Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

[Agnus_Dei]

Of course Scripture doesn’t contradict itself, which is why when St. Peter during his sermon on Pentecost was asked what one must do in order to be saved: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38). Then we read in Acts 2:41: Then they that gladly received his word were baptized:…

To repent means to change our mind about how we have been, turning from our sin and committing ourselves to Christ. To be baptized means to be born again by being joined into union with Christ. And to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit means to receive the Spirit who empowers us to enter a new life in Christ, be nurtured in the Church, and be conformed to God's image.

In Acts we read that St. Peter was asked a specific and direct question and St. Peter gave a specific and direct answer. I’ll trust in St. Peter’s answer, if it’s good enough for those on Pentecost and good enough for 2,000 years of Church history, it’s good enough for me in Wichita Kansas. Not some new “reformed” theory…

In XC
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[givengrace]

To ALL who are saying that you aren't saved until you are Baptized. Then what you are saying is that it is in MY OWN POWER to be saved. By my WORKS not by GRACE WRONG. I can do noting to save my self except to accept CHRIST.

 

[Agnus_Dei]

To ALL who are saying that you aren't saved until you are Baptized. Then what you are saying is that it is in MY OWN POWER to be saved. By my WORKS not by GRACE WRONG. I can do noting to save my self except to accept CHRIST.

Like it or not that was St. Peter's resonse to the question he was asked in Acts. Repent, be baptized and recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit. Your argument is with St. Peter, not those of us who believe and adhered to St. Peter's command. The requirements as St. Peter put forth hadn't changed, the Refromers didn't figure anything new out...St. Peter had it right the first time and thus the Early Church and the Church today still has it right.

Would you have questioned St. Peter on the day of Pentecost? The man who walked with God in the flesh and sat at the feet of God Himself? I doubt it, you'd been first in line have repented and be baptized.

Salvation demands faith in Jesus Christ, no doubt about it. People cannot save themselves by their own good works. Salvation is faith working through love. It is an ongoing, lifelong process. Salvation is past tense in that, through the death and Resurrection of Christ, we have been saved. It is present tense, for we must also be being saved by our active participation through faith in our union with Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is also future tense, for we must yet be saved at His glorious Second Coming.

In XC
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[saturneptune]

Like it or not that was St. Peter's resonse to the question he was asked in Acts. Repent, be baptized and recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit. Your argument is with St. Peter, not those of us who believe and adhered to St. Peter's command. The requirements as St. Peter put forth hadn't changed, the Refromers didn't figure anything new out...St. Peter had it right the first time and thus the Early Church and the Church today still has it right.

Would you have questioned St. Peter on the day of Pentecost? The man who walked with God in the flesh and sat at the feet of God Himself? I doubt it, you'd been first in line have repented and be baptized.

Salvation demands faith in Jesus Christ, no doubt about it. People cannot save themselves by their own good works. Salvation is faith working through love. It is an ongoing, lifelong process. Salvation is past tense in that, through the death and Resurrection of Christ, we have been saved. It is present tense, for we must also be being saved by our active participation through faith in our union with Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is also future tense, for we must yet be saved at His glorious Second Coming.

In XC
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Peter is no more a saint than any other Christian. By the way, my name is St Michael. There is no way you can square that post with Eph 2:8-9.

Next, salvation is not a life long process. It is instant. Sanctification, becoming more like Jesus each day, is a life long process.

 

[DHK]

Like it or not that was St. Peter's resonse to the question he was asked in Acts. Repent, be baptized and recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit. Your argument is with St. Peter, not those of us who believe and adhered to St. Peter's command. The requirements as St. Peter put forth hadn't changed,
In XC
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If you are willing to base you salvation on one verse of the Bible (Acts 2:38), and your misinterpretation of it, while completely ignoring the totality of what Scripture says on this subject, I fear for your salvation, and feel sorry for you.

 

[Matt Black]

I thought that salvation was by faith, not by having 100% correct theology? If the latter's the case, then we're all stuffed.

 

[DHK]

I thought that salvation was by faith, not by having 100% correct theology? If the latter's the case, then we're all stuffed.

Absolutely! Salvation is by faith and by faith alone. Salvation is not by faith + baptism. That is a heresy. If one is trusting in their baptism as a requirement for salvation then it is a works salvation, and not salvation by faith.

 

[Matt Black]

But you seem to be imposing another requirement: salvation by faith + 'correct belief'...?

 

[Agnus_Dei]

Peter is no more a saint than any other Christian. By the way, my name is St Michael. There is no way you can square that post with Eph 2:8-9.

Oh my! St. Peter was wrong in his answer on Pentecost to: 1.) Repent; 2.) Be baptized and 3.) Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Oh and St. Paul…what was one of the first things he did after Ananias laid hands on him and thus received his sight? He arose and was…baptized.

