Questions and Answers

Do You Have to be Baptized to be Saved?
By Adam Bartlett

There are some who believe that if you are not baptized you are not saved, and there are others that take it far too lightly. So what is right and what does the Bible say regarding this issue? To find the answer I think it is only fitting to look at the definitions of the two issues in question; salvation and baptism.

Salvation

Webster's dictionary (1936 edition) defines it this way:

Salvation - the act of saving; state of being saved; the deliverance of the soul from sin and death.

Noah Webster was a very devout Christian man and it was said he could recite the complete Bible by memory. Obviously we do not rely on Webster for salvation or even our proper interpretation of Scripture. Webster does not mention nor attach "baptism" to salvation but let's look at what the Bible has to say to draw our conclusion.

John chapter 3 is the definitive scripture on being born again. It is misinterpreted by many to make it fit their doctrine but it is very clear if we just let the scriptures speak for themselves.

John 3 3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4: Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8: The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (emphasis mine to make the point)

Nowhere in these verses does Jesus attach baptism with being born again. Many will take verse 5 and say that it is referring to baptism when it says being born of water and of the Spirit. Jesus clarifies it in the following verse that it is clearly speaking of natural birth and spiritual birth. Jesus referred to the being born of water in response to Nicodemus' question about entering a second time into the womb. Jesus then clarifies the two and gives a demonstration of it in verse 8. I don't believe Jesus would have us playing guessing games on such an important topic. If He meant it to mean baptism I have to believe He would have indicated it in a clear manner. There are other scriptures dealing with salvation that do not combine it with baptism, in fact does not even mention it.

Acts 4
12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Romans 10
9: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Ephesians 2
8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.


It is clear by scripture that salvation is a matter of believing by faith whom Jesus is, what He done, and accepting that by making Him Lord of your life. To get a better understanding of the difference between the two we need to proceed to the definition of what Baptism is and then we will discuss them in contrast to each other.

Baptism

Webster's dictionary (1936 edition) defines it this way:
Baptism - a ceremony in which water is used as a symbol of purification, initiating a person into the visible church of Christ.
It is my opinion that there is not a clearer and more concise definition of baptism than that found in Romans chapter 6.

Romans 6
1: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2: God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4: Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5: For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If you notice the first five chapters of Romans focuses on the fact that it is through believing by faith and acting on that faith that we are redeemed. Chapter 6 gives us the definition of baptism relating it to our spiritual regeneration and then the following chapters go on to explain the realities of that symbolization.

Let me clarify my position on this before we go any further. I believe baptism is very important and I believe according to the scriptures and the examples we see in Acts and other places in the Bible it is clearly associated as part of a believer's expectations. I don't understand why some feel the need to make doctrines that are not consistent with scripture, to make them different and claim they have spiritual supremacy. I believe that if a person does not want to get baptized that would indicate a problem. Any person that has truly been born again should want to be baptized. It is an outward expression of an inward transaction. I believe a person should be baptized as soon as possible after conversion and it should not be delayed. However, I cannot find scriptures to support the idea or claim that it should be attached to their salvation.

I also want to cover this because I know it will surface as a rebuttal by those that believe in the doctrine of baptismal salvation. There is a scripture that seemingly contradicts those mentioned above which is found in Mark.

Mark 16
15: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Many take this verse and claim it is support for their doctrine because this one verse seems to add baptism to salvation. I would also like to point out that the other scriptures that mirror this one found in Matthew 28: 18-20 and Luke 24:47-48, do not attach baptism the way this one seems to. I say the way it "seems" to indicate that because it is not seen that way by Greek scholars. I am not a Hebrew/Greek scholar but I do have books by some. From Spiros Zodhiates and the Vine's Expository Dictionary on Hebrew and Greek words I give you this explanation of this verse.

The word "believeth" is pisteusas (from pisteuo [4100]), an aorist participle referring to one who has believed at some time in the past. Also, baptistheis (907), translated "is baptized," is an aorist participle but in the passive voice. This form refers to an act of outward obedience, in this case, baptism. Therefore, the correct translation here should be stated, "He who believed and who was baptized shall be saved." However, the Lord adds, "… but he that believeth not shall be damned." It should be noted that this negative statement does not include a reference to baptism, making it clear that what saves a person is living faith in Jesus Christ. This is made clear in Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith…" The word "saved" is translated from the Greek word sesosmenoi, which is a perfect passive participle. It means that this salvation took place at some pint in the past and is continuing on in the present, being accomplished by Jesus Christ Himself. If baptism were necessary for salvation, Ephesians 2:8 and many other verses should have been translated "ye are saved through faith and baptism." There are examples in the NT of people who were baptized for selfish reasons, rather than for the purpose of demonstrating their inner, saving faith in Christ (Luke 3:7-9, the Pharisees; Acts 8:9-25, Simon). Baptism is a distinct act of obedience apart from salvation. This is clarified by the order in which the words "believe" and "baptize" occur in the text (cf. Matt. 28:19 [note here that the word "teaching" precedes the mentioning of "baptism"]; Acts 2:38; 10: 44-48.

This is a very in-depth definition and explanation of the verse in question but I thought it was worth it for the information it contains.

Summary

This is an important topic and as I mentioned before this is a very important act in a believer's life. Also as the definition above so aptly put it "baptism" is a distinct act of obedience apart from salvation. So in answer to the original question, "Do you have to be baptized to be saved?" The answer is no according to the Bible. I don't want to end this answer with an apparent open door for someone to say, "I don't need to be baptized according to the Bible." That is the farthest thing from the truth. Even Jesus got baptized… did you hear me, EVEN JESUS GOT BAPTIZED! He did it as an example to us and He instructed His disciples to baptize all that would be saved. If you are born again and don't feel the need to be baptized, then I would suggest examining yourself because as I said before, you should want to be baptized. You are following in Jesus' steps and dying to yourself and raising to be a new person in Christ. Your baptism is your announcement to the world and your family of God that you are serious about your decision.

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