Why do we see the Jailer in (Acts 16:30-34) after midnight, in the dark, looking for water so he can be baptized?
It says not a single thing about leaving the prison to look for a river to immerse in. In fact, if they escaped, the "keeper" of the prison was going to commit suicide because he was accountable and would be punished for losing them; but did not leave. They were "lead forward", apparently into the house of the "Keeper" (v.34), who fed them, and later the next day was sent messengers (sergeants) that gave him the message to "let those men go."
There is no Scripture evidence that anyone was blundering around in the dark looking for water outside of the prison grounds.
It was b/c he was taught being baptized (in water) is when one contacts the death of Christ (the blood) as (Rom.6:3-6) and (Col.2:11,12) teaches.
There is not one drop of water in Romans 6, alone enough to immerse someone! Colossians 2:11-12 attests to the same
SPIRITUAL BAPTISM
"made without hands." No water here either!
It's b/c
Baptism Saves according to (1Peter 3:20,21)
It "saves" from a bad conscience, it does not bring salvation. (v.21). It is a
"like figure" just like the example of Noah and the Ark was a "figure." While is speaks of water Baptism here, it is the symbol, not the substance. It is a figure, not the thing itself.
I's b/c at the point of water immersion one is freed from sins according to (Rom.6:3-6, 16-18) (Mark 16:16) (Heb.10:22) (Acts 22:16) (Titus 3:3-5).
Romans 6:3 tells us what we are baptized into; Jesus Christ! Not water! Water cannot put you into Christ, only the baptism of the Holy Spirit can do that! Why change what God said to mean water? Mark 16:16 is a verse thrown out in desperation. It is questionable at best. Heb. 10:22, it does not say that water cleanses spiritually, but that
"drawing near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith" does it! Symbolically, if one were to display what is happening here, water baptism would be the symbol of this reality that has already happened by faith! I also find it interesting that you disprove immersion with this passage! It is sprinkling and washing, in which water is applied to the object, and not the object applied to the water! The Jews in the Old Testament knew nothing of immersion, but only sprinkling and pouring, and sprinkling is no full immersion, is it! Once again, it speaks of a
"clean conscience." Acts 22:16, Paul is told to
"arise"... "and be baptized, wash away your sin, calling on the His name." or
"calling on the name of the Lord." Calling on the name of the Lord is the cause, the washing away of his sins is the action, and baptism is the symbol of the action already occurred. One cane read it the other way, yet they would be going against the Biblical pattern shown elsewhere that baptism follows salvation. Baptism is a testimony of what already happened, not the cause of it. Paul also stood up to be baptized... right where he stood! Interesting! Titus 3:3-5 clearly speaks of a spiritual washing and regeneration brought about by the renewing of the Holy Spirit! Not one drop of water needed!
It's b/c at water baptism one is placed into the church (the kingdom)(Acts 2:38,47)(Col.1:13).
Neither passage is connected to water baptism as the cause.
The beauty of the gospel is all of this happens at one moment in time (water baptism) if they understand the gospel correctly. (Acts 8:30)
While it is true that water baptism and spiritual baptism can be seen as virtually occurring simultaneously, neither of these verses assert such a thing. It does not change the fact that one is what saves you, and the other is an outward symbol that cannot save. To say otherwise is to bolster the heresy, and to miss the Gospel.