This is a subject that has initiated many passionate dialogues in my life recently, which in turn has caused me to realize how vitally important it is to reach an educated conclusion. For if we make the wrong decision here, then we could be putting ourselves in danger of an eternity in hell. I have heard basically two different views on the significance of Baptism. I have also made it a point not to believe blindly, but to research things for myself, especially something important as this (and I would suggest everyone take the same approach). Do not believe me and what I say, but do the research for yourself, and hopefully, the following material will help you get started.
I will begin by describing the two beliefs that are being discussed here. For the following two cases, I will make the assumption that Salvation can be described as trusting in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation.
One of the views believes that Baptism is a public symbolic act of obedience which shows people that our old selves have died and our new selves are now raised with Christ. It can also be stated that baptism is a public statement showing ones affiliation with Christ. In addition, this view holds that Baptism symbolizes our sins being washed away by Jesus’ shed blood. This view does not link Salvation to baptism in any way, meaning that a person can be saved without being baptized, or a person can be baptized without being saved.
One the other side of the coin, some people believe that the physical act of water Baptism is essential to Salvation. This view states that baptism is required because it is responsible for the remission of sins i.e., “washing them away”. Baptism and Salvation are linked in that no person can be saved without being water Baptized. Some people even hold that not only must a person be “dunked”, but they must be “dunked” for the specific purpose of remission of sins. For example, a person of Baptist denomination that is baptized as a public act of obedience is not saved because they have not been baptized for the remission of sins.
One must take note that the Bible speaks of at least two types of baptism. The first being by water and the second being by the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist makes it very clear that there are two types, and that these two types are very different. In fact, this point is so very important that it is mentioned in all four of the Gospels.
Matthew 3:11
I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Mark 1:8
I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
Luke 3:16
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
John 1:33
I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
It is clear that John’s baptism was not the same as Jesus’ baptism, so the next question is, “What is the difference?” Obviously John’s is performed with water and Jesus’ is performed with the Holy Spirit, but for a little more clarification, here are a couple of verses from the Gospel’s of Mark and Luke. Again, notice that God emphasized this point by including it, not once, but in two different books of the Bible.
Mark 1:4
And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Luke 3:3
He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
It is now obvious how John baptized -- with water, and why he baptized -- for repentance and the forgiveness of sins. We also know how Jesus baptized – with the Holy Spirit. So this begs the question “Why did Jesus baptize?” Or more accurately stated, “Why did Jesus advocate baptism by the Holy Spirit?” This question is what the rest of this material will attempt to address.
Occasionally when the Bible references baptism, it may not be clear as to which type of baptism is being implied. This fact can lead to some different interpretations. So as you read scriptures referencing baptism, keep in mind that there are at least two types of baptism, because more times than not, the scripture will not specifically express whether it is referencing water baptism or spirit baptism.
I would also urge you to think about one more point as you are studying baptism scriptures. A very important question is “At what point does Salvation occur?” Actually this is just another way of addressing the baptism question since one view holds that Salvation occurs at the time of belief, while the other view holds that it occurs only after both belief and water baptism. So keep this question in mind also as you read the scriptures.
I began my research truly not knowing which of these views was accurate, but fully knowing that it was impossible for both of them to be valid. After reading many scriptures on baptism and salvation, it became obvious that a case can be made for both sides, but each of us individually must make a decision on which is the stronger case. As is the case with any doctrinal subjects, it is important to guard yourself against making decisions on a single verse, but rather consider all the verses in the Bible as a whole to make an important decision as this. Another good practice to keep in mind anytime reading scripture is to read the context in which verses are found. Taking verses out of their contexts can lead to very erroneous conclusions. One final thing I ask you to do before reading the scriptures, and the most important, is to pray to God that he would show you the truth.
After looking up every verse in the New Testament that contained any form of the word “baptize”, I found three verses that possibly link Salvation to Baptism. Although there are numerous other verses citing examples of people being baptized, they show no evidence for either side as to the reason for the baptism, so they are not included here. Here are the verses with the words of Jesus in Italics.
Mark 16:15-16
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “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 22:16
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.
Following are two passages that could possibly be used to support both views, depending on their interpretation. I decided to include them for the fact that they clearly contain our subject matter, although they do not really make a convincing case for either side.
I Peter 3:18-21
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through who also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
Titus 3:4-6
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Now here are the verses that God showed me that could support the case of Salvation being separate from water Baptism. I will group them into categories, with the first category being passages that describe Salvation without the mention of water baptism. Concerning the question I mentioned early, these verses seem to support the opinion that Salvation occurs at the point of belief (in the order they appear in the Bible).
Luke 7:48-50
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals who hung their hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.
John 5:24
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
John 6:40
For my
Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall
have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:47
I
tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
John 20:30-31
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Acts 2:21
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Acts 10:44-48
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ…
Acts 15:11
No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.
Acts 16:27-31
The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.”
Romans 1:16-17
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness hat is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 10:9-13
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
I Corinthians 15:1-5
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
Ephesians 1:13-14
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.
II Thessalonians 2:13
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
I Timothy 1:16
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
II Timothy 3:15
And how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 10:37-39
For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
I John 5:13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
The next three passages address the subject of the forgiveness of sins being linked to Baptism. Keep in mind that not one of these three passages mention water baptism.
Luke 7:44-48
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Acts 3:19-20
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus.
Acts 10:43
He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
The following passage reemphasizes the fact that John the Baptist’s water baptism was very different than Jesus’ spirit baptism not only in act, but also in purpose.
Acts 19:1-5
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
I Corinthians 1:13-17
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
John 4:1-2
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.
