye must be born again

how?

look to the cross and believe.

whoever does is not condemned

thats the gospel.

As long as you believe a physical baptism leads to a spiritual reality you will be in error. The physical realm teaches us about the reality of the spiritual realm, not the other way around.
But I do appreciate you taking the time to respond. Grace and peace.

It's a good thing Noah was sprinkled and not immersed.

I believe what the bible says.
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you
Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name

It would be nice if you would provide scripture for the things you claim. I'm sorry but I just can't take your word for it.
Thanks for your time.

How was Noah saved from the flood?

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [/quote[

Water and spirit = two births,, meaning you must be born again.
You have already been shown what this passage means..

How was Noah saved from the flood?

In the arc...a picture of what it means to be in Christ.

I've given scripture. But you obviously didn't read it. Romans 1 teaches that the invisible things of God are known by the things seen. You can see water baptism. So it must be symbolic of an unseen baptism.
Go back and read the thread. You will see I went through a list of verses.

Peter uses the example of 8 souls being saved through water in the ark as an example of how baptism saves.
who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

In 1 Peter 3:21, Peter tells us that baptism now saves you, yet when Peter uses this phrase, he continues in the same sentence to explain exactly what he means by it. He said that baptism now saves you-not the removal of dirt from the flesh (that is, not as an outward, physical act which washes dirt from the body--that is not what saves you), "but an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (that is, as an inward, spiritual transaction between God and the individual, a transaction that is symbolized by the outward ceremony of water baptism).

*Just as the eight people in the ark were "saved THROUGH water" as they were IN THE ARK. They were not literally saved "by" the water. Hebrews 11:7 is clear on this point (..built an ARK for the SAVING of his household). *The context reveals that ONLY the righteous (Noah and his family) were DRY and therefore SAFE. In contrast, only the wicked in Noah's day came in contact with the water and they all perished.

How does one appeal to God for a good conscience?

“(which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings (baptismois in Greek), regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.9.9-14.ESV

According to Hebrews here, baptisms as regulations for the body were never able to perfect the conscience. I believe our conscience is purified when we are sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit upon belief as in Ephesians 1:13.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.1.7.ESV

Who built the ark?