And Peter says to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). It’s not the water that effects our justification or union with Christ. For example, in the verse before Paul speaks of baptismal death, he speaks of those in Christ as having “died to sin” (v.2). All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. This tells us that, for Paul, justification can include sanctification, which is the interior renewal of the soul whereby the objective guilt of sin is removed. The water is the forgiving agent.” But that’s not where you stop. Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Ephesians 6:1-3, Mark 16:16. . Some Protestants like to use 1 Corinthians 1:17 to claim that this teaching contradicts the Bible. If baptism is a necessary component for salvation then we are saying that Christ's work on the cross is not enough. The source or power to forgive is not in the water, or in faith, repentance, or confession. And now the question is, “How do you talk about baptism, and how do you understand those texts that were quoted that seem to connect baptism to that act, that beginning?” Let me give some answers to that. Baptism is not necessary for salvation, but instead, it depicts what took place in salvation. This is the same kind of language that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 1:17. 4:8; Gen. 45:8; and Titus 3:5. I don’t remember much from it being so long ago and only being 8 years old at the time, but I’ve always appreciated that my parents arranged for me to be baptized on Christmas in honor of the Savior’s birth. It still comes up today—the question of whether baptism is a necessary part of being saved. The answer of course is no, and this response contains a brief explanation of the fact that the key baptism in the New Testament has nothing to do with water but is instead the baptism of the Holy Spirit (just as John the baptist had predicted), namely, the anointing we all receive at salvation … And in the larger context of Scripture, we see that baptism is NOT a … And those who follow the instructions of these passages do not have eternal live, even though God said that they did. It may be very important now; there may be all kinds of reasons why you should have a hat. A few even say that manifestation of this prayer language is the only approved confirmation that the baptism of the Holy Spirit has taken place, and without it a person’s very salvation … You don't have to do anything. Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? We owe everything to his grace. 45 And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also. What was the decisive means that brought it about, that united us to Christ, that justified us? When did that start? Baptism is necessary for salvation. Thanks for sharing your view.-Nathan. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well. Moreover, if Paul weren’t sent to baptize in a strict sense, then he would have acted in disobedience when he baptized Crispus, Gaius, and the household of Stephanas, which he tells us about in verse 14. But what’s really being asked is “When did it all start? I would first answer by making the question more precise, because the way I’d pose the question is “Are we justified before, in, or after baptism? That’s my answer. I remember taking a retreat with twelve little cubs and one big doktorvater, Leonhard Goppelt. Paul writes, … We know that Paul’s statement, “For Christ did not send me to baptize,” is hyperbolic because Jesus commanded all the apostles to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them (Matt.28:19-20). If baptism is necessary for salvation, then why did Paul exclude it? And baptism is important for all kinds of reasons, but it’s not causative in the same way that repentance is. Being saved happened before, is happening now, and will happen finally in the future. Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his … His intent is not to separate the sacrament of baptism from the gospel but rather to clarify his own part in the administration of the actual rite of baptism among the Corinthians. To say what God did is not enough, not complete, is against everything taught in Scripture. Whether it’s Apollos, Cephas, or Paul who baptizes, we’re all incorporated into the same “fellowship of [God’s] Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. The difficulty for those who reject water baptism as essential for salvation is the multitude of passages describing its purpose and consequences. I think that’s really what they’re asking. Baptism is not necessary for salvation. Indeed, three thousand people repent and are baptized. Water baptism is not essential. If you go to Romans 4:11, Paul says. I am inclined to think so, but I would like to be sure. Here’s my inference from those texts and many others like them: justification — being put right with God by union with Christ in the divine miracle of conversion and new birth — is by faith and faith alone on our part. I remember seeing this years ago and then finding it in other places. I … Therefore Paul did not consider baptism necessary to salvation. Paul said, “For you are all sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ…”Galatians 3:26-27. The Bible says baptism is necessary to salvation just as clearly as it does the other conditions. The Church must never neglect the duty to proclaim the Gospel, and by the grace of God, call people in faith to … I say to you, “Grab your hat and run, or you’ll miss the train.” Now, I just gave you two commands like Peter gave two commands: repent and be baptized. While baptism is an important act of obedience, it isn’t necessary for salvation. If baptism were a requirement for salvation, we would certainly say that. They just licked me; they didn’t eat me, but they did not approve of what I believed. It is frequently argued that "water baptism can't possibly be necessary for salvation because it is a work of man. Let’s take a look at them here. This is called the Baptism of Blood. Now, that’s the way I think we should hear Peter when he says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you, and make the train of forgiveness.” You get on the train of forgiveness if you repent and are baptized. Both salvation and baptism are important. