Is
Baptism Necessary for Salvation?
How Did Jesus Baptize?
Baptism is one of the
most divisive theological issues in the church today. Some
churches practice infant baptism while many only use
“believer’s baptism.” Many will only baptize by immersion
while some will sprinkle or pour as an act of baptism. These
are all good questions in regard to what the Bible teaches
and are discussed elsewhere on this site.
The issue that has been
bothering me lately is the question of whether baptism is
necessary for salvation. It is not up for debate as to
whether baptism is a command. We are told to baptize and to
be baptized. The deeper question is whether this is
necessary for salvation or any other command such as do not
lie. Lying is forgivable and will not keep a person from
heaven. If a person does not follow the command to be
baptized, will it keep them from heaven?
Repentance and baptism
are tied together on the day of Pentecost. When Peter
preached, the people responded by asking what they should
do. Peter tells them that they should repent and be
baptized. Jesus tells the disciples about belief and baptism
in Mark 16:15-16 in a passage that is similar to the Great
Commission of Matthew 28.
“He said to them, "Go
into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
does not believe will be condemned.” Those who hold that
baptism is necessary will note that it says “and” as in both
belief and baptism are necessary for salvation. In the
second part of the sentence baptism is dropped however.
Those who do not believe will be condemned. Nowhere in
scripture does it say those who are not baptized will be
condemned.
Perhaps an even greater
question than the necessity of baptism is the nature of
baptism that takes place. Pentecostals and charismatics
contend that a spiritual baptism as evidenced by the
speaking in tongues is necessary for salvation. This is a
conclusion that is drawn however. Nowhere in the Bible does
it say that speaking in tongues is required for salvation or
that those who do not speak in tongues will be condemned.
But this does bring up a good point.
Should baptism be understood as spiritual or physical with
water? Those who say it is necessary for salvation contend
that the physical is required. However, it is worthy of note
that Jesus never baptized anyone with water. John the
Baptist tells us about Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3:16.
“John answered them
all, ‘I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I
will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to
untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with
fire.’”
This would lead us to
believe that Jesus’ baptism is not one of water at all. If
Jesus required water baptism for salvation He most likely
would have practiced it within His own ministry. While it
could be argued that baptism is a picture of Jesus’ death
and resurrection and wouldn’t have been valid until after
Jesus’ ministry, this is a false argument because John the
Baptist practiced water baptism.
The baptism of Jesus is
the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is a baptism that takes
place immediately upon belief in the forgiveness of sins
through Jesus Christ.
Peter Unlocks the
Kingdom
In Matthew 16:15-20
Peter and Jesus have this exchange:
"But what about you?"
he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed
are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to
you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that
you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and
the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth
will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven." Then he warned his disciples not
to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
In Acts 1:8 the
disciples are told, “But you will receive power when the
Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of
the earth." This divides the world into three areas that
must be “unlocked” by Peter.
On Pentecost Peter
opens the kingdom to Jerusalem as he preaches. In Acts 8,
the disciples are scattered after the death of Stephen.
Philip goes to Samaria and preaches there. People believe
and are baptized but do not receive the Holy Spirit. It is
because Peter has not unlocked the kingdom for them yet.
When Peter arrives and prays for them, they receive the Holy
Spirit.
In Acts 10, the kingdom
is opened to “the ends of the earth” as Peter visits a
gentile, Cornelius. As Peter is preaching to them, the Holy
Spirit comes upon them. After they believe and receive the
Holy Spirit, Peter asks, "Can anyone keep these people from
being baptized with water? They have received the Holy
Spirit just as we have." It is apparent that Peter
considered water baptism important but his reason for doing
so was because he had witnessed that they had received the
Holy Spirit. Water baptism is an outward symbol for
spiritual baptism.
Peter must explain to
the other disciples why he went to the Gentiles in Acts 11.
In verses 15-17 he explains, "As I began to speak, the Holy
Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning.
Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized
with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who
believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I
could oppose God?"
It is evident that the
baptism of Jesus is a spiritual baptism and not one of
water. Water baptism is still an important part of the
Christian life however as it is a testimony for others. It
is a symbol of the inward baptism of the Holy Spirit which
we have.
Baptism should not be a
divisive issue for us. Paul addressed the division that
baptism caused in the Corinthian church by saying he was
glad he had not baptized many of them. Paul’s mission should
be our mission as he summarizes it in 1 Corinthians 1:17,
“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the
gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of
Christ be emptied of its power.”
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