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***Keep reading, the answer is in verse 15.***

Additionally, keep reading to...

1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect

1 Corinthians 4:15
For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

Do you see this??? Paul claimed to have given "birth" to them through the gospel - but he denies that Christ sent him to baptize.

Therefore the new birth must not come through baptism, but through the gospel.

Look at this...

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

It is the gospel that is the power to save those who believe it.

And what is Paul's definition of the gospel???

I Cor 15
"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,"

Therefore the new birth must not come through baptism, but through the gospel.

As I have stated before, I can not possibly disagree that the salvation comes through the gospel. But we must look at all that Paul has written (as I believe all of his epistles to be inspired). This is the same Paul - I'm certain that it's the same person this time :) - who stated:

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

I want to put on Christ and Paul says that is done via baptism. Kind of hard to imagine that Paul could be explaining that some are christians through their faith, but that they don't need to put on Christ. Which is the conclusion from this statement if we presume that baptism isn't necessary.