Oh and this guy named Simon in Acts 8 who used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria; what did the people and even Simon do after St. Philip preached the things concerning the Kingdom of God? Yep…you guessed it…they where baptized.

You can be whoever you wanna be, make-up any moniker you like, but the fact of the matter is that you’re no St. Peter, St. Paul or St. Ananias. You have no authority to trump Holy Scripture and how the Church has viewed these matters for 2,000 years.

In XC
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[annsni]

But you seem to be imposing another requirement: salvation by faith + 'correct belief'...?

Well, belief in the wrong thing won't help you. If you look to baptism to save you then you do not have faith in the saving work of Christ.

 

[Agnus_Dei]

If you are willing to base you salvation on one verse of the Bible (Acts 2:38), and your misinterpretation of it, while completely ignoring the totality of what Scripture says on this subject, I fear for your salvation, and feel sorry for you.

Hmmm, that's not how the people who heard St. Peter on the day of Pentecost interpreted his preaching. Looks to me like they did exactly what he said to do. I don't recall anyone saying..."wait Peter...we want a second opinion."

In XC
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[DHK]

Hmmm, that's not how the people who heard St. Peter on the day of Pentecost interpreted his preaching. Looks to me like they did exactly what he said to do. I don't recall anyone saying..."wait Peter...we want a second opinion."

In XC
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I repeat my statement:

If you are willing to base you salvation on one verse of the Bible (Acts 2:38), and your misinterpretation of it, while completely ignoring the totality of what Scripture says on this subject, I fear for your salvation, and feel sorry for you.

I hope that you are not so naive.

 

[annsni]

Oh my! St. Peter was wrong in his answer on Pentecost to: 1.) Repent; 2.) Be baptized and 3.) Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Oh and St. Paul…what was one of the first things he did after Ananias laid hands on him and thus received his sight? He arose and was…baptized.

Oh and this guy named Simon in Acts 8 who used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria; what did the people and even Simon do after St. Philip preached the things concerning the Kingdom of God? Yep…you guessed it…they where baptized.

You can be whoever you wanna be, make-up any moniker you like, but the fact of the matter is that you’re no St. Peter, St. Paul or St. Ananias. You have no authority to trump Holy Scripture and how the Church has viewed these matters for 2,000 years.

In XC
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Yes, baptism is an ordinance that we are to follow. After faith in Christ, we are to be baptized. But it is not the baptism that saves us. In each of your examples, the people were saved before they were baptized - we can even see that God restored sight to Paul. If it were baptism that would have saved him, don't you think that God would have had his sight return after the baptism? But He didn't. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8 ESV).

 

[Agnus_Dei]

I repeat my statement:

If you are willing to base you salvation on one verse of the Bible (Acts 2:38), and your misinterpretation of it, while completely ignoring the totality of what Scripture says on this subject, I fear for your salvation, and feel sorry for you.

I hope that you are not so naive.

Again DHK, WHAT did the people on Pentecost ask St. Peter? They asked him a very specific straight to the point question…”what must we do to be saved?” Peter answered: 1.) Repent; 2.) Be baptized; and 3.) Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Was this an “interim” requirement that St. Peter put forth, since NO New Testament existed so the people could validate him?

Please DHK, what would you have done if you were among the number on the day of Pentecost? Please don’t be so naïve.

In XC
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[DHK]

Again DHK, WHAT did the people on Pentecost ask St. Peter? They asked him a very specific straight to the point question…”what must we do to be saved?” Peter answered: 1.) Repent; 2.) Be baptized; and 3.) Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Was this an “interim” requirement that St. Peter put forth, since NO New Testament existed so the people could validate him?

Please DHK, what would you have done if you were among the number on the day of Pentecost? Please don’t be so naïve.

In XC
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I am not naive.
First I understand the context. It was the Feast of Pentecost. His audience was a Jewish audience. In fact not only was it a Jewish audience he was addressing the very ones that crucified Christ, if you look closely at the content of his message. Context is always important. Without context you have no meaning. The Jews understood the baptism in the context of baptism related to the baptism of John.

Furthermore, examine the verse more carefully which you haven't done.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

"in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins."

The Greek word "for" is "eis" commonly translated unto, sometimes for, and also has a variety of other usages. It is a very common preposition. Let's look at another verse in which it is used.

Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance:
What did John mean by that statement?
Previously he had just said:
Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

The word "unto" in verse 11 is also "eis". John baptized because they had repented. He did not baptize in order that they would repent. That would be backwards, and just plain foolishness. Bring forth fruits suitable for repentance was the command. Then I will baptize you "UNTO" meaning "BECAUSE OF" your repentance.
That is the same meaning in Acts 2:38.

