Baptisms

“The circumcised believers who has come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
“Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone keep these people from being baptised with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’” Acts 10:47
There is a lot of confusion in Christian circles about water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the necessity (or otherwise) of both of these for salvation. Here we have one example of how a group of people were baptised in the Holy Spirit – evidenced by the gifts of the Spirit in the form of speaking in tongues, being manifested – before they were baptised in water. This completely goes against the argument made by some that you must be baptised in water before you are saved. (The same is true in my own life – I was baptised in the Holy Spirit age 9, but not water baptised until age 19.) Peter declares that the Gentiles had “received the Holy Spirit just as we have”. That is, these people have had the same spiritual experience. Peter had no doubts that they were saved – because someone cannot be baptised with the Holy Spirit unless they are first born again.
So where does water baptism fit in? It is not essential for salvation. However, it is recommended. Its purpose is a witness to others that you belong to Christ, that the old man has died and that you are now a new creation. Nor is baptism in the Spirit essential to salvation. Baptism in the Spirit is the empowering for the work of the ministry. We can survive without both, but both are beneficial to us.