So you follow Peter, and not Jesus then?
The thief on the cross next to Jesus is proof we do not need to be baptized in order to be Saved, rather submitting one's self to baptism is an act of faith and obedience.
Baptism does not equal salvation. Jesus in one's heart and life is what saves. Nothing more, nothing less.
To say otherwise is to say Jesus' death on the cross wasn't for our sins.
Jesus told the disciple he would send the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth. Do you think Peter contradicted Jesus in his epistles?
First off, Jesus had the power to forgive sins. He forgave them thief when he asked to be forgiven.
Jesus, though the teachings of his disciples, has told us how to come to Him.
I never said baptism equals salvation. But baptism IS essential for Salvation. Jesus died on the cross for us. We come into contact with His blood through obedience, which includes baptism for the remission of sins.