Baptism and salvation

Hi Lutero,

You said:
Mark 16:16 is another distorted verse use by false churches, which says: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” To fully understand it, you must realize the following:The Jews did not believe Jesus was God’s Son. When a Jew did get saved, he had thought it through well. Baptism soon, if not immediately, followed.

Thank you Joel, for posting this. Let’s compare your words to the Scripture.
Mark 16:16, He that believes and is Baptized will be saved.

Note the order. First, believed, then baptized, then saved.

You have inverted the order saying:
When a Jew did get saved, he had thought it through well. Baptism soon, if not immediately, followed.

So, for you, its, believed, then saved then baptized.

This is showing that for you, Scripture is not important. You put your beliefs above what Scripture actually says.

Many times when a Jew got baptized his family disowned him. Sometimes, they even went so far as to bury an empty coffin, telling everyone that their loved one was dead as far as they were concerned.

Please provide the Scripture reference for these ideas. I’ve never seen that in Scripture.

There were not many “secret disciples.” You’ll have to search hard in scripture to find someone who got saved and refused to be baptized. So, salvation and baptism were closely linked “in time.” If someone got saved, it was automatically assumed that they’d get baptized.

You are still going by YOUR false understanding. But Scripture is clear that we are saved in Baptism (1 Peter 3:21).

The early church baptized daily, if not on the spot