What about the thief on the cross?
The New Testament clearly and repeatedly teaches all that a person must do in order to be saved. We must believe in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour (Acts 4:12); and confess that faith publicly (Romans 10:10; Acts 8:37). Is this all that Jesus asks? Well, clearly repentance and baptism are just as important (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:15-16; 1 Peter 3:21), otherwise why did Jesus command them?
But invariably someone will say: ‘What about the thief on the cross?’ (Luke 23:39-43) This is the most popular objection to the necessity of baptism, despite all that is revealed about the purpose of baptism in the Bible. The objection can be summarized like this:
   1.  The thief on the cross was not baptized
   2.  The thief was saved
   3.  Therefore, baptism is not essential to salvation.
Is such reasoning logically valid? Might there be something the objector is failing to take into consideration? Is there perhaps some significant fact that renders the salvation of the thief irrelevant to the issue?
Without any doubt, the thief was saved! The very words of Jesus confirmed this to him; “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43), and so anyone denying his salvation is making Jesus a liar. Jesus had the power to forgive sins, He was God.
This is not the only event recorded in Holy Scripture for us when Jesus forgave sins.
Remember the paralytic lowered before Jesus? This man’s friends could find no way of bringing him to Jesus to be healed (Luke 5:17-18), so they went up onto the roof, and opening a hole in the tiles, they let their friend down through the roof (Luke 5:19). “And when [Jesus] saw their faith, he said, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you’” (Luke 5:20). This paralysed man received this wonderful blessing from the Lord personally. Note what the Holy Spirit says here, “when Jesus saw their faith.” Why do those who object to the command of Jesus to be baptised never reply, “But what about the paralytic?” Can any man today receive forgiveness of sins from God based upon the collective action of a group? Does Jesus speak personally to any today?
Another example is the sinful woman who came into the Pharisee’s house and washed the feet of Jesus with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed his feet with ointment. Jesus told her, “your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:48), and in case there was any doubt as to what He meant, He repeated to her in the presence of all, “your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50). Does Jesus speak personally to any today as He did to this woman?
There is again the example of the rich young ruler who came and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). Again, does Jesus speak personally to any today as He did to this young man?
The point being made is a simple one. Jesus does not personally talk to anyone today. When He was on the earth, before his death, Jesus had every right to give what was His to whomever He wished. Just as I have every right to give my money to whatever charity I choose. But when I die, the executors of my Last Will and Covenant are obligated, under penalty of law, to make sure that the conditions of that Will are adhered to. No one has a right to say, “But what about the time he gave to that charity? I demand I receive the inheritance that way, regardless of the Will!”
Further, the thief was quite obviously saved before the New Covenant began. He was saved under the Old Covenant which God made with Israel on Mount Sinai and where He gave the Jews the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:2ff). It was a covenant that governed all Israelites. Moses David, Elijah, Daniel and the thief on the cross were all party to this covenant with God. And that covenant never commanded any person to be baptised. The New Testament clearly and repeatedly states that this first covenant came to an end when Jesus died on the cross (Ephesians 2:14-16; Colossians 2:14). Today, there is a New Covenant in force (Hebrews 8:6-7), and this New Covenant came into force only after Jesus died on the cross (Hebrews 9:15-17; cf. Matthew 26:28).
So, isn’t it clear to all believers in God’s word that we now live under a New Covenant? Under this new covenant, Jesus Christ has all the authority. We must submit to Christ’s authority as expressed after His death, an authority delegated to His apostles (Matthew 28:18-20; John 13:20). And who is reckless enough to deny that those apostles clearly commanded baptism (Acts 2:38; 10:48; 22:16)?
When someone today appeals to a person living under the Old Covenant as a binding example of how to be saved today, he or she is appealing to the wrong standard. Is the example of David or Moses or Ruth or Daniel to be the arbiter? These were men and women who lived and died under the Old Covenant.  Jesus never commanded David or Moses to be baptised. Similarly the thief on the cross lived and died under the Old Covenant. Unlike all those Old Covenant people, we must now heed what Jesus and His apostles taught AFTER the new covenant began.
The Thief was saved before Jesus commanded anyone to be baptised. It was after His resurrection that Jesus commanded his apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). How did Jesus expect someone to become His disciple, except by being baptized and observing all that He had commanded His apostles? Paul understood, “that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” (Romans 6:2). Could the thief ever have been baptised into the death of Jesus, when Jesus had not yet died?
Now, there was a baptism practiced before the death of Jesus on the cross – the baptism of John. The strongest case we can make is to use the thief on the cross to say John’s baptism is not necessary, but the argument cannot be made regarding the baptism which Christ later on commanded! To do this is to mock the Scriptures and the One who gave them.
Yes, the thief was saved on the cross without the baptism of Jesus for which we should be thankful, and for which we should give God praise for His wonderful grace. But the thief’s example is irrelevant to the issue of your baptism. He died before Christ ever issued the command to be baptized into His death!  He lived under the old covenant, which did not require baptism into Christ!
The thief on the cross would be relevant for you if you lived BEFORE the command to be baptized into Christ was given, if you lived under the OLD covenant and if you were in the presence of Christ and he told you personally, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” But here are the facts. You live AFTER the command to be baptized has been given. You live under the NEW covenant, in which baptism has a crucial role. And Christ has commanded you through His apostles to be baptized (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:48; Acts 22:16). Rather than depending upon an example of salvation that is nothing similar to our situation today, is it not better to base your faith and assurance of salvation on the many examples of salvation that were recorded in the book of Acts, after Jesus’ resurrection, for our benefit? Is it not better to heed the preaching and teaching of Christ and His apostles directed toward you?