Paul was forgiven, as every man was, when Jesus took our sins into His own body on the cross.
He was redeemed when He believed the Words of Christ on the road to Damascus.
Water has no spiritual efficacy.
Think about it: Does it even make sense that it would?
We are saved by Grace Through Faith.
➛ The Grace is by Christ Jesus and
➛ The Faith is in Christ Jesus.
NOTHING else matters from the salvation perspective.
If a person is to be a disciple they must absorb the Words of Christ until their mind is transformed to His mind and they must be filled with the Holy Spirit Of Christ Jesus.
In the Word and in the Spirit is immersion (baptism) into Christ Jesus.