1. The thief on the cross went to heaven even though he was not baptized and did not speak in tongues.
The thief did go with Jesus that day; however, the New Testament Church would not come into existence until almost two months later. The thief died under the law, under the Old Testament. First, a testament is not valid until after the death of the testator and, secondly, the church was not inaugurated until the Day of Pentecost as recorded in the 2nd chapter of Acts. Remember what Jesus told Peter in Mat. 16:18? “Upon this rock I will build my church.” He would build His church at some time in the future. Further, He told His apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they received the promise and then go and preach the gospel–not before. That’s when the church of Jesus Christ began. Check your church history and doctrine. If your church started someplace other than Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, it will have no part with the church that Jesus built.
In John 7:38-39 we read, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.).”
And John 16:7 says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”
You see, the Holy Ghost, the birth of the Spirit, was not available to the thief and could not be available to any believer until after Jesus left the planet. The ascension of Jesus occurred forty days after Calvary. The thief didn’t need to be baptized, because New Testament baptism did not begin until the Day of Pentecost. The thief was not born again.
Finally, the thief was not in the kingdom of God, the New Testament Church. Jesus almost went out of His way to show us that even John the Baptist was not in the kingdom: “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”