Why would you take an exception and make it the rule?
What exception? Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins is not the exception, it's the rule (John 3:16,18; 6:40,47; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 16:31; Romans 1:16; 3:22-28; 4:5; 10:4 etc.. Receiving the Holy Spirit upon believing the gospel is not the exception, it's the rule (John 7:38,39; Acts 10:43-47; 11:17; 15:8,9; 19:2; Ephesians 1:13).
Your whole discourse of the baptism of Cornelius is known as the Gentile Baptism.
It's known as baptism of the Holy Spirit or Spirit baptism (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
It is considered a teaching tool of God for the Apostles to fully understand that Christ made ONE man. There will be no longer Jew and Gentile. This is not the norm and which is why Peter applies water baptism as well. The gift of the Holy Spirit is actually a Gift that follows baptism and is not the baptism itself.
The gift of the Holy Spirit precedes water baptism (Acts 10:44-47; 11:17; 15:8,9). The laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit is not the norm (Acts 8:17).
But also, many of you are separating water and the Spirit. They are ALWAYS in tandem.
Living water and Spirit are always in tandem (John 4:10,14; 7:37,39), but not water baptism, which follows after Spirit baptism.
Which is why John 3:5, Rom 6:3-4, I Cor 12:13 are all baptisms of Water and the Spirit. Titus 3:5, the washing of regeneration is also water baptism.
John 3:5 does not say water "baptism" and Jesus connects living water with everlasting life in John 4:10,14. Where does that fit into your theology? Jesus' words cannot be dismissed here.
Before mentioning baptism in chapter 6, Paul had repeatedly emphasized that FAITH, not baptism is the instrumental cause of salvation/justification (Romans 1:16; 3:22-30; 4:4-6, 13; 5:1, 2). That is when the old man was put to death and united in the likeness of His death, which water baptism symbolizes and pictures. As Greek Scholar A. T. Robertson comments: "A SYMBOL IS NOT THE REALITY, BUT THE PICTURE OF THE REALITY." Water baptism is only a picture of this reality, not the cause.
Water baptism could not be equated with the "washing of regeneration" because this would contradict the part of the verse that says "not by works or righteousness which we have done." Don't forget John 4:10,14; 7:37,39 - Living water, drink, everlasting life, He who BELIEVES IN ME, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of LIVING WATER. But this he He spoke concerning the SPIRIT. In Titus 3:5 and John 3:5 we see a connection between washing/water/Holy Spirit and being born again, but NO mention of the words "water baptism."
There is ONLY ONE baptism and that is Water and the Spirit baptism.
There is only ONE baptism that places us into the body of Christ and that is SPIRIT baptism (Ephesians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13), not water baptism. Living water is what washes us on the inside in Spirit baptism (John 3:5; 4:10,14; 7:37-39; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5), not plain ordinary H20.
It is stated in Eph 4:5 It is even stated in the Nicene Creed as ONLY one Baptism.
Ephesians 4:5 does not say "water" baptism, it says
one baptism and 1 Corinthians 12:13 says by
one Spirit we were ALL
baptized into one body..and made to
drink into one Spirit. Notice how Jesus connects
drink with
living water, and
receiving the Holy Spirit and
everlasting life in (John 4:10,14; 7:37-39).