So Linda you say baptism is not a part of salvation. Would you be interested to know the Jesus, Peter, and Paul disagree with you? Jesus says He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved Mark 16:16. Peter says to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins Acts 2:38 Also Peter says baptism now saves you 1Pet 3:21. Paul was baptized to have his sins washed away Acts 22:16. Paul lets us know that those of us who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal 3:27. And surely we can agree we must be in Christ to be saved right? He also lets us know that its in baptism that we are buried and rise again a new creature in Jesus Christ Rom 6:3ff. I agree it is the blood of Jesus that washes away a persons sins. But as you see in the bible That action happens when a person submits themselves to the Lords will and is baptized for the fogiveness of sins. Why does it say in Acts 2:41 that the 3000 people who were added were added when they were baptized? why not when they simply believed? You can see in Acts 2:47 that the Lord was adding to the church daily. But Acts 2:41 says they were added when they were baptized. So the Lord adds a person to His church, His body when they are baptized right? You say if you think water baptism is necessary for salvation think again. That's interesting that you say that. I guess since you know more than Jesus, Pete, and Paul you need to correct them and correct all the people in the book of acts who were baptized in order to be saved. I see you say that its a symbol, a picture. Tell that to the eunuch in Acts 8:25-39, who after hearing about Jesus immediately wanted to be baptized in water. I wonder why he did. Perhaps to be saved like the 3000 who were saved when they were baptized back in Acts 2. Also why does Peter after acknowledging God is not a God of partiality Acts 10:34,35; order the gentiles to be baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ in Acts 10:47-48? Perhaps so that the gentiles can receive salvation just like the 3000 Jews back in Acts 2 when they were baptized? Many like to quote Ephesians 2:8,9 Which talks about being saved by grace through faith. But notice who Paul is writing to... the Christians at Ephesus 1:1. Whats interesting about this is before Paul tells these people they are saved by grace through faith, notice what happened earlier when Paul came across men from Ephesus in Acts 19:1-6. Notice how the were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in verse 5. But verse 6 shows they had not received the Holy Spirit until Paul laid His hands on them. So what were they baptized in back in verse 5? would it not be baptism in water in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins like the other people we read about in the new testament? Acts 2:38, Acts 8:12-18, Acts 10:47,48, etc...