{"id":12689,"date":"2007-10-04T21:34:47","date_gmt":"2007-10-05T02:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=12689"},"modified":"2019-10-09T21:40:15","modified_gmt":"2019-10-10T02:40:15","slug":"can-you-help-me-answer-some-arguments-that-baptism-isnt-necessary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-you-help-me-answer-some-arguments-that-baptism-isnt-necessary\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you help me answer some arguments that baptism isn’t necessary?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

I still haven’t been baptized since repenting again and coming back to the Lord a year ago. I’m just patiently waiting, you see, for my pastor to preach the truth. I know God wants me to be in that church because every time I wanted to leave, the pastor ends up preaching Scriptures based upon the word of God. But I don’t think my church takes baptism seriously, as I do, though I have never been baptized.<\/p>\n

A sister in the church told me in her opinion she doesn’t think baptism is required in order to be saved and for salvation. One of the things she tells me a lot is what about those people who accept the Christ and then in the next minute died in an accident, or what about those people with disabilities or those who are sick in the hospital who have accepted Christ, and probably end up dying shortly. Basically they accepted Christ without being baptized so they are saved and have salvation, so this is the reason why you can be saved and have salvation without baptism.<\/p>\n

I couldn’t really respond back to her on this, so I want to know what’s your opinion on this? Oh, every time I try telling her it is required because Jesus commanded it in Matthew 28:19-20 she tells me who was Jesus speaking to that time, I say the Jews, she says it doesn’t apply to the Gentiles. In the same way I told her about the book of Acts, she said it was probably required for them led by the Holy Spirit — basically, the Holy Spirit probably had a reason to tell Paul why he had to get baptized in Acts 22:16. She always says in the letters Paul wrote he never mentions baptism being a requirement or needed to be saved or receive salvation.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

I’m a bit confused because you say you take baptism seriously, but then turn around and say you haven’t been baptized. I’m sorry, but a person’s actions speak far louder than words. Now the Ethiopian eunuch took baptism seriously because while listening to his first gospel sermon from Philip, he interrupted Philip and said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?<\/em>” (Acts 8:36). They stopped the chariot immediately so that the eunuch could be baptized. That is serious! Or the Philippian jailer, who learned the truth in the middle of the night. “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized<\/em>” (Acts 16:32-33). That was serious! But your actions state that it is not a serious matter to you.<\/p>\n

In regards to your friend’s arguments, ask for a book, chapter, and verse where God says there is an exception to the rule requiring baptism. She argues that if a person believes and dies before they are baptized, then they must<\/strong>\u00a0be saved, but that is reasoning by assertion. Peter said while speaking of Noah and the Flood, “This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you–not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ<\/em>” (I Peter 3:21). Or another way to read the Greek text is that baptism brings about immediate salvation.<\/p>\n

In regards to Matthew 28:18-20, you are both reading the passage incorrectly. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen<\/em>” (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus is speaking directly to the apostles, who are Jews, but notice that what Jesus is stating is not for the Jews only. They were told to make disciples of all the nations. How does one become a disciple? By baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And it doesn’t end there. Those baptized disciples were to learn to observe all the things Christ taught the apostles — including the command to make disciples of all the nations by baptizing them. Therefore this command is for all Christians, not just twelve Jews.<\/p>\n

Yes, the Holy Spirit had a reason to require Paul to be baptized. “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord<\/em>” (Acts 22:16). Paul needed to be baptized to wash away his sins. By the way, this is after Paul acknowledged Jesus as Lord and spent three days fasting and praying. None of those things removed his sins. He needed to be baptized to have them removed.<\/p>\n

In regards to Paul never mentions baptism as being a requirement, needed to be saved, or to receive salvation, well, I had to laugh because in Acts 22, who do you think is telling the story about Paul’s conversion? Paul said it!<\/p>\n

Let’s see, Paul also said:<\/p>\n