I agree with your view that we must choose. But, I believe that Acts 2:38 is unique. You are correct that Peter is talking to the Jews. If Paul was standing next to Peter and addressing Gentiles he would not have said anything about being baptized. We know this by the answer he gave in his epistles on salvation. Romans 10:9 is crystal clear. Acts is transition history, from law to grace. The Jews put a lot of stock in rituals as it had been a part of their religions culture since Moses. Ceremonial baths, washing, circumcision, sacrifices etc. Paul himself on his trip to Jerusalem still participated in certain traditions to not cause strife in the Jewish community. These rituals have nothing to do with salvation.
Peter and Paul preached the same one gospel, the same one system of faith (Ephesians 4:5) so Paul would preach the same thing as Peter.....seeing also both men were inspired by the one and only Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit does not contradict Himself.
Galatians 1:23 "
But they had heard only, That he (Paul) which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed."
The implication of this verse is that Saul once destroyed the faith as taught by Peter in Acts 2 but Paul "now preacheth" (present tense) that faith he once destroyed. "The faith" the article "the" refers to one particular faith which
BOTH Peter and Paul preached alike. Therefore Paul preached baptism as Peter (Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; etc), Paul was baptized himself (Acts of the Apostles 22:16) and Paul baptized others (1 Corinthians 1:14,16).
In Romans 10 Paul is not giving a discourse on how to be saved. In the broader context the Jews had rejected Christ so God has rejected the Jews, broken them off due to their unbelief (Romans 11:20). Paul shows further in Romans 11 that God's people have always been those who obey Him. So in Romans 10 Paul is demonstrating that those Jews who were broken off were so because they would not obey God...they would
not believe, would
not confess, would
not obey the gospel....hence they were
justly broken off by God. Paul in Romans 10 was proving to the Jews that their physical desendancy from Abraham is not what saves but rather salvation comes
by being obedient to God's will yet those Jews would not obey the gospel of Christ (Romans 10:16). That "
whosoever" calls upon the name of the Lord can be saved,
not Jews only who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. So Paul's point in Romans 10 is
not pointing out every aspect of salvation but prove the Jews will not be saved due to their physical birth but that obedience to God saves yet the Jews would not obey.
So even though baptism is not specifically mentioned in Romans 10, Paul teaches the necessity of it elsewhere. Acts of the Apostles 20:27 one must examine
ALL the counsel of God to determine what is necessary to being saved and Romans 10:9
does not even come close to exhausting all there is to know about how to be saved.
Repentance is not specifically mentioned in Romans 10:9 but that does not mean repentance is unnecessary.....Paul said the impenitent will be lost (Romans 2:4-5). Since repentance is required (Romans 2:4-5) no reason to assume baptism is not required, it is instructed in Romans 6:3-5.
Note that Romans 10:9-10 does
NOT say salvation is obtained by belief alone or by confession alone:
KJV - For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation.
NIV - For it is with your heart that you believe and
are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and
are saved.
The KJV correctly renders this verse the NIV
does not. The KJV show that belief leads one
towards/unto salvation that belief alone in and of itself does not save. Confession also leads one towards/unto salvation but confession alone in and of itself does not saved. The NIV's Calvinistic 'faith only' bias attempts to have man saved/justified at the moment of belief only ("are justified"). But then it has one saved/justified a
second time when one confesses ("are saved").
Matthew 7:21 Jesus once and for all time prohibited a mere verbal confession from saving.
So even though baptism is not
specifically mentioned in Romans 10 I see that it is still there. If you like for me to, I can take the time and show you where baptism is actually found in Romans 10.