There are more issues to address than just verse misinterpretations. There are many people in the New Testament that were explicitly saved without baptism.

The woman who washes Jesus’ feet at Simon the pharisee's house.

“Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.””

Luke 7:48-50 (NIV)

The paralytic man.

“And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.””
Matthew 9:2 (NIV)

The thief on the cross.

“And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”

And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.””

Luke 23:42-43 (NASB)

But wait, all of these sins were forgiven by Jesus, who had the power to forgive sins.

Yes, that’s true, but Jesus explicitly states in the case of the woman who washes his feet that her faith has saved her. One aspect of Jesus’s miracles was that he responded to the faith of those he healed or the faith of those around the ones he healed. That’s why he could not do very many miracles in Nazareth.

“He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.”

Mark 6:5 (NIV)

This is not to say that Jesus could only heal when the people around him had faith that he could do it. If that were the case, he would not have risen from the dead.

Cornelius’s household.

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

Acts 10:44-46 (NIV)

Hold on a second, the Spirit came on other people in the Old Testament (Samson, King Saul, for example), but they weren’t saved by the Spirit coming upon them.

The difference between those instances and this one is Peter’s remark, “They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”? Peter and the other apostles were saved and in this circumstance, he identifies Cornelius’s household as being saved by equating their gift with his own.

Lest you believe that this one-time experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is what saved Cornelius’s household, remember what Peter said in previous chapters of Acts;

“But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…” (Acts 3:18-19 NIV).

Keep in mind that Cornelius also had to obey the voice of the angel in order to bring Peter into his house so that Peter could preach. Before that, he was credited with being someone who “feared God.” If he hadn’t “feared God” before any of the other actions took place, then none of the other actions would have taken place.

In addition, there are no Biblical records of the apostles being baptized or re-baptized after Jesus's resurrection.

If you adhere to a belief that you are saved by means of a ritual or action, I have questions for you;

How “saved” are you when you believe (i.e. are you 50% saved without the rituals or actions)?

If you are tragically killed after you repent before you are able to conduct the ritual, do you go to Heaven?

Does the ritual add to our salvation?