Considering the proposition “baptism is required for salvation”.

Paragraphs of this colour denote statements from a tract titled:
“Things IMPOSSIBLE to separate from Baptism”.

Paragraph of this colour contain my response to some statements in the tract.

1.
From the paragraph: “It is impossible to separate salvation from baptism“:
1 Peter 3:20-21 …to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, The like figure to this, even baptism, does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

a) “Notice this verse doesn’t say that baptism ALONE saves us, but it certainly proves that salvation can’t be reached without baptism.”
b) “Many of the religious world are emphatic that baptism does Not save us. When they say this they are adding SATAN’S ‘NOT’ to 1 Peter 3:21”

1.
Verses which show salvation apart from baptism:

A sinful woman saved:
Luke 7:47-50 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” ⁴⁸ Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

A thief saved:
Luke 23: ⁴⁰ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” ⁴³ And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Many Gentiles saved:
Acts 13:47-48 For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” ⁴⁸ Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Paul’s commission from Christ wasn’t to baptise, it was to preach salvation through the gospel:
In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul says “For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”, then a few verses earlier, the passage distinguishes between Salvation and Baptism 12-13 “…each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?…”, here affiliation to God in salvation through Christ’s crucifixion is separated as one question distinctly apart from a second question about affiliation (not salvation) to God through baptism.
It would be an error and a contradiction to other passages of scripture to represent the question in the form of intrinsically binding Salvation through Christ’s crucifixion to baptism, in the form of asking:
“Was Paul crucified and baptized for you?”.
Paul’s ministry was substantially focused on preaching the gospel that he was commissioned to, he himself by Holy Spirit stated in Romans 1:16, “…it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,… “ . Baptism’s an action subsequent to salvation for those to whom it is applicable, as result of belief and repentance, but the very act of baptism doesn’t eternally save anyone any more than circumcision could eternally save anyone.
Another proof of eternal salvation without baptism is written of in Acts 10:48 where the Gentile friends and family of Cornelius received eternal salvation through Peter preaching the gospel then their salvation was evidenced by being sealed with Holy Spirit which Peter brought to the attention of his accompanying Jewish Christians, after that he commanded them to be baptised. If baptism were a requirement for eternal salvation, how could Paul simply preach the Gospel and move from that town or city before confirming that all who heard the gospel had been baptised? Paul’s ministry was notably inclusive of fostering growth in those he served and led to Christ, he wasn’t as some who come to town make a dollar in Christ’s name and “move on before the dust settles”, he was committed to serving the saints and building them up in the Spirit for God’s glory and their benefit, so if baptism was intrinsically linked to salvation, then I believe he would have dogmatically included that baptism was part of the gospel which he was called to preach, and yet the gospel itself is not inclusive of baptism. What is the gospel then? We’re told “it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes”, thegospel G2098 as described by Thayer is:
The preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to procure eternal salvation for men in the kingdom of God, but as restored to life and exalted to the right hand of God in heaven, thence to return in majesty to consummate the kingdom of God; so that it may be more briefly defined as “the glad tidings of salvation through Christ; the proclamation of the grace of God manifested and pledged in Christ;

Regarding “..the like figure…”
Just as with many other words throughout scripture, “save” must be considered subject to context.
As stated earlier, I don’t believe that it is eternal salvation that Peter wrote of in 1 Peter 3:21. A key to understand that baptism is not spoken of here as resulting in eternal salvation is that it is stated as “not the removal of the filth of the flesh “. The decision and action of baptism has no power to remove the filth of the flesh, this was done by eternal salvation which was received through belief in Jesus Christ coupled with repentance and confession which were all subject to being granted by God (ref. Acts 11:18).

