[Pendragon]

Yes, Acts 2:38 is a summation of the plan of salvation.

Supporting scriptures (all NIV):

You must be born of water and the Spirit:

John 3:5 "5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. "

The Spirit:

John 7:37-39 37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Sign of the infilling of the Holy Spirit: Tongues

Acts 2:4 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 8:15-19 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

As you can tell by the above verse, the Holy Spirit has a visible manifestation. An unbelieving sorcerer became a 'believer' in a supernatural power that he then craved, after he witnessed Believers receive the Holy Spirit. What sign follows the receipt of the Holy Spirit? Well, scripture tell us in Mark 16:17-18 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. We also know from Acts 2 that the people in the upper room spoke in tongues. Furthermore, how would Peter and John know that the believers had not received the Holy Spirit, if it was an internal work without external signs?

Acts 10:44-47 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

You must be baptized (born of water):

Acts 2:41 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Mark 16:16 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

You must be baptized in the name of Jesus:

Acts 4:10-12 "It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Acts 8:16 again: they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 19:1-6: ...There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Why is baptism important?

Romans 6:3-7 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.