Titus 3:5 is very plainly speaking of water baptism.
Not a chance. You totally misrepresent the scriptures.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
--You contradict the verse itself. "The washing of regeneration" is "not of works of righteousness," that is baptism which is "a work of righteousness." It is some good work that man does, that man receives and that God has nothing to do with. In fact this very act is one that Jeremiah mocks:
Jer 2:22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.
--He mocks this baptism saying that no matter how many times you dip yourself, wash yourself, scrub yourself with the strongest soap possible, you will never wash away your sins.
--In the OT the sacrifice of an animal such as a bull or goat was necessary.
But in the NT:
Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
However:
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
1 John 1:7 ... and
the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
--It is not baptism, but rather the blood of Christ that cleanses us from sin.
Baptism will do nothing but get you wet.
Baptism is a work. you contradict the verse saying it means baptism. Regeneration happened at the cross where Christ shed his blood. It must be appropriated by the sinner by faith. That is an impossibility for an infant who can neither understand the gospel nor accept it by faith.
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
You can peruse the New Testament and come up with probably a dozen ways to get saved. Some include baptism and some don’t. Do you really want to omit any of them?
It is the other way around. Perhaps you should demand that every scripture should necessitate a mention of baptism if it is such an important requirement for salvation. The truth is that there is not even one single verse in the Bible which demands baptism as a requirement for salvation. The belief is a heresy, unknown in the first century.
Wrong comparison. Never does the Bible say circumcision takes away sin. However, it does say repeatedly that baptism takes away sin. Acts 2:38 for example.
I disagree with Tony that it is not a sign of being in a covenant community.
1. It is symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. It is symbolic of the believer's death to his old life of sin, and his resurrection to a new life in Jesus Christ. And that is what is taught in Romans 6:
Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 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.
--Purely symbolic
All right, let me get this straight. The word “wash” has nothing to do with water. It’s a spiritual washing, notwithstanding the fact that Ananias in the same sentence had told Saul to be baptized.
I can tell by your postings that you are a smart guy (and I know you live in an area populated by lots of fine upstanding people) so you must know that your attempt to explain Acts 22:16 is plain malarkey.
Let's look at a couple of other translations of Acts 22:16
(ISV) What are you waiting for now? Get up, be baptized, and
have your sins washed away as you call on his name.'
Even the old Geneva translation puts it this way:
(Geneva) Now therefore why tariest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and
wash away thy sinnes, in calling on the Name of the Lord.
And what does it say in Romans 10:
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Acts 22:16 obviously teaches that one's sins are washed away when one calls upon the Lord, the same truth that is taught in Romans 10:9,10. Baptism has nothing to do with it. If you know Greek and are able to check the Greek you would be able to find out the same thing.
Nowhere does the Bible teach that baptism is necessary for salvation.
Everywhere does the Bible teach that baptism must follow salvation which is by faith in Christ. Baptism is a step of obedience in the Christian faith, never done by an unbeliever or one has not put their faith and trust in Christ.