@nan: "The word 'baptized' is mentioned twice, 'baptism" once, in Romans chapter six. He nowhere in those verses and, in fact, in all of this chapter, mentioned the necessity of baptism unto salvation. Further, there is not a hint of water being used.
We are baptized into the Lord Jesus Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, not by the baptism of John. There is a difference."
The problem with your Rom ch 6 argument is that not only doesn't it say "water" baptism but it doesn't say or hint at "Holy Spirit" baptism either. So, how do we know which baptism is being referred to? We know this by reading all the other passages on baptism in the NT. If you do this then you notice a pattern. This pattern is that baptism is always water baptism unless the context says otherwise. This is how we know that baptism in Rom 6, Acts 2:38, Gal 3:27, Acts 2:38, etc is water baptism. In the same we know that Matt 3:11, Mark 1:8, Mark 10:38, etc is not. Baptism has always been commonly identified with water. Therefore the writers have to tell you when water is not involved.
@nan, I have to agree with
@UncleAbee. Romans 6 very clearly in the syntax of the passage identify baptism as the moment of salvation; note as follows:
"Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ... for he who has died is freed from sin." - Romans 6:3, 7 NASB
When and where do we die to sin? Paul says in baptism. What is the result, freedom from sin? That is the gift of grace we call redemption. Paul could have defined this
free from sin group by belief, or confession, or repentance, but he didn't he chose baptism here. Why? Belief, confession and repentance ultimately comprises the content of living the Christian life, where baptism happens at the moment it all starts.
To your second point, what you might call Spirit Baptism, is just the spiritual dimension of the temporal ceremony. Baptism is a
"work of God" [Colossians 2:12].