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Rom. Depending on the situation, therefore, Lutherans baptize people of all ages from infancy to adulthood. The repentance, the change of mind that includes faith, gets you to the train. 2:8-9). but” formula, he is merely emphasizing the importance of the Father’s authority with which he is sent and consequently that we shouldn’t believe in Jesus alone but also in the Father. Baptism should then soon follow conversion (cf. Peter mentioned baptism in his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38). The thief who was crucified on another cross with the Lord Jesus proves it… The thief, believing, said to Jesus “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And if baptism is not part of the gospel, it can’t be necessary for salvation. Sermon for Sunday, November 20, 2016. Yet the New Testament's teachings also make clear that salvation was based on faith in Jesus. Baptism is an outward sign of something God has done in your life. .” Now, if you stopped right there, you’d say, “Well, there it is. The bible is clear in Acts 2:38, I Peter 3:21 and Mark 16:15-16 and hundreds of other verses that Baptism is necessary for us to be a member of his church. Is baptism necessary for salvation? I don’t think you build a theology of baptism on the thief on the cross. However, baptism is very important and all believers should be baptized. Reply. If baptism were necessary for salvation, then why would baptism be omitted from the last part of this text? Apparently, the Corinthians were adopting religious affiliations based on the minister who baptized them. Baptism is not enough for salvation. It is within this context that Paul says, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel” (1 Cor. The power is in … However, in his sermon from Solomon's portico in the Temple (Acts 3:12-26), Peter makes no reference to Genesis 15:6 teaches that Abram … But one thing it says is baptism is not an absolute necessity, because it wasn’t in his case. Even if we conceded, for argument’s sake, that Paul wasn’t sent to baptize in a strict, general sense, it doesn’t follow that baptism is not essential to the gospel. You have been deceived. To cite the thief on the cross as proof that baptism is not necessary for salvation in this New Covenant age shows considerable ignorance of the distinction between the two covenant ages. It’s an amazing sight! 1 Corinthians 1:18: We “are being saved.”, Romans 13:11: “Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”, Romans 3:28: “We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”, Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God.”, Romans 4:5: “To the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”, John 3:16: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”, Acts 13:38–39: “Through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed [justified] from everything from which you could not be freed [justified] by the law of Moses.”. .”. He is author of. But you couldn’t support that knowing, for example, that the thief on the cross had no opportunity for baptism or church … Given Paul’s teaching elsewhere that baptism justifies and sanctifies us, his use of hyperbole in the passage in question, and the fact that the challenge doesn’t work even if we take him literally, the appeal to 1 Corinthians 1:17 fails as a challenge to the Catholic belief that baptism is an essential aspect of the gospel and thus necessary for salvation. Seeing and savoring God’s providence in our redemption fills us with wonder and trembling joy. The Lord Himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” (John 3:5) Those who suffer death for the sake of Christ without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for Christ. If baptism were a requirement for salvation, we would certainly say that. Repentance is simply the way of describing the change of mind that gives rise to faith. Paul valued baptism, dearly, but preaching the gospel was his core concern because he knew that receiving the gospel by faith was the necessary ingredient for salvation. Paul doesn’t say that baptism is not essential to the gospel. Some Christians use Jesus’ comments in the Gospel of John as a proof text, teaching that water baptism is necessary for salvation as a Christian. I mean, they’re right to be concerned about it. But you couldn’t support that knowing, for example, that the thief on the cross had no opportunity for baptism or church membership. So we are justified at the very first act of genuine saving faith in Christ, and then baptism follows, and preferably would follow soon, as an outward expression of that inward reality. If this verse did mean baptism, then the only kind that it could have been at that point was the baptism of repentance administered by John the Baptist (Mark 1:4). It’s that faith that saves. It says baptism saves you, and then immediately, as though he knows he said something almost heretical because it would so compromise justification by faith, he says, “Not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal . Now, you might respond, “You disagree with this text, Piper? Baptism is a distinct act of obedience, apart from salvation. There are texts that are puzzling. When did that happen? There are denominations that believe baptism is necessary for salvation. Baptism is the outward expression of calling on the name of the Lord in faith. In fact, that is not what Paul says that the gospel is; and it is the gospel that saves us. When was the first moment of union with Christ — the moment of justification, which is not a process like sanctification is, but is decisive?”