ONE-SIDED DEBATE BY STEVE FINNELL
When debating the proposition of water baptism being essential for salvation; there is only one side found in the Scriptures. The Bible clearly teaches that water baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. There are no contradictory verses of Scripture to disprove that water baptism is essential to salvation.
Mark 16:16 ....has been baptized shall be saved....
There is no Scripture that states has been baptized shall not be saved.
John 3:5 ....unless one is born of water...he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
There are not any antithetical Scriptures that state men do not have to be born of water to enter the kingdom of God.
Acts 2:38 ...and each of you be baptized......for the forgiveness of your sins...
Search as you will, you cannot find one contradictory Scripture that says water baptism is not for the forgiveness of your sins.
Romans 6:3-6 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?........6 know this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
There is no verse of Scripture that say our body of sin was not done away through being baptized into Christ.
Colossians 2:12-13 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead . 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircuncision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.
There is no opposing Scripture that says being buried with Him in baptism has nothing to do forgiveness of transgressions.
Ephesians 5:25-27 ...just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
There is not a verse in the Bible that says Jesus did not cleanse the church by the washing of water with the word.
1 Peter 3:21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you......
It is impossible to find the Scripture that states water baptism does not save you.
The statements you will not find in the Bible.
1. Baptism does not save.
2. Baptism is not essential to be saved.
3. Baptism is not for the forgiveness of sins.
4. Baptism is only for men who are already saved.
5. Baptism has absolutely nothing to do with salvation.
Jesus never said any of these five things. No apostles ever uttered any of theses five things.
THE FIVE STATEMENTS ARE ONLY FOUND IN CREED BOOKS, BIBLE COMMENTARIES AND OTHER WRITINGS OF MEN.
IF YOU USE SCRIPTURE ALONE, WATER BAPTISM IS A ONE-SIDED DEBATE!
Water baptism is not essential for salvation. Yea, you won't find a Bible verse that says, "It is not essential..." but when reading the Bible you must (2 Tim. 2:15 - "...rightly divide the word of truth."
ReplyDeleteWhen studying the Bible you must look at the context: who was Jesus talking to? To whom was this passage directed to? In the Bible there are three different types of people esp in the New Testament which are: the Jews, the Gentiles and the Church.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
In this verse, it belief first then baptism as shown in Acts chapter 8 which sets the precedent for salvation in the rest of the Bible by grace through Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Notice in that verse it says, to him that believeth not shall be damned, not to him who believeth not and is not baptized. In Mark 16:16 Jesus was talking to His disciples, and read this last verse:
"Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."
Now why were the performing signs? What does the Bible say?
1 Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
It was for the Jews. The verse in Acts chapter 2 you quoted, whom is it talking to?
Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Just two verses before it, Apostle Peter is talking to the Jewish people. Not the gentiles, not the church. The Jews just realized, they crucified their Messiah. Peter told them what they needed to do, not the gentiles. Peter later had to be taught that gentiles were to be saved as well. I am not here to attack you or your blog. But you cannot take what was for the Jewish people and apply it to the church. Apply it to the gentiles. May God bless you endlessly my friend.
I would add that water baptism is a ‘work’, and one is not saved by works. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
ReplyDeleteThe Bible does not contradict itself when it states, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’ (John 6:29)
Salvation is not of works; it is ‘through faith’.
Those who are ‘born of the Spirit’ (John 3:6) will want to obey the Lord by being water baptised. (Matthew 28:19) Indeed, Jesus commands those who have been born of His Spirit to be water baptised, but not for salvation. Those who obey Him are those who love Him. (John 14:21)
The reference to being ‘born of water’ in John 3:5 is used figuratively by Jesus, rather than in a literal sense. John 3:6 clarifies what Jesus was talking about, i.e., not birth of the body, but of the Spirit who transforms the ‘spirit’ of the unborn, who are dead in ‘spirit’. (Ephesians 2:1) Before being ‘born of the Spirit’, they were dead in their ‘trespasses and sins’.
In John 3:5 Jesus addressed the Pharisee Nicodemus, who, because of his extensive knowledge of Mosaic laws, would have understood the figurative interpretation of being ‘born of water’ - figurative in the sense of being cleansed by water. (Numbers 19:17-19) Washing the body to clean it is not the same as a washing the soul to cleanse it. Only Jesus can wash the soul and make it whole. (Isaiah 55:1-3)