"The men replied, 'We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people.' ...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 the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 'Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have recieved the Holy Spirit just as we have.' So then he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." Acts 10:22a,44-48a
Ok, if you look at the verses above you will see the order at which things happened to Cornelius. First you find out he believed God and was respected by the Jews. After Paul spoke to him, the Holy Spirit came upon him. Then he began to speak in tongues. God's reason for letting Cornelius speak in tongues was for the disciples to know that the Gentiles had got the same exact thing as them. The Holy Spirit was offered to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Then, you notice he was baptized. So he had the Holy Spirit before he was baptized. Since he had the Holy Spirit inside him, if he had died that second he would have gone to heaven (you can't have the Holy Spirit inside you and not go to heaven!). That means that baptism is not necessary for salvation, because he had the Holy Spirit before he was baptized. That's not to say baptism isn't important. It was one of Jesus' commands for believers. But, it is not necessary to be saved.
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