. We have forty questions in the inbox about Acts 2:38. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Notice that the basis for condemnation in that verse is not the failure to be baptized, but only the failure to believe. Baptism is necessary for salvation. I know he’s a special case. In baptism, you telling the world what God has done for you. Is baptism necessary for salvation? Do we want to say that the great apostle Paul was disobedient to Jesus’ instruction? Now, here’s one last important text they’re raising. But grabbing the hat does not help you in the least get on the train on time. Acts 2:38. These passages clearly indicate the necessity of water baptism for salvation. 10:20; Acts 5:4; 1 Thess. This is reasonable to conclude that baptism was necessary for salvation otherwise his faith in Jesus would have been enough. This is Colossians 2:11–12: In him [in Christ] also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. Salvation is received by believing in Jesus as God's Son (John … Yet on his confession, paradise was secured. First, the challenge confuses the duty to administer the rite of baptism with baptism being essential to the gospel. Even though he just said baptism saves you, what he means is that this outward act signifies an appeal to God that’s coming from the heart. In subsequent verses, Paul gives a hint as to why the Corinthians were identifying themselves with different ministers: [W]ere you baptized in the name of Paul? There has to be inward change of heart. He [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. Faith precedes baptism and is operative in baptism. If baptism were necessary for salvation, there are many significant verses which should be amended to read 'you are saved through faith and baptism.' But it must be preceded by genuine repentance, it must be a response of faith, it must be a full immersion, it must be in the name of Jesus Christ, and it must be for the forgiveness of sins. The first thing I would say is that the thief on the cross was told by Jesus that that very day he would be with him in paradise. Posted Wednesday, May 6, 2020 Many people believe that water baptism is not essential to a person’s salvation. Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? Those who champion the argument for the necessity of baptism for salvation often bring up these verses and others: Mark 16:15 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Here’s the second thing I would say: Paul treats baptism as an expression of faith so that the decisive act that unites us to Christ is faith, and it is expressed outwardly in baptism. It is a promise. >> Learn more: Get your free Bible study guide about baptism. But as we’ll see in our next two ways of meeting the challenge, we have good reason to not take Paul’s statement in a strict sense. Here’s my bottom-line answer to the question: faith precedes baptism. Some Protestants like to use 1 Corinthians 1:17 to claim that this teaching contradicts the Bible. . "The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but His disciples" (John 4:1-2). John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Look at water Baptism as a required ticket for entry into an exclusive club. It too is necessary as an act of obedience to Jesus. Baptism is an important step of obedience that every Christian should take. Baptism … Suppose, Tony, that you want to go from Phoenix to LA on a train, and it’s about to leave. In my book Meeting the Protestant Challenge, I offer three ways we can meet this challenge. I think that text should be read something like this. Dozens of listeners have written in to basically ask, “Are we saved after water baptism, before water baptism, or in water baptism?”. Consider that the Bible doesn't mention anyone being baptized with water in the Old Testament for salvation. I had a bunch of others, but I thought for time’s sake I’ll just leave them out. Baptism is not necessary for salvation. It is virtually undisputed truth that man is saved by divine grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). In verses 17-18, Paul actually uses a form of the Greek word for “free” (eleutheroō) in relation to the freedom from sin that we receive in Christ: But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free [eleutherothentes] from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? That is not the case, however. Baptism is not necessary for salvation. The burial with Christ in the water and the rising with Christ out of the water, it seems to me from that text, are not what unites you to Christ — that is, the going under the water, the coming up out of the water. If it were, Paul the apostle never would have said, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 1:17a). The text also appears to put water baptism prior to conversion or in the moment of conversion. James 2 teaches faith without works is dead. Are we united to Christ? 