-57 said in post #218:
The Bible presents scripture which mention salvation... and baptism with water isn't mentioned.
John 3:16 is perhaps the most famous....“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.....no mention of water.
Note that while baptism isn't mentioned in
every salvation verse, it's mentioned in enough salvation verses to make it clear that in order to be saved ultimately, Christians must get water-immersion (burial) baptized into Jesus Christ's death for our sins. For:
Mark 16:16 He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved . . .
1 Peter 3:21 . . . baptism doth also now save us . . .
Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
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.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
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.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Acts 2:38 . . . be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . .
Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
-57 said in post #218:
The Bible presents scripture which mention salvation... and baptism with water isn't mentioned.
John 3:16 is perhaps the most famous....“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.....no mention of water.
Note that the way to do Christian theology isn't to base it on what an unqualified verse says to Christians, but on what the entire Bible says to Christians (2 Timothy 3:16, Matthew 4:4). A verse applicable to Christians in one place in the Bible must be compared with (qualified by) other, related verses (also applicable to Christians) elsewhere in the Bible (Isaiah 28:9-10; 1 Corinthians 2:13).
An example of an unqualified verse would be John 3:36. We can't say it means all we have to believe is Jesus Christ is the Son of God. For John 3:36 must be qualified by, for example, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (and vice versa). We have to believe both that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He suffered and died on the Cross for our sins and rose physically from the dead on the third day. So when John 3:36 is qualified, something is added to it, not subtracted from it. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 adds further belief requirements to John 3:36 (and vice versa). 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 doesn't subtract, negate or contradict the belief requirement of John 3:36 (or vice versa).
Another way John 3:36 must be qualified is we can't say it means all we have to do is believe for at least one moment during our lifetime. For John 3:36 must be qualified by other verses which show initially saved people will obtain ultimate salvation only if they continue to believe to the end (Hebrews 3:6,14, Colossians 1:23). And this is just one of the conditions the Bible as a whole shows must be met for initially saved people to obtain ultimate salvation (e.g. Romans 2:6-8; 1 Corinthians 9:27).