As was stated earlier, both of these views cannot be valid, so it is our responsibility to decide which case is stronger. As is the case with most debates, each side can usually be measured by how well it stands up against criticism. We'll start by looking at the three verses that could support Baptism as an essential element of Salvation.
Mark 16:15-16
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
The first thing to point out is that this passage does not distinguish between water or spirit baptism, and there is nothing in the context of the passage that implies one over the other. Another interesting note on this passage is that verses 9-20 are often called the “Disputed Epilogue” or the “Longer ending of Mark” because the two earliest and most reliable manuscripts do not contain Mark 16:9-20. The verses in question are said to display certain peculiarities of vocabulary, style and theological content that are unlike the rest of Mark. In fact, one third of the major Greek words in verses 9-20 were not used anywhere else in the gospel of Mark. This raises serious doubt among Bible scholars as to whether these verses truly belong to the Gospel of Mark. One other point that brings this passage into question is the content of the following verses, 17-18, which say “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” If somebody wants to build doctrine from verses 15-16, then they have to account for verses 17-18 also. That is somewhat difficult to do since we do not normally see those things happening today. Many Biblical scholars have debated this topic and written lengthy commentaries concerning the validity of this passage, but I think the level of detail stated here is sufficient for the scope of this document. Needless to say, basing any foundational doctrine on this particular passage would be somewhat risky.
Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “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.” (NIV)
Again, it must be pointed out
that this passage does not distinguish between water or spirit baptism. We can, however, look at the context to
attempt to infer which it’s referring to.
According to many Greek scholars,
this verse could have just as easily been translated "Repent and be
baptized on the basis of the remission of sins." The Greek word, which was translated as "for", could
also be translated as "because of" or "on the basis of"
depending on its use. It is up to the
translator to determine the proper translation from the context. Repent means to change one's mind,
specifically about Jesus and to acknowledge Him as Lord. One could read this verse with "Repent"
being the main verb, which is being referred to by "for the forgiveness of
your sins." So, as you can see, this verse could have several different
interpretations, meaning that it could be dangerous to form doctrine based on
one of the possible translations.
Forgiveness of sins by faith alone > Acts 10:43,
Acts 22:16
And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name. (NAS)
Some assert that Acts 22:16 implies that your sins are washed away by baptism, but that is if you couple the middle two phrases together. Others could just as well maintain that the first two phrases relate to each other, as do the last two phrases. Baptism follows the arising, just as forgiveness follows the calling on the name of the Lord. Even though this verse does mention washing away your sins, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit has more than adequate power to wash sins away.
Since there are many scriptures supporting Salvation by belief alone, we will just look a few of them. Let's first agree that the Bible is the inspired word of God without error. If we cannot believe the Bible is 100 percent accurate, then this entire discussion is a moot point, because there would be no factual evidence to defend either view. II Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.
Acts 16:27-31
The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.”
Here, Paul answers a very direct question with a very direct answer. In order to believe that water baptism is required for Salvation, then we must believe that Paul forgot to mention this fact. Is it possible that Paul forgot to include a key element to Salvation when answering the jailer's life and death request?
Acts 10:44-48
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ…
Here, Luke is describing the events associated with one of Peter’s sermons. He said the Holy Spirit came on all who heard Peter’s message, meaning they were saved. Lost people do not have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit only lives in believers. It is clear that after the people are saved, they then go to be water baptized as Peter instructs them. So in this example, Salvation came before water baptism, not as a result of it.
John 5:24
“I tell you
the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life
and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
John 6:40
For my
Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall
have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
The words in both of these passages were spoken by Jesus, God in human flesh. Could Jesus have twice forgotten to include water baptism in his descriptions of how to obtain eternal life? Jesus says "whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life…" Jesus makes it sound very simple.
Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals who hung their hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve, But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 7:50
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:44-50 quoted above)
Not only are we given many descriptions of how one obtains Salvation, but here Luke shows two actual examples of it taking place. Jesus told the criminal next to him that he would be with him in paradise. This man had no opportunity for water baptism, yet Jesus declared that he was saved. You will hear some water baptism supporters explain this by saying that Jesus can do whatever he wants, but is it plausible that Jesus would contradict the rest of the Bible by changing the rules for this one man? Also, if Jesus decided to be lenient for this man (a criminal), would Jesus decide to send other believers to Hell for not being water baptized? Jesus also told the woman that washed his feet with her tears and hair that her faith had saved her. He did not tell her that she needed to be water baptized. If baptism saves, then I can only assume Jesus would have said something like “Go be baptized and you shall be saved,” but instead he said to her, “Your faith has saved you”, meaning there was nothing more for her to do but to “go in peace.”
Romans 10:9-13
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Paul again describes how to be saved, this time in his letter to the church in Rome. He says you are saved by believing and confessing, yet again he neglects to mention water baptism. Note that the word "confess" hear does not refer to confessing sin, but rather confessing that Jesus is Lord.
Ephesians 1:13-14
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.
This passage leaves no question as to when a person receives the promised Holy Spirit, which guarantees our Salvation. It is at the point of “Having believed”.
I Corinthians 15:1-5
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
Here, Paul writes, “By the gospel you are saved”, and then in the next couple verses, he goes on to describe what he means by “the gospel”. Paul very clearly describes the gospel as “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.” Paul’s version of the gospel, which saves you, does not include water baptism.
As shown above, both Jesus and Paul admit that baptizing is not their primary goal. If Baptism were essential for Salvation, would Jesus and Paul have made these statements? It seems they are both implying that there is something more important than Baptism.
After reading all the scriptures relating to baptism and salvation, the evidence seems overwhelming for salvation by belief alone, but only you can make this decision for yourself.