101 Reasons Why Water Baptism is Not Necessary to be Saved Thesis: We are saved by the grace (gift) of God through a living faith, via the agency (baptism) of the Holy Spirit because of the life, death, and … Paul valued baptism dearly, but preaching the gospel was his core concern because he knew that receiving the gospel by faith was the necessary ingredient for salvation. Now, here’s a very key text for me, because when I went to Germany, I was a lone Baptist in a den of Lutheran lions. “Why did you tell him to grab a hat?” Well, I’ve got my reasons, all kinds of reasons. This is a question that has caused anxiety or confusion for many. Dear reader, if you happen to be in that number, I urge you to take your bible in … If water baptism were necessary for salvation, we would expect to find it stressed whenever the gospel is presented in Scripture. With this hyperbolic speech, Paul is stressing that it doesn’t matter by whom you’re baptized. Do we really need to be baptized? I have made an appeal in this article to the scriptures, not my opinion nor my own philosophy. Someone other than Paul performing baptism wouldn’t preclude baptism from being essential to the gospel message that Paul preached. So 1 Peter 3:21 says, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” In other words, it’s the call of faith from the heart, not the water. For he who has died is freed from sin (6-7). Baptism, like any validating behavior, is "essential to salvation" only in the sense that if you don't want to go through with it, and there is no barrier to understanding, then it is clear that you do not possess salvation. When you post, you agree to the terms and … “And now why do you wait? That being said, most Christians agree that every professing believer should be baptized. Anything less is not true biblical baptism and amounts to … 15:10; 1 Peter 3:3,4; Mark 9:37; Matt. God uses faith as the sole instrument of union with Christ, and thus counts us righteous and becomes one hundred percent for us in the instant that we have faith in Jesus. Thought and action are expected, under the Semitic Totality paradigm, to correspond. Secondly, Acts 22:15 says that Paul was chosen to be Christ's "witness to all men of what [he had] seen and heard." 1 Peter 3:21 - The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away … The water is a picture of the cleansing, but the faith in the heart, the call on the Lord from faith, is what unites us and forgives us. Jesus said we MUST be baptized by both water and the Holy Spirit. And since Paul is an apostle, it therefore belongs to his ministry to baptize. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. On Christmas Day, 1977, I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The water is a picture of the cleansing, but the … The quick answer is no. There has to be inward change of heart. Finally, we can meet this challenge by showing how the assertion that baptism is not essential to the gospel is inconsistent with Romans 6, in which Paul introduces baptism as the experience of death and resurrection in Christ: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Jesus defined the terms for entrance into His Kingdom: “Except a … Several church groups believe in baptismal regeneration; teaching that both repentant faith and water baptism are essential prerequisites to personal salvation. Then, we go to the relevant text in Acts that the questioner raised, Acts 22:16: “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins . To such groups, one must be … When John the Baptist or Mark calls his baptism “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4), it probably means a baptism signifying repentance, which brings forgiveness. That’s not what unites you to Christ. Likewise, Paul was told to “rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). 2. If baptism were necessary for salvation, then these verses would state that we are justified by faith and baptism; but they don’t. Jesus says to … You were buried with him and raised with him in baptism through faith. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Baptism of the Holy Spirit is Necessary for Salvation Ephesians 4:3-6 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. In Acts 10:44-47 it says, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. The word salvation in the New Testament is broad and includes pieces of salvation. It is a visible sign that becomes your first act of witness. Baptism is a public expression of your faith. The LCMS does not believe that Baptism is ABSOLUTELY necessary for salvation. Go therefore and make. Condition number two: forgiveness will be given to you. “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? Is baptism necessary for salvation? The Catholic Church teaches that baptism is “necessary for salvation” (CCC 1257). Is baptism necessary for salvation? The Bible says that faith in Christ alone saves. Flickr/Creative Commons) The theme throughout the New Testament is clear: Only believers are baptized. 1:11-12). It says, “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” The sense I think is the same. Who do you think you are?”