By being baptised, the Christian now identifies as separate/saved from the Godless world and has a good conscience from which they can now commune with God, which is a massive shift from having a guilty conscience in a life of disbelief and unrepented sin which had rendered them unable to fellowship with God. God’s destruction of the disobedient people on earth by flood also freed Noah’s mind from being troubled by their corruption, Lot is recorded as an example of the troubling effect of this type by the people of Sodom & Gomorrah:
2 Peter 2:7-8 “Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds”), so 1 Peter 3:20 draws a parallel of the purification of the mind of the Christian at the commencement of living in “The Way”, where baptism visibly expresses the professed internal work of God’s transformation through Jesus which has cleansed/washed the conscience from the corruption of the past, it’s “the answer of a good conscience toward God” enabled “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,“, that is to say that just as Jesus Christ died and rose again, baptism is in like figure the death of the man of flesh and the resurrection to new life in and through Christ. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3, but “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” 1 Cor 15:17.

Baptism is a good work but it is “not the putting away of the filth of the flesh”, there are no works of our flesh that can save us, in Pauls letter to the Galatians he iterates this fact, only the blood of Christ can atone for sin, but works are not pointless, it is by them that faith is shown and that true religion is practiced. Galatians 2:16, James 2:18, James 1:27. When baptism is enacted by a person who believes it’s by their own undertaking that they will secure their salvation, then it’s a work of the flesh, but when baptism is the act of honest humble repentance and the declaration of faith in God through Jesus Christ, then it’s the work of God.

Similar in one aspect of John’s baptism, baptism publicly states repentance from a Godless way of life to the new obedient submissive Way following Christ. John said “I’m baptizing you with water as evidence of repentance,” Mat 3:11 NIV, repentance being a term denoting “a change of direction”.
After repentance to salvation, baptism is only enacted once (Were John the Baptist* or the disciples  baptized?  *ref. Matthew 3:14, Mark 1:17-18).

a) I don’t see any portion of this verse that “proves” or implies that baptism is required for eternal salvation, but this doesn’t negate the fact that there are verses where baptism is instructed at the time of salvation in those particular scenarios.

Considering the verses of Matthew 28:19-20
“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; “
The sentence comprises 3 separated instructions, divided by commas placed after each instruction:
1. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
Preach the gospel of salvation.
2. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
    Identifying the persons as dedicated to God through Christ Jesus distinctly apart from all other religious teachings and/or their past way of life.
3. teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
Instruction that will do more than the following; but it’s inclusive of making them profitable for God’s
    kingdom as overcomers and lights in the world while saving them from being tainted by the Godless
    ways of the world and the corrupt heresies’ of those who claim a form of Godliness but deny it’s power.

Regarding the references argued as being commandment to baptise, I disagree that they say or imply that commandment was given:
1. Acts 8:35­-39 The eunuch wasn’t commanded to be baptised, he requested that Philip baptise him.
2. Acts 2:37-38 The Jews weren’t commanded to be baptised, They asked what they should do and Peter told them “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized…”
3. Acts 8:12 The Samaritans weren’t commanded to be baptised,
“But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.”
4. Acts 16:32-34 The Jailer and his household weren’t commanded to be baptised,
“And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.
5. Acts 18:8 Crispus, his household and the Corinthians who heard were not commanded to be baptised,
^“Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.”

b) I disagree with the statement that people (Specifically those people who ascribe to the Apostles doctrine.) are adding “SATAN’S ‘NOT’ ” to 1 Peter 3:21, I expect that these people are reading and accepting the verse in the context of it’s consistent teaching on baptism with all other related scripture.

2.
Baptism comes before salvation. …every time that baptism and salvation are mentioned together in scripture, baptism comes before salvation.

2.
I find that in the 3 stage scenario of: belief, repentance then baptism, baptism is the last part of the process of salvation, but salvation is not dependent on baptism as noted in responses 1&3.

3.
…we can not separate saving faith from baptism. For example Jesus said. “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned.” –Mark 16:16 Thus in order to be saved one must believe AND be baptized.

3.
Scripture teaches that “you are Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” Gal 3:27, repentance is an action enabled by the faith that’s given by God’s will “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesian 2:8-9

The scripture doesn’t say ‘he that believes must be baptized to be saved‘,
neither does it say ‘he that believes and is not baptized shall be damned‘,
it says “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned.”,
So in the sequence of belief*, repentance then baptism, salvation is received.

Scripture explains how salvation is achieved through Christ Jesus:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 5:24

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” John 6:47

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40,
“To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” Acts 10:43-48

“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Acts 13:38-39

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:30-31

“ how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, ²¹ testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:20-21

“if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain#.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

#eikē (vain): inconsiderably, without purpose, without just cause:
Simon Magus ‘believed’ and was baptized but at the time of his initial profession it wasn’t belief* to salvation, ref. Acts 8: “You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. ²² Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

*pisteuō (believe): “to believe, put one’s faith in, trust, with an implication that actions based on that trust may follow;” and is applicable where God grants the realisation of our depravity, His purity, sovereign right to condemn, His mercy through Jesus Christ and our eternal release from the debt of our sin.

4.
You quoted Luke 7:47-50 and 23:40 to show examples of people saved apart from baptism.  However, these arguments are not valid because the events you mentioned were before the cross. The baptism Peter was talking about was New Testament baptism. This did not come into effect until after the cross. After all how could the thief or the immoral woman have been “Baptised into His death” or have been “buried with Him in baptism” (Romans 6:3-4) before the Christ’s death?

By His atoning sacrifice, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament and abolished it when he died on the cross (Col 2:14-16, Ephesians 2:14-16, Heb 7:12, Heb 8:6-13, 10:9-10, 2 Corinthians 3: 6-7 etc.).
The coming to earth of Jesus was a unique time. Since He was God in the flesh, Jesus had power on earth to declare men’s sins forgiven. He made this clear Himself when He healed the man sick of palsy, He said ”But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,). Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. (Mat 9:6) “Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath  power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house “ After the cross however all men became subject the New Testament Law which was revealed on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to the apostles  (Acts 2:1-5). From that time everyone was subject to the gospel and were saved in the same way.

4.
From the first man (Adam) onward, eternal salvation has never been achievable by any work of man, to propose that baptism is required for eternal salvation since Christ’s resurrection, is to create a heresy which teaches the necessity of adding the works of man to the completed work of Christ. the proof that salvation does not require baptism is throughout scripture and also expressed in these verses pertaining to the thief and the woman known as a sinner, as well as in the fact that although John the Baptist wasn’t baptised he was eternally saved by no means other than belief in salvation through Christ Jesus. God’s children have all only ever been saved by faith in Jesus Christ just as described in Romans 4:2
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. ⁵ But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ⁶ just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. 
²³ Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, ²⁴ but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

The granting of salvation by God through belief in Christ Jesus has not changed from after Christ’s resurrection to what had been required between the time of Adam until moments before Christ’s resurrection, proposing that mankind “be baptized for salvation” is similar to imposing any element of the Mosaic law as a means of salvation. As Romans 4 teaches, people were saved pre-resurrection back to Adam without baptism but through faith alone in Christ alone.

5.
Another verse that shows how biblical faith and baptism are inseparably linked is Galatians 3:26-27 –“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 3:26-27. BAPTISM is therefore the point at which we become a child of God, and put on Jesus Christ. It is impossible therefor to divorce Biblical faith from baptism

5.
The book of Galatians commences with Paul telling of the fact that he was appointed to be “an apostle, not of men neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father,…”; It was God’s will through Christ, it certainly wasn’t Pauls will, before God apprehended him in grace he was fixed in his own will in opposition to God. Then in verse 6 he wrote ” I marvel that you are soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ”. They were amalgamating their knowledge of the truth with corrupt teachings which required and honoured man’s works to achieve and maintain salvation.
Galatians 3 commences with Paul asking the Galatians “who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth…? … did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?“;
2:16 “for by works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” NKJV

To extrapolate from 3:27 that baptism is intrinsically required for salvation, is to regress from the doctrine of salvation by faith which is iterated in the preceding verse “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.“, then to be bound in similar terms to what Paul wrote of the Galatians position in verse 2 where he rhetorically describes them corruptly weaving the old covenant of the law into the new covenant of faith which is in and through Christ Jesus.

Galatians speaks notably of man’s salvation being attributed to God’s will as blessing through justification by faith which is from God not man.
Even as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁷ Therefore know that those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham….
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith… ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.“
In Paul’s address to the Galatians he brings to their attention that the act of baptism recognises the transition from the previously held rules & designations both religious and secular, to now being clothed in the righteousness and Way of Christ, no longer divided by ethnicity, colour, social status or sex, but now redeemed and one in Christ Jesus, heirs according to the promise, there’s no division or double mindedness in Christ so neither should there be in His body the Church.

6.
It is impossible to separate the blood of Christ from baptism.
The sinner must come into contact with the blood of Christ for forgiveness to take place. This is because it is His blood that purges the conscience of sin. (Hebrews 9:13-14, 10:1-4) The Bible clearly teaches that a sinner contacts the blood of Christ at the point of scriptural baptism.
Notice the following proof:
… Matthew 26:28 “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”, Yet we see that BAPTISM is for the remission of sins. “ ..Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” Acts 2:38. Sins are therefore remitted by the blood of Christ when a sinner is scripturally baptized. …It is not the water that remits sins, but rather the blood of Christ that is contacted in the water baptism.

6.
Acts 2:38
“Then Peter said to them, “Repent (b), and let every one of you be baptized (c) in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I don’t believe the teaching of this verse implies that baptismal water becomes Christ’s blood or that baptism is a requirement for salvation, I believe it teaches consistent with Romans 10:10 that three personal responses are instructed in the person to receive salvation, the first is belief* (a), the second is repentance (b), and the third is public confession (c) of faith.

Romans 10:10
“For with the heart one believes (a) unto righteousness (b. repentance/obedience), and with the mouth confession (c) is made unto salvation.”

In both Acts 2:38 and Romans 10:10, because of belief* (a) enabled by God (Ref. Acts 11:18, John 6:37, Ephesians 1:2-14), repentance (b) occurs in the heart (and subsequently in physical activity) then confession (c) is made to salvation; in Acts 2:38 the confession is expressed in the form of the process of baptism as described in 1 Peter 3:21 “…the answer of a good conscience toward God“, and in Romans 10:10 the confession is described as being expressed verbally.

7.
WE CANNOT SEPARATE THE GOSPEL FROM BAPTISM
The gospel Paul preached included baptism.

7.
As well as there being record of inclusion of baptism in Paul’s preaching, he also stated:

“I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; ¹⁵ Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. ¹⁶ And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. ¹⁷ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” 1 Corinthians 1:14-17

8.
In order for a person’s baptism to be scriptural they must first hear the gospel …;Believe…Repent, and confess…, Only after these steps are taken can anyone be scripturally baptized, and to be added to the church of Christ (Acts 2:41,47)

If you have not been immersed, for remission of sins, into the Church of Christ (Christ’s own church) then you have not been scripturally baptised and need to be baptised again. The account of the Ephesians proves this. Their immersion did not get them into Christ, so they had to be re-baptised (Acts 19:1-5).

8.
I agree with the sequence described as scriptural baptism, but to conditionally include that it is the only means to be added to the “church of Christ”; this may be true if the reference is to a denomination called “Church of Christ” is what is meant, but being added to that denomination is only a matter of denominational membership criteria and not a matter relating to eternal salvation, denominational membership isn’t adoption into the sonship of God, but if the entity referred to is the body of Christ as identified throughout scripture including Ephesians 1:22 “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,”, then it’s vital to understand that the criteria for salvation recorded in scripture and established by God which makes a person a part of the church, is not subject to criteria proposed by any man.

I believe the verses of Acts 19:1-5 which are referenced as argument to re-baptise are misapplied. The reason that Paul told the Jewish disciples to be re-baptised was so that they would receive Holy Spirit, his question to them was “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?“, he knew of their salvation through repentance in Christ (ref. Acts 19:4) as taught by John, which resulted in “remission of sins” Mark 1:4, they were already recipients of salvation through Christ Jesus, but they hadn’t yet received Holy Spirit:

Acts 19:1-6
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples ² he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” ³ And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” ⁴ Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” ⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

_{AO 26th June 2023}