Does baptism REALLY save you? Does scripture contradict itself when it comes to this subject?

Question

Before Jesus is ascended into heaven, he tells his followers a few things. One of those things is this:
"He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." Mark 16:16(NAS)
Yet, the Apostle Paul says something else:
"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus {as} Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;" Romans 10:9 (NAS)
Do these seem to contradict each other? All scripture is God-breathed, and from the Holy Spirit. None of it has been written by the opinions of men. Paul has the same amount of credibility as Jesus does in the Bible. So please, do not give me a "Believe Jesus and not inferior man." answer. There will be no trashing Protestants, Catholics, or other Church denominations. If you do, I (and I hope others) will flag you :-). God's Word cannot contradict. With that in mind, how can these two verses be at harmony with each other? God Bless and good luck.

Answer 1

It is in harmony because Baptism is not with water. We are baptized with the spirit. We receive the spirit when we accept Christ into our lives. Water Baptism is just a symbolic ritual that shows our outward display of our acceptance of Christ. It signifies a rebirth. I hope that I helped.

Congratulations Rachel

Answer 2

Baptism is a public declaration of your commitment to do God's will wherever it may take you in life. As you read Mark 16, you focused on the wrong words. He who has believed, but he who has disbelieved. Those are the keys words.

Romans shows believing and being actively declaring Jesus as Lord and was raised from the dead, both are required for saving.

The verses complement each other and give us a better understanding of what is required of us,

Answer 3

Depends on who you talk to as to the meanings of the passages involved...

This is the major difference in "Church of Christ" and "Baptists"

Baptists say that baptism is the first act of obedience symbolizing the new believer's faith. It is a work that is not necessary, but which all true believers will follow through on at first opportunity.

Church of Christ says that you must be baptized or your believing doesn't count.

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I say... that the King James version of the Bible was purposefully mistranslated to please King James (he rejected 2 previous versions that were submitted for his approval...) And therefore... if you are trying to read a Bible written in English (all English translations have some KJV heritage involved...) you are going to find plenty of things that don't make sense.

Specific example:

Baptize comes from the Greek word "baptizmo" which means to immerse, deluge or drench. The word was typically used only if a serious soaking was involved. King James didn't believe in immersion... so he refused the first translation simply because they used "immersed" everywhere the KJV now says "baptized"

Answer 4

One cannot make a doctrine out of a single Scripture. Based on many other Scriptures, eg John 3:16-18, 36, Acts 21, a person is saved by believing in Jesus and calling on His name. Baptism is not an essential requirement for a believer to inherit everlasting life in heaven but it is part of the requirement for a believer to walk in faith and to enjoy living the everlasting life, the new creation life, on earth. Salvation is applied first to the spirit when born-again , then to the soul in our lifetime and then to body when Jesus returns and gives us heavenly bodies. Jesus had in mind in Mark 16:16 not the single experience of being born again but the whole process of salvation of spirit, soul and body. Paul in Romans 10:9 had in mind of a person being born again.

Answer 5

My answer is simple but long. Simple because it is no. Scripture does not contradict scripture. From the same book of Romans, turn to chapter 6.

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Baptism is where we accept the gift of christs sacrifice. IE get "covered by the blood". However, baptism (immersion in water) is not enough, since you cannot be saved by works.

Faith is belief and belief is faith, and we are saved by our faith through grace. Grace is, by definition, a merciful unearned gift. Now in the book of james:

Jas 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Therefore, if you had been reading Paul's letter (that is what an epistle is) to the romans, you would have already known that baptism was necessary, before you ever read romans 10:9. He nowhere contradicted Christ.

Now, I must speak this. Concerning the contradiction of Christ, what you state is not true. Who is greater, the servant or the master? These are also Paul's words.

1Ti 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
1Ti 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

and concerning the words of Paul:

2Pe 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Ouch! Notice that scripture did not conflict, but Peter states that people were (and still are) MIS-INTERPRETING Paul's epistles, because some of the concepts were hard to understand.

Anyone whom speaks against Christ, is anti-christ. The prefix anti means against.

1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Paul

Answer 6

Christians have constantly interpreted the Bible actually whilst it proclaims, "Baptism . . . now saves you, no longer as a removing of dirt from the physique, yet as an attraction to God for a sparkling judgment of right and incorrect, interior the direction of the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (a million puppy. 3:21; cf. Acts 2:38, 22:sixteen, Rom. 6:3–4, Col. 2:11–12). consequently the early Church Fathers wrote interior the Nicene Creed (A.D. 381), "We have faith in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins." And the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The Lord himself affirms that baptism is mandatory for salvation [John 3:5]. . . . Baptism is mandatory for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who've had the possibility of inquiring for this sacrament [Mark sixteen:sixteen]" (CCC 1257). The Christian concept that baptism is mandatory for salvation is so unshakable that even the Protestant Martin Luther affirmed the will of baptism. He wrote: "Baptism is not any human plaything yet is instituted via God himself. apart from, that's solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we will no longer be saved. we are to no longer regard it as an detached count, then, like putting on a sparkling pink coat. that's of the best value that we regard baptism as dazzling, wonderful, and exalted" (great Catechism 4:6). yet Christians have additionally constantly found out that the will of water baptism is a normative quite than an absolute necessity. There are exceptions to water baptism: that's accessible to be saved by "baptism of blood," martyrdom for Christ, or by "baptism of desire", it relatively is, an convey or maybe implicit desire for baptism. consequently the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "people who die for the religion, people who're catechumens, and all people who, without understanding of the Church yet appearing decrease than the muse of grace, look for God clearly and attempt to fulfill his will, are saved despite in the event that they have not been baptized" (CCC 1281; the salvation of unbaptized babies is likewise accessible decrease than this technique; cf. CCC 1260–a million, 1283).

Answer 7

i belive it does have an affect,i got babtized today and my life is 4ever changed 4 the better............