Acts 8:35-36 and Baptism being Part of the Gospel Acts 8:34-36 (DRB) And the eunuch answering Philip, said: I beseech thee, of whom doth the prophet speak this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip, opening his mouth, and beginning at this scripture, preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water; and the eunuch said: See, here is water: what doth hinder me from being baptized?


Imagine the scene: some bigwig (v. 27) sitting calmly reading Isaiah in the cool of the day (v. 28), has Jesus preached to him (v. 35), and almost jumps out of his chariot at the first sign of water. This sounds like someone who believes that "baptism saves you," (1 Peter 3:21) not someone who believes baptism is a nice ceremony to have once you 'have been saved' (in the presence of family or friends, not alone with a stranger, for example).

Question: According to Protestants, why did the eunuch think his baptism was an urgent matter, after having the gospel preached to him, if baptism is not how one appropriates for himself ("puts on", Galatians 3:26-27) the Christ preached—not an intrinsic part of the gospel?

Cf. Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:37-38; 8:12; 10:48; 22:16.

Thanks in advance.
There is nothing in Luke's account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch to suggest any 'urgency'. The very wording - &quot;here is water, what doth hinder ?&quot; - suggests practicality, not urgency.
But as to the real inquiry - Is baptism itself an act of regeneration or is baptism an outward confession that regeneration has occurred ? - William Huntington (1745-1813) answers it very concisely :

We are washed in regeneration; clean water is sprinkled upon us and we are clean. We are baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire. All 'baptism' short of this is washing the outside of the cup and platter and amounts to no more than carnal washing.
It is not the washing away the filth of the flesh, but purgation from guilt and a testimony by the Spirit to our justification and adoption, that is the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I Peter 3:21, through whom and by whom the Spirit comes.

The Works of William Huntington