. The belief that baptism is necessary for salvation is also known as “baptismal regeneration.” While everyone agrees that baptism is an important step of obedience, there are differing views on whether or not it is required for salvation. But it must be preceded by genuine repentance, it must be a response of faith, it must be a full immersion, it must be in the name of Jesus Christ, and it must be for the forgiveness of sins. Acts 8:26-40) for the purpose of confirming and strengthening faith in accordance with God's command and promise. Every encounter we have of Salvation in the New Testament is accompanied by Baptism except the Thief on the cross. If justification and sanctification are essential to the gospel, which they are, and for Paul baptism justifies and sanctifies, which it does, then it follows that for Paul baptism is essential to the gospel. Paul goes on to articulate the effects of this baptismal death and resurrection: We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. Paul writes. Now, that’s the meaning that 1 Peter 3:21 actually picks up on when it says, in relationship to the flood and Noah’s rescue through the ark through the water, “Baptism, which corresponds to this [the salvation of Noah’s family in the ark and the flood], now saves you.”, That’s probably the clearest text for those who want to say that baptism is salvific — that baptism actually does the saving. In 1 Peter 3, Noah’s ark is referred to as a type of baptism, and Peter writes, “In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves … It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. . “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). 1:17). by Allen Dvorak. What does and doesn’t constitute the gospel is not Paul’s concern here. Does baptism wash away sins (Acts 2:38) and save (Mark 16:16)? Mark 16:16, a verse often quoted to prove baptism is necessary for salvation, is actually a proof of the opposite. That’s my question. What’s interesting about this passage is that the Greek doesn’t say “freed from sin.” The Greek word translated “freed” is dedikaiōtai, which means “justified.” So the text can literally be translated, “justified from sin.”. It is clear that faith in Jesus Christ is what saves a person (Acts 16:30-31; Eph. The use of hyperbole is similar to Jesus’ teaching in John 12:44: “He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.” Of course, Jesus doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t believe in him. We were talking about baptism the whole weekend, and this was my text that I put up. If that is so, then baptism isn’t necessary for salvation because the baptism … Paul, however, did not preach baptism as part of the Gospel. Lie number six: The rebirth is separate from baptism. It is a very popular belief that salvation comes just because God loves us but the truth is that we have to take action. Bible Proofs That Water Baptism is Not Necessary for Salvation. They were loving lions. Jesus said to … So let me give my answer from texts and then show how that point relates to baptism. They say this second baptism is required to receive spiritual gifts, specifically a prayer language, which they call speaking in tongues. That’s why I’m a Baptist. I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius; lest anyone should say that you were baptized in my name (vv.13-14). A second way to meet the challenge is point out that Paul is using hyperbole, and he’s using it to emphasize two things: 1) it doesn’t matter by whom you’re baptized, and 2) his apostolic role is not restricted to administering baptism but also involves preaching the gospel. In fact, this is where you begin, Acts 2:38: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” It looks like this: I’ve been arguing, because I think so many texts teach it, that, no, repentance and faith as one piece are what obtains forgiveness, not the act of baptism. Consequently, Paul was grateful that he hadn’t baptized more people than he did among the Corinthians, lest they affiliate themselves with him. Does God require this for salvation? 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism , 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. His preaching of the gospel could have included the necessity of baptism for salvation—with the administration of the actual rite of baptism left to other ministers. Acts 22:16 And […] Is baptism necessary for salvation? If you just take the analogy — and that’s all it is; it’s just an analogy between baptism and circumcision — then this text would say that baptism is a sign of a righteousness that we have before we are baptized, because we have it through faith and through union with Christ. A few even say that manifestation of this prayer language is the only approved confirmation that the baptism of the Holy Spirit has taken place, and without it a person’s very salvation may be uncertain. Anything less is not true biblical baptism … It still comes up today—the question of whether baptism is a necessary part of being saved. With the “not . But it doesn’t logically follow that both repentance and baptism are requirements for salvation, following the logic outlined above. But only one of them is a cause of getting to the train on time — namely, running. However, some have concluded from this fact that there is nothing that man can or must do for his salvation. Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation – The Biblical Evidence It is interesting to note that Jesus did not baptize. For example, on the Day of Pentecost, the apostles taught that water baptism … Do we become one with Christ, and does God become one hundred percent for us before, in, or after baptism?” Because in the New Testament, the word saved is used for what happens before, in, and after baptism. Baptism is not enough for salvation. At what point does God count us a child — not a child of wrath, which we all are by nature (Ephesians 2:3), but a child of God, so that from that point on, he is one hundred percent for us, with no wrath? He was not baptized. Other examples include John 6:27 and 12:44; 1 Cor.