1 Corinthians 1:17 records the apostle Paul saying, in part, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel …”
The necessity of baptism for salvation as an element of the gospel (Mark 16:15-16) is as clearly taught by scripture as is the doctrine that baptism saves (1 Peter 3:21).
It is incorrect to say that 1 Corinthians 1:17 means or implies that baptism is not a part of the gospel nor necessary for salvation. In its immediate context, 1 Corinthians 1:17 was making the point that Jesus Christ had commanded Paul to primarily “preach the gospel” and allow someone else to administer (or do the act of) baptizing those who had decided to obey the gospel for their salvation. Paul’s point was that it does not matter who did the baptizing under the authority of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), so that the Corinthian Christians should not form alliances or groupings among themselves within the church based upon whom their baptizer was. Under Divine inspiration Paul asked the rhetorical questions, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:13). The answer to the three questions was, “No”
The third of the three questions is further explained by Paul, leading to his point made by 1 Corinthians 1:17. The apostle insisted none should say that “I had baptized in my own name,” (1 Corinthians 1:15) and thus none should say, “I am of Paul (who baptized me, but not you!)”
As in the earliest congregations, specific men were selected to tend to widows’ needs (Acts 6:1-6) but such was the general duty of all the faithful (James 1:27; see also Isaiah 1:17), Paul had a general duty to baptize penitent believers who desired to obey the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20) as well a specific duty to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17).
The necessity of baptism for salvation was never at issue and preaching it by preaching the gospel was a commandment of our Lord (Matthew 28:18-20; see also Mark 16:15-16 which states that belief in the gospel and baptism is necessary for salvation) no matter who does the baptizing.
Surely, we are not suggesting that the apostle Paul was disobeying the Lord’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 1:17 when he actually himself baptized Crispus, Gaius and the household of Stephanas (1 Corinthians 1:14-16) when it was the Lord’s Great Commission commandment to baptize!
When Paul was Divinely-tasked with bringing God’s word to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-47; Ephesians 3:8), it did not mean that such preaching was not necessary for the salvation of the Jews. It only meant that other Christians, including the other apostles, would concentrate on preaching to the Jews while Paul focused on the Gentiles. Even right after turning to the Gentiles, on God’s orders (Acts 13:46-47), Paul went into Jewish synagogues to preach to great multitude of Jews (Acts 14:1). Just so, we note that Paul did baptize after being sent “not to baptize” simply because, by the Great Commission applicable to all Christians, he had to preach baptism as necessary for salvation while leaving the act of baptizing to others (unless, of course, there was none except him to baptize the penitent sinner than himself at a particular place and time).
The distinction between the preaching of the gospel (which includes the necessity of baptism for salvation) and the act of baptizing is seen in the narrative of Jesus’ “baptizing” reported by the fourth gospel writer. In John 3:22, we read, “After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.” John 3:26 reads, “And they [John’s disciples] came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified - behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.” So far, we get the impression that Jesus Himself was the administrator of the baptism, i.e., doing the baptizing. It is only later in the narrative that we are told, “Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples)” (John 4:1-2). Baptism had to be preached and performed to save penitent sinners, no matter which Christian preached and/or baptized.
John 4:1-2 1Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2(though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples)