Does the Bible teach that baptism causes regeneration or salvation?

The question of whether baptism causes regeneration cuts across Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, and Baptist traditions, making it one of the most consequential exegetical debates in Christian history. The key biblical texts — Acts 2:38, John 3:5, Titus 3:5, and 1 Peter 3:21 — have generated centuries of competing interpretations, with some traditions reading them as clearly affirming baptismal efficacy and others insisting the regenerative language is figurative. The debate is not merely exegetical: it touches the relationship between grace, faith, and sacrament.