The meaning of the word has more of a sense of "because of."
It is very much like the usage in Matthew 3:11. If it didn't it would be contradicting the rest of the Bible. And we know the Bible doesn't contradict itself. But you seem to be bent on a course of making the Bible contradict itself only to prop up your own unbiblical theology. It doesn't work that way.

The Bible teaches that one is saved by faith and faith alone.

Being justified by faith we have peace with God (no baptism). Romans 5:1

 

[Agnus_Dei]

Yes, baptism is an ordinance that we are to follow. After faith in Christ, we are to be baptized. But it is not the baptism that saves us. In each of your examples, the people were saved before they were baptized - we can even see that God restored sight to Paul. If it were baptism that would have saved him, don't you think that God would have had his sight return after the baptism? But He didn't. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8 ESV).

What do you think repenting is? First St. Peter on the day of Pentecost preached Christ and salvation. These people learned who Christ was, that He died for our sins and now they wanted to know how they could be saved…in other words…”what must we do to be saved?”

St. Peter told them the steps…

1)Repent (they repented of their sins, felt remorse and asked Christ to forgive them…their’s your faith)​

2)Be baptized​

3)Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.​

These 3 steps according to St. Peter are what must be done in order to be saved. St. Peter didn’t say, repent and be baptized later or that baptism is not a requirement. St. Peter gave three (3) specific steps one must do…”what MUST we DO to be saved, the people asked.

In the Orthodox Church a non-baptized person has to: 1.) Repent and confess his sins; 2.) Be baptized and 3.) Be Chrismated with oil (in the NT it was done by laying on of hands) to receive to gift of the Holy Spirit.

The steps haven’t changed for 2,000 years.

In XC
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[DHK]

What do you think repenting is? First St. Peter on the day of Pentecost preached Christ and salvation. These people learned who Christ was, that He died for our sins and now they wanted to know how they could be saved…in other words…”what must we do to be saved?”

St. Peter told them the steps…

1)Repent (they repented of their sins, felt remorse and asked Christ to forgive them…their’s your faith)​

2)Be baptized​

3)Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.​

These 3 steps according to St. Peter are what must be done in order to be saved. St. Peter didn’t say, repent and be baptized later or that baptism is not a requirement. St. Peter gave three (3) specific steps one must do…”what MUST we DO to be saved, the people asked.

In the Orthodox Church a non-baptized person has to: 1.) Repent and confess his sins; 2.) Be baptized and 3.) Be Chrismated with oil (in the NT it was done by laying on of hands) to receive to gift of the Holy Spirit.

The steps haven’t changed for 2,000 years.

In XC
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That is impossible, since according to the Bible they were never in place in the first place. You don't even know the meaning of the word "repentance". And according to your definition it is impossible for you or anyone else on this board to do.

 

[Tom Butler]

Two thoughts. After Peter's Pentecost Day sermon, the crowd did not ask, "what should we do to be saved?" The question was "what shall we do?

Peter told them to repent. Then he told them to be baptized.


Second, when Ananias visited Saul of Tarsus after the Damascus Road encounter with the Lord Jesus, he addressed him as "Brother Saul." Then he instructed him to go with him to Damascus to be baptized by the congregation there.

Earlier, on the Damascus Road, Saul addressed Jesus as Lord, and asked, "what do you want me to do?" Obedience to the Lord Jesus was the first sign of Saul's conversiion. Jesus did not tell Saul to wait to be told what he must do to be saved.

 

[saturneptune]

Oh my! St. Peter was wrong in his answer on Pentecost to: 1.) Repent; 2.) Be baptized and 3.) Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Oh and St. Paul…what was one of the first things he did after Ananias laid hands on him and thus received his sight? He arose and was…baptized.

Oh and this guy named Simon in Acts 8 who used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria; what did the people and even Simon do after St. Philip preached the things concerning the Kingdom of God? Yep…you guessed it…they where baptized.

You can be whoever you wanna be, make-up any moniker you like, but the fact of the matter is that you’re no St. Peter, St. Paul or St. Ananias. You have no authority to trump Holy Scripture and how the Church has viewed these matters for 2,000 years.

In XC
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"Oh my" is a quote I remember from the Wizard of Oz, which is where I believe you get your theology. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Do you understand a sinful state? Are select humans that God chose to use for his purposes have some sinless status?

If I am no St Peter, St Paul, or St Mary, then why do these three need the cross?

By the way, you have no right to trump the Scripture by a flawed interpretation of the above passages. You are adding works to Jesus sacrifice on the cross for salvation. Oh yes, now I remember, the thief on the cross, the Romans took him down, baptised him, then hung him back up so that day he could be in Paradise.

Sincerely,

St Michael

 

[Matt Black]

Well, belief in the wrong thing won't help you. If you look to baptism to save you then you do not have faith in the saving work of Christ.

Hmmm...it still seems to me that you are putting forward another condition other than just faith...