Baptism IS NECESSARY for salvation...?

Question

John 3:5 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

(This verse does not say "He that believeth or is baptized" you need both)


This isn't open to interpretation. It's plain and simple you MUST be baptized to enter Heaven. And if you do NOT enter heaven, you are not saved. Therefore you NEED baptism to be saved.


Agree/disagree and why?

I'm not saying you have to be baptized to BELIEVE, I'm saying you have to be baptized in order to enter Heaven...


How can you disagree when I gave 2 bible verses telling you the exact phrases??

Do you NOT believe the bible?

and CJ, shut up.

Answer 1

Brian, that was rude. She gave you an answer. Granted nisguided but there's no need to be rude.

I can copy and paste my own answer.
Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
Acts 2:38.

It's clear to me that baptism is 100% a requirement of faith in that passage from the bible. That's not a BoM thing, that's a christian thing.

Baptists (and some others) teach that repentance is the remission of sin, and to get baptized because you repented. Which is stupid. Peter clearly stated FOR the remission of sin, not "do this after the remission of sin". Because it's symbolic in the way that Jesus died and was reborn. I don't see how your sins can be remitted if you aren't reborn through baptism. That was the provision of Jesus.

Answer 2

I agree. As for the ones who said it is at birth you are born again failed to read verse 4. At birth you are born period. To be born again one must be baptized.

John 3
1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

5Jesus 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.

6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.


Jesus basically is commanding baptism in these verses. Thru out the bible it speaks of being baptized. Baptism is like what circumcision is for the Jewish. Baptism is for the Gentiles, that is how we as Gentiles were brought into the fold.

Christians have always interpreted the Bible literally when it declares, "Baptism . . . now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 3:21; cf. Acts 2:38, 22:16, Rom. 6:3–4, Col. 2:11–12).

"The Lord himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation [John 3:5]. . . . Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament [Mark 16:16]"
The Christian belief that baptism is necessary for salvation is so unshakable that even the Protestant Martin Luther affirmed the necessity of baptism. He wrote: "Baptism is no human plaything but is instituted by God himself. Moreover, it is solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we shall not be saved. We are not to regard it as an indifferent matter, then, like putting on a new red coat. It is of the greatest importance that we regard baptism as excellent, glorious, and exalted" (Large Catechism 4:6).

Answer 3

Agree 100%. If you don't believe you won't be baptized and you will be damned. 1 Peter 3:20-21 says that baptism now saves us, as an appeal to God for a clear conscience. When asked by believing, remorseful Jews what must they do to be saved, Peter replied in Acts 2:37-38 that they must be baptised for the forgiveness of their sins. The word "for" there means into not because of. As you mentioned, Jesus our example was baptised. Paul also mentions in Romans 6 and Galatians 3:27 both match baptism with being buried with Christ in His death, putting Him on, and raising up again to a new life with Christ. This is a requirement of faith in order to have our sins wiped away and be united with Jesus. An important thought to remember, baptism is not our work, but Gods, Colossians 2:12.

Answer 4

I agree, but not for the reasons you might think. Circumcision was salvation to the Jews. Your quotes are too much of a parallel to ignore. Baptism replaces circumcision. For the thief on the cross arguments, a covenant owned by God means He can reject circumcision, as with Esau, or accept the lack of baptism (or circumcision, for that matter, in all probability the lack of both with the thief) as HIS prerogative, not ours. Jesus' statement of the thief being with Him in paradise showed His authority as God, by the way. And so Christians get baptized along with their entire households, infants included, as done in the early church, and continuing the Jewish covenant, but under different administration. Those who ignore infant baptism, well, that's between them and God.

Answer 5

The Grace of baptism is necessary but there is Baptism of desire and only God can know all who are in the grace of baptism.
Willfully and knowingly to ignore or reject the Sacrament of Baptism" to be born again of Water and the Spirit(Jn3)is rebellion against God's command

Answer 6

I do agree. Those verses are entirely unambiguous, and open to some other convoluted interpretation only to those who want to shoehorn them into their own belief system. I'm pretty sure that the "water" involved isn't amniotic fluid, as your first answerer seems to be saying. Otherwise the eunuch whom Philip baptized would have been out of luck unless a woman in labor happened to be at the side of the road, too.

Answer 7

There is absolutely no doubt that one must be baptized for salvation. It is not an optional commandment.

However there are three ways to be baptized:

Baptism in water by the trinitarian formula.

Baptism by desire as was the thief on the cross.

Baptism by blood as were all the martyrs who died in God's name.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 8

Hey! I just asked the same question! What a coincidence!

Peter( you know, that guy) said THIS:
Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
Acts 2:38.

Not after the remission of sins, FOR the remission of sins! Yes indeedy!

Answer 9

You are correct that baptism is necessary for salvation. I have another verse to offer that you may have overlooked and it supports your point entirely.

1 Peter 3:21
"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 clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ"




Also, this is why Paul writes to Titus, in reference to baptism, that “He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs of eternal life.” Titus 3:5-7. Paul echoes Peter’s teaching that baptism saves us by regenerating our interior lives, namely, our souls, which are now endowed with God’s divine and sanctifying grace. We thus become children of God and heirs of the kingdom.

Answer 10

I disagree. You are taking the verse out of context. The first verse you used (John 3:5) being born of water means the physical birth. The " born of Spirit" is when you get saved. The second verse that you mentioned (Mark 16:16) it just means that you have to believe to be saved. Not that you have to be baptized. If God had meant that you needed to be baptized he would have said, " but he that be baptized not shall be damned."