Is water Baptism essential for salvation?

[-57]

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.

Same with Acts 2:21....And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Romans 10:13. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

NOTICE.....no mention of water baptism. None. If water baptism is so essential for one's salvation...why is it omitted?

 

[ByTheSpirit]

 

[Albion]

Because the purpose of those (brief) verses referred to in the OP is to affirm the basic promise of salvation, not to address every last thing that is related to it.

 

[Dave-W]

NOTICE.....no mention of water baptism. None. If water baptism is so essential for one's salvation...why is it omitted?

I would take your query in another direction: To whom is the command for baptism addressed?

When you find that answer you will have the answer to the other.

 

[ByTheSpirit]

All believers are priests unto God, and no priest was ever allowed to minister in the Temple (now the church) without being cleansed by water.

Also spiritual circumcision is performed by Christ at water baptism. To be spiritually circumcised is to have an open and receptive heart for obedience to the Lord. The Israelites were condemned for being stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart.

These along with my previous photo are why baptism in water is necessary.

Also in Luke 1 Zechariah, the father of John, prophecies that John would proclaim the way to salvation, what was John's message? Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. Jesus then chastised the Pharisees for not accepting the will of God in being baptized by John.

 

[SkyWriting]

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.Same with Acts 2:21....And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’Romans 10:13. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”NOTICE.....no mention of water baptism. None. If water baptism is so essential for one's salvation...why is it omitted?

Spiritual Baptism is the only requirement. Water does have some special
properties in scripture and is used in ceremonies but is not required.

 

[ByTheSpirit]

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.

Same with Acts 2:21....And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Romans 10:13. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

NOTICE.....no mention of water baptism. None. If water baptism is so essential for one's salvation...why is it omitted?

The other thing to consider is what does believe mean in a biblical sense? By that token what does it mean to have faith?

In today's society we equate belief or faith with some mental agreement to a statement or fact. So we say in our minds, God is the Savior, and may actually agree with that statement the problem is there is more involved. You see even demons believe in God and they are scared to death of him!

Believing/faith in the biblical sense is obedience. Hebrews 11 is known as the chapter of faith. In it every single person described does something in accordance with God's will and thus are found to have faith.

Faith without works results in no salvation
Works without faith results in no salvation
Faith plus works results in salvation.

Baptism is not even a work, it is something we do to show that we identify with Christ's death burial and resurrection and through that are asking him to grant us new life (Romans 6:3-4, 1 Peter 3:21, Galatians 3:27)

 

[-57]

I would take your query in another direction: To whom is the command for baptism addressed?

When you find that answer you will have the answer to the other.

So I don't guess wrong ...who is the whom?

 

[-57]

Spiritual Baptism is the only requirement. Water does have some special
properties in scripture and is used in ceremonies but is not required.

I have often read on these forums water baptism washes away our sins....

But I object to that....

1 John 1:7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

 

[Kenny'sID]

First let me say, I'm on the fence with water, spirit baptism, of course.

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.

You say baptism isn't mentioned then cite 3:16 on believing on the son, so if you believe on the son, would you not believe what he says to do?


Jesus says in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved." Now you have to decide for yourself if Christ means by water or by Spirit.

I personally say why take the chance. All depending on who we were before getting save, it may have been very hard to reach that goal with all the things we had to give up, but this is something that's easy....just do it, and don't worry about it.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Few teachers ever teach the truth, including about immersion in Jesus Name.

Have
to return to and read Scripture to find out all that immersion in Jesus Name accomplishes. (it looks like it is futile here; < shrugs > but perhaps someone will find out anyway)

 

[-57]

The other thing to consider is what does believe mean in a biblical sense? By that token what does it mean to have faith?

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
.....Faith is a gift from God. Do you disagree?

In today's society we equate belief or faith with some mental agreement to a statement or fact. So we say in our minds, God is the Savior, and may actually agree with that statement the problem is there is more involved. You see even demons believe in God and they are scared to death of him!

I don't really care what todays society says..or equates. I care what the Bible says.
You seem to be inferring John 3:16 isn't enough to keep a person from perishing. Water must also be part of the formula.

 

[Tsquared]

I have often read on these forums water baptism washes away our sins....

But I object to that....

1 John 1:7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

This is quite interesting I agree that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, but we identify with his death through baptism...we are buried with him in baptism (Colossians 2:12). Also, I want to be like Jesus, he was baptized, so that's reason enough for me. As one person already mentioned, Peter tells us in Acts 2:38 to Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins. I would also like to point out that you mention John 3:16 and ask why water was omitted, to that I simply say it wasn't omitted at all...a few verses back in that very same chapter, Jesus says in John 3:5 - "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." This is why it is so important that we read the bible as a whole, not pick out particular scriptures and ignore things leading up to it (not implying that you did that), as the numbers and chapters were simply things added in afterwards. Jesus even says after he is resurrected, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name..." (Matthew 28:19).
As I am writing this, I think of the words of my former Pastor who said "Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it", and I couldn't agree more; however, in this case I think the bible is filled with ample evidence supporting baptism. If this were something that was not necessary, it is certainly mentioned very frequently throughout the New Testament.

 

[-57]

Jesus says in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved." Now you have to decide for yourself if Christ means by water or by Spirit.

Well, if your sitting on the fence then I ask that you look at the entire verse rather than just 1/2 of the verse.
...Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Notice it doesn't read like this...

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned.

Why is baptism left out of the second half of the verse?

I personally say why take the chance.

Can you find several verses that tell us what water baptism actually does?

 

[-57]

Few teachers ever teach the truth, including about immersion in Jesus Name.

Have
to return to and read Scripture to find out all that immersion in Jesus Name accomplishes. (it looks like it is futile here; < shrugs > but perhaps someone will find out anyway)

As I just asked Kenny...
Can you find several verses that tell us what water baptism actually does?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Why is baptism left out of the second half of the verse?

'Selah' (think about it a while) , asking YHWH ABBA to reveal this. (It is so simple)

 

[Kenny'sID]

-

Why is baptism left out of the second half of the verse?

Because it's in the first.

Can you find several verses that tell us what water baptism actually does?

Before you send me on a verse hunt, what do you think it does?

Water baptism is strictly ceremonial of washing away sin, and I doubt I'll find anything other than that.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

As I just asked Kenny...
Can you find several verses that tell us what water baptism actually does?

Yes, but not on this forum - there are too many unbelievers reading the internet forums to post very much online. It doesn't help most people , nor most readers/ observors, and has from the looks of things , as many posters have noted over the last several years, resulted only
in ongoing, seemingly never ending arguments without resolution here. (since the world and all its kin can continue posting errors regardless of the truth, with little to stop them) .

 

[Kenny'sID]

Now, keep in mind...John 3:16 wasn't the only verse that omitted water baptism

I don't think you were paying attention, it doesn't necessarily omit it at all, that is if you really believe on the son..

 

[-57]

Water baptism is strictly ceremonial of washing away sin, and I doubt I'll find anything other than that.

I would have to agree.....as we all know and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.....not water.