Acts 2:38Mt 28:26
[SUP]38 [/SUP]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.
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ac 2:38). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Mt 26:28
[SUP]28 [/SUP]For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many
for the remission of sins.
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 26:28). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
In both passages the "for" in red is the same greek word. Strongs 1519 eis. In the second passage you cannot deny that it means leading to so therefore it means the same thing in the first passage.
In Acts 2:38, "for the remission of sins" does not refer back to both clauses, "you all repent" and "each one of you be baptized," but refers only to the first. Peter is saying "repent unto the remission of your sins," the same as in Acts 3:19. The clause "each one of you be baptized" is parenthetical. This is exactly what Acts 3:19 teaches except that Peter omits the parenthesis, so your argument here in regards to Matthew 26:18 is moot.
In Matthew 26:26-28, Jesus said, "This IS my body when He took the bread." When He took the cup, He said, "This IS my blood." Of course, His body was still His body and His blood was still in His body. He was using attributing the reality to the emblem, yet the emblem is not the reality. When a believer is water baptized, sins are not washed away literally, but ceremonially, pointing to the death of Christ by which sins are actually washed away.
Since it's not possible for an external ordinance to do an internal work on the heart, baptism can not do these things except in a literal sense, yet it represents the remission of sins by the death of Christ, which was the real remission (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:22-28). Christ put away sins by the sacrifice of Himself.
In EXPERIENCE, the remission of sins comes to us through FAITH in Christ (Acts 26:18; Romans 3:24-26).
So, "remission of sins" has three applications:
1. Literally, by the sacrificial death of Christ - Matt. 26:28
2. Experientially, by faith in Christ - Acts 10:43; 26:18
3. Ceremonially, by water baptism - Acts 2:38; 22:16
Conclusion, water baptism is necessary to salvation and thus what Jesus meant by being born of water.
Based on your biased conclusion, but not in reality. NOWHERE in the Bible did Jesus say, "whoever is not water baptized will be condemned." *Also, see John 4:10,14; 7:37-39 to see what Jesus meant by being born of water.