Is baptism required?

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Robert Nava said:
I was speaking to a guy that believes that the baptism of water has
nothing to do with salvation. He said that the obedience of getting
baptized is what is part of salvation. This would explain why the man
that was crucified at the same time as the Lord was able to be in
paradise with Him ( sorry, I don't have a bible to quote the verse).
Baptism was not required for him ( the man on the cross) to go to
heaven; therefore, the Lord could tell him he would be in paradise with
Him w/o requiring baptism first. Can someone send me scriptures that
either support this view or proves this false? How do you explain the
man going to heaven (paradise) w/o baptism?

Robert Nava

A testament, or will, cannot be put in effect until after the person who =
wrote it dies. In Jesus' case, His New Testament, which includes the =
salvation plan found in Acts 2:38, could not be made valid until after =
His death and resurrection.

The thief on the cross was not required to be immersed in Jesus' Name =
for the remission of sins because Jesus had not yet died. Jesus said in =
John 12:23-24 "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be =
glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall =
into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth =
forth much fruit."

The NIV version goes like this: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel =
of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. =
BUT IF IT DIES, IT PRODUCES MANY SEEDS." Jesus could not indwell His =
people until after His death, and what good is the washing away of sins =
if you don't have the power to remain clean?

A former charismatic-turned-Calvinist (they believe in predestination) =
asked me the same question about the theif on the cross (If he didn't =
have to do it, why should I?) I brought this argument to his attention, =
and he couldn't refute it.