Christians, is baptism necessary for salvation?

Question

The bible seems to teach that we should all be baptized, yet some say it is not necessary. What do you think?

Here are some scriptures:

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)

"And he said unto them (His Apostles), Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16)

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)

There are others, including the baptism of Jesus himself, but these seem to be sufficient to support the idea that baptism is a commandment.

I have heard the comment that the thief on the cross was promised paradise without baptism, but perhaps "paradise" is not the same as the kingdom of God / heaven.

Answer 1

Yes, I believe baptism is a commandment that must be followed literally as it is necessary for salvation. You have included scripture that supports that.

As a Mormon, I believe that the statement made by Jesus to Nicodemus was literal, that all must be baptized (immersed) in water in order to see/enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ set the example for us to follow, and only by following Him can we return to live with God (John 14:6).

Of course many have died without baptism which begs the question, “what will happen to them?” Mormons believe in baptisms for the dead. Although strange to many, this belief was practiced in the New Testament as shown by Paul in a letter to the Corinthian saints (1 Cor 15:29). This is a vicarious ordinance that a living person is able to perform in behalf of someone who has already died. We believe the individual who has ‘passed on’ will have the opportunity to accept or reject this ordinance in a place called “Paradise” (a spiritual realm where faithful individuals await their resurrection). Christ visited and preached to these spirits after his crucifixion – hence the promise made to the thief on the cross. You are correct in supposing that Paradise is not the same place as the kingdom of heaven.

Joseph Smith, an early Mormon prophet, taught, “All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom.”

If we have the opportunity to be baptized in this life, after the manner in which Jesus was baptized, we should.

Mormons believe baptism must be by immersion, (symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – Rom 6), performed after the individual has reached the age of reason (age 8), and by someone who has the proper authority (priesthood).

If you have questions about what I wrote, feel free to contact me personally.

Answer 2

Actually the thief on the cross died under the Old testament that Jesus nailed to the cross, therefore he did not need to be baptized. After Christ rose from the dead and taught the GOSPEL ( Good News) of the New Testament is when we were commanded to be baptized in order to wash away our sins.

Yes, God says we must be immersed in baptism to be saved but before anyone can be baptized they have to Believe and that Belief or Faith comes from hearing the word of God. Romans 10:17; Mark 16:15,16; Hebrews 11:6
Repentance and confession are commanded too Luke 13:3;
Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9,10; Acts 8:35-39

Baptism by immersion : Romans 6:1,2,3,4; Colossians 2:12;
Acts 8:35-39; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Galatians 3:26,27;
1 Peter 3:21; Mark 16:15,16

Christian in PA ( see profile)

Answer 3

Some have answered that baptism is not necessary. They say that it is not at baptism that you are "born again" but is is a sign that you HAVE BEEN born again.

Notice Romans 6:3-4. We are "baptized into Christ". Without baptism we are still outside of Christ. It says we are "baptized into his death". That is where the saving blood was shed. We cannot contact that blood if we do not contact His death.

Finally these verses say at baptism "we rise to walk in newness of life". New life is a reference to being born again. Who would say you are born again, but there is no new life?

Again at baptism, we contact Christ at His death. The thief on the cross had direct contact with Christ at his death. We do this through baptism. The thief did not need baptism to contact Christ at his death because he was there!

Also the thief lived and died under the Law of Moses, the Old Testament, before Christ had died and rose again to establish the new covenant. The thief also was dead before Christ gave the command about baptism (Mark 16:16, Matt 28:18-20). The thief could not have obeyed a command that was not yet given.

Jesus said, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved". Some say you believe, are saved, then you should be baptized. This is not the same thing Jesus said. It is not in the same order.

What would Jesus have said if he had meant "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved"? I believe he said what he meant and meant what he said! I believe Jesus! "He that believes not shall be condemned". (Mark 16:16)

After Jesus said this, every example of a conversion in the New Testament specifically mentions baptism. Also, none of these converts ate, drank, slept or continued on their journey until they were baptized. It was always immediate!

Those who say baptism is commanded, but not necessary for salvation, need to read Hebrews 5:9, "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." According to this verse, if baptism is necessary for obedience, then how would it not be necessary for salvation?

Answer 4

Being baptized, is an outward sign, of the inner transformation God has done. Think of this visual, it is the best I have heard on it. Baptism, can be compared to a wedding ring, in this way. When you see someone with a wedding ring, you know they are married, and made a commitment before God and man to another person. But, does the wedding ring, make them married? Is it what MAKES them married, or is it a symbol? What if the ring was lost, is the marriage void? NO, of course not. But it IS important, and you wouldn't want to be without it, etc. Baptism shows man and God that you are obedient, at least in this one area, as it is a command. But you won't go to hell, if you are not baptized. If you accept Jesus as your savior, and pray, and confess, and etc, then you are saved THEN, not when baptized. Hope this helps someone! I have been baptized, and it is awesome, and highly recommended. Take Care.

Answer 5

Baptism is evidence of your conversion. It is your first act of obedience as a christian. "Ye must born again". Not, "Ye must be baptized"

Conversion occurs in your heart not in a baptismal. Baptism is the result of your salvation, not the cause of it.

You should be baptized if you can. But what about that thief on the cross? I think their will be countless numbers of people in Heaven just like him. If you understand about baptism and refuse it any way then that is a sin. Me personally, would question this person's salvation, Not that I could ever be an expert about who goes to heaven. I guess it is like if you love some one and this person asks you to do something, then you will probably do it.

Answer 6

Acts 2:38 "... be baptized each and every physique of you interior the call of Jesus Christ INTO THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS..." a million Peter 3:20-21"...baptism does additionally now shop us..." in case you examine further in Acts sixteen, you will see that the guy Paul replace into speaking to alter into baptized, he and his finished kin, interior the midst of the nighttime, by Paul and Silas, who have been crushed and have been sore and drained. Why the frenzy? Why could not this wait till a minimum of the subsequent church service? Edit: How come i won't be in a position to discover any verses that say baptism is an outward sign of an inward paintings, or a public occupation?

Answer 7

Baptism is a commandment from God, and since obedience is a part of faith, I think that all Christians should be baptized (how can you choose which commandments to keep, and which one to break?).

Having said that, it seems obvious that the thief went to heaven, based on what Jesus said. If you physically cannot obey a commandment because of circumstances, it is clear that one is saved by faith, not works.

Answer 8

No you don't need to be baptized in order to be saved. You are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Not by your works lest any man should boast. There is nothing you can do to be saved. This includes baptism. Rather, Babtism is an public action that tells those in attendance that you have come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Answer 9

What men do with water is a sign and while important it is not essential to salvation. How ever the true Baptism which is the spiritual work of Christ by His Spirit is essential. As to the thief he would likely have not been baptized but probably was circumcised.

Answer 10

No you don't have to be baptized in order to be saved.

You don't have to claim any blessing as a son of God, but personally, I want to identify myself as much as possible as a disciple of Christ. To me, baptism is pretty basic, wouldn't you agree?

The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Heaven are the same. They represent the legal territory that Christ reclaimed from satan at the cross/ after the resurrection. Paradise is the reward for the saints who have passed over into the spiritual realm until the resurrection of the faithful saints.