If one believes that baptisim is essential for salvation, is he damned

[Doubting Thomas]

Has anyone answered how the theif on the Cross was able to enter heaven with out baptism?

He died before Christ had fulfilled the Old Covenant and before He rose from the dead. Peter says baptism saves us through the resurrection of Christ (1 Peter 3:21). (The thief, therefore, would be in the same boat with the other OT 'saints', just with less time to wait so to speak :smilewinkgrin: ). Also, if you think about baptism being a dying with Christ (Romans 6:3-5, Colossians 2:12), that thief literally did die with Christ.

 

[Enow]

Nice try, why not actually look at the Greek and check it out for your self, its really elementry. Do you not see the definite article, or do you assume just because I showed it to you it cannot be true?

Just your application is circumspect, brother. Focussing on a word or term while ignoring the context of the usage to fit your view is what you are doing.

It is the context, it also shows when God sends His Spirit into our hearts, it is when we become sons.

Amazing how I am reading that differently.

You still have not dealt with Acts 8, when these people believed and were baptized but had not received the H.S. were they saved?

I did. You had missed it.

Romans 8:9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.