Well, here is another “news flash”. In the Bible the words pastor, shepherd, bishop and elder are all names referring to the spiritual leaders of the church in Titus 1 and 1 Tim. 3. And there was never just one—but a plurality of them. ——but that’s another subject.
All Peter us saying is that baptism is not a “physical bath”. It is a “spiritual bath.” It does not remove filth from the body— it removes sins from the soul. Do you know the story of Naaman In 2 Kings 5? Naaman was told by God to dip 7 times in the Jordan River and he would be cured of leprosy. At first he refused but relented and OBEYED GOD’s instructions. When he did what God said, his leprosy was gone—he was cured. Do you think there was power in the water? No, there was no power in the water; the power was in obeying God’s word. God cured his leprosy —but on His terms. If Naaman chose to refuse to do what God said, he would have gone home a “leper.” You have the same choice. You can believe God when He says “baptism saves you.” and be clean of your sins, have your sins remitted, have your sins “washed away” OR you can refuse What God says and stay a “sinner.” Just like Naaman could have stayed a “leper”.