Many people have asked this question, and I felt it was important to address it. I've seen several people post videos and make claims that baptism is necessary for salvation, or I have also seen or heard people say that if you're not baptized "in the name of Jesus," it didn't take," and I'm sick and tired of seeing bad teachings and half-baked theology being thrown around on this topic with no actual contextualized biblical backing. I'm going to start by quoting a couple of articles on this topic, one from John MacArthur (Grace To You) and one from Tom Nettles from (Founders Ministry), Josh Buice (G3 Ministires), and then end with my final thoughts on the subject matter.
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Grace To You (John MacArthur)
First, it is quite clear from such passages as Acts 15 and Romans 4 that no external act is necessary for salvation. Salvation is by divine grace through faith alone (Romans 3:22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30; 4:5; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 3:9, etc.).
If water baptism were necessary for salvation, we would expect to find it stressed whenever the gospel is presented in Scripture. That is not the case, however. Peter mentioned baptism in his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38). However, in his sermon from Solomon’s portico in the Temple (Acts 3:12-26), Peter makes no reference to baptism, but links forgiveness of sin to repentance (3:19). If baptism is necessary for the forgiveness of sin, why didn’t Peter say so in Acts 3? Paul never made water baptism any part of his gospel presentations. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul gives a concise summary of the gospel message he preached. There is no mention of baptism. In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul states that “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel,” thus clearly differentiating the gospel from baptism.
Those passages are difficult to understand if water baptism is necessary for salvation. If baptism were part of the gospel itself, necessary for salvation, what good would it have done Paul to preach the gospel, but not baptize? No one would have been saved. Paul clearly understood water baptism to be separate from the gospel, and hence in no way efficacious for salvation.
This article originally appeared at Grace to You. © 2007 Grace to You. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Founders Ministry (Tom Nettles)
Jesus commanded his disciples immediately before his ascension, “As you go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28: 19). The confession states, “The outward element to be used in this ordinance is water, wherein the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” It continues by affirming, “Immersion, or dipping of the person in water, is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance.” (29: 3, 4).
They Obeyed His Command According to his instructions: Exactly according to his word, we find the disciples at Pentecost responding, “So those who received his word were baptized” which consisted of “everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39, 41). We find the same order true in Samaria, “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). When the gospel came with power to the house of Cornelius through the preaching of Peter, in the presence of the “believers from among the circumcised,” Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” On that basis, therefore, “He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:47, 48). When the Philippian jailer heard the message, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household,” he took Paul to his house where Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house” (Acts 16:31, 32). The promise of salvation through faith was to him and to his household, so they too must hear the word in order to believe. They did and “he was baptized at once, he and all his family.” The last part of verse 34 should read, “And he rejoiced, all of his house having believed in God.” The whole household was instructed in the word, the whole household believed, and the whole household was baptized.
Baptism is Trinitarian. In the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 4:13-17), we see the clearly trinitarian arrangement of the ordinance. The Son of God is there, submitting to all righteousness; the voice of the Father is there proclaiming the belovedness and the eternal sonship of the Son; and the Holy Spirit is there descending as a dove showing that, in this mysterious incarnation, the Son of God himself must indeed fulfill all righteousness as a man who “through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14).
Immediately after this initiatory event and the manifestation of the trinitarian nature of this mission, the continuing element of the Spirit’s involvement becomes clear. Jesus was “full of the Spirit” and was led, really driven, by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. This began the tests in which Jesus fulfilled all righteousness that we might be justified and adopted.
[1] Parts of this article come from a chapter in an upcoming book published by Founders Press entitled Praise is His Gracious Choice.
Josh Buice (G3 Ministries)
Jesus Commanded the Trinitarian Formula
When it comes to faith and practice, it’s critical to build your doctrinal positions and formulate your positions of how to live out your faith based on Jesus’ clear teachings. If Jesus commands something, there is no need to pray about it or consider it. The commands of Jesus should never be lowered down to the level of a consideration. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Just before the ascension of Jesus following his death, burial, and resurrection—Jesus made a statement that we have memorized and used as our marching orders as the church of Christ. He said:
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20).
While we do have Scriptural evidence of new believers being baptized in the name of Jesus in the New Testament, it seems clear that the reason for that particular statement was centered on the fact that Jesus was largely rejected as the Messiah of God and the early disciples were elevating Jesus to a position of prominence. In short, they were embracing Jesus as the Christ.
However, when we see Jesus’ words at the end of his public ministry, we notice that he commands the Trinitarian formula as opposed to the “Jesus only” formula. Furthermore, all throughout history, the “Jesus only” formula has been used by heretical groups such as the Oneness Pentecostals who have aberrant and deficient doctrinal positions that are clearly beyond the boundaries of orthodoxy. The church of Jesus must follow Jesus’ commands regarding baptism.
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Final thoughts by Caleb Gordon
I don't want you to think that I think baptism is unimportant. Because it is. But I don't want to give baptism a role that it was never meant to have. Baptism depicts the gospel. It depicts the Lord Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. That is the GOSEPL, and it is the GOSPEL, not the water, that saves us. And if water was linked to our salvation, Ephesians 2:8-9 would be meaningless. The act of baptism is just that: an act. Nothing more, nothing less. If baptism was required for salvation or entry into heaven, why did Jesus not require it of the thief on the cross?
Luke 23:42–43 records that the theif said, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Nothing was said about getting into the pool of water. Jesus was the only way to be saved! He was saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Nothing was added. Christ is not glorified if you perform an act that is required for your salvation. The entire purpose of what Jesus did on the cross was to do what no man could ever do. Keep the law perfectly and thus set people free from the consequences of breaking the law, and the only way this was accomplished was through the blood of Christ shed on Calvary's cross.
(Hebrews 9:22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.).
On a side note, churches that teach that you must be baptized (especially in their church) in order to be saved, such as 'Christian' churches, the Church of Christ, and others like this, should be avoided at all costs, as they are teaching false gospels.
So, while baptism is important because Jesus said so, it is not required for salvation. Jesus is the one who saves you. You receive salvation solely by God's grace through faith alone. And for that I am grateful. I wouldn't want to rely on the best 2.1 seconds of my life to reconcile me with God because I'm sure I'd blow it. I'm grateful to Jesus for doing all of the heavy lifting to get me to where He wants me to go, and where he wants you to go is to the baptism pool, post salvation. While baptism is not required for salvation, we are called to obey the Lord in this ordinance known as baptism. Because Christ commanded it, we are baptized after our salvation. It's simple, but we make it so complicated.
Take comfort in that truth today.
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