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I don't think the apostles saw water baptism as any kind of a ritual needed for Gentiles. Don't forget how it played a role in revealing Christ to the nation of Israel.

The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him, and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! “This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ “And I did not recognize Him, but in order that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” And John bore witness saying, “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. “And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ “And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” John 1:29-34 (NASB77)

Because water is the universal solvent, it obviously pictured cleansing in the ritual of water baptism. While it was connected to cleansing of sin in his ministry, it is important to note how John explained that the reason God sent him to baptize in water was to manifest, or reveal, Jesus Christ to Israel. I'm pretty sure water baptism became something anticipated by those who found freedom and forgiveness of sins in Christ.

Jim