My apology to the original post and poster. I'm seizing the moment.
I hope this is of help to someone.
Jesus is our example:
1 Peter 2:21-"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:"
If the example did it, then you do it:
Matt. 3:13-"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him."
Matt. 3:15-"...it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him."
Matt. 3:16-"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water..."
Notice that it says "out of the water". Says it again in Acts 8:38-39.
What did Jesus teach:
Matt. 20:22-"...and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"
Matt. 28:19-"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them..."
Mark 16:16-"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved..."
John 3:5-"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Notice in John 3:5 that Jesus said "water" and not just the Spirit as in Matt. 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33 & Acts 1:5. If we desire the truth, we must put things together instead of using one verse to cancel out another verse (Isaiah 28:10).
The acts of the apostles:
Acts 2:38-"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Acts 2:41-"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized..."
Acts 8:12-"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."
Acts 8:36-"And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?"
Acts 9:18-"...and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized."
Acts 10:47-"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?"
Acts 10:48-"And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord..."
Acts 16:15-"And when she was baptized, and her household..."
Acts 16:33-"...and was baptized, he and all his..."
Acts 18:8-"...believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized..."
Acts 19:5-"When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."
Acts 22:16-"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
Paul explains why water baptism is necessary:
(1)What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2)God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (3)Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (4)Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5)For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (6)Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Jesus died and His "sinful" body was buried. Because He is our example, you must "die" to living a sinful life. What do you do with dead things? You bury them. So as the "sinful" temporary body of Jesus was buried, so is our sinful "body" to be buried. He's our example. And just like Jesus rose from His grave in newness, so are we to rise from our watery grave in newness of life.
Once again, one seeking truth would take 1 Cor. 1:17, 1 Cor. 10:2, 1 Cor. 12:13 and any other similar verses and try to incorporate them. Only the carnal mind seeks to use scripture against scripture.
Mark 3:25-"And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand." Let us not be ignorant to Satan's divide and conquor strategy (2 Cor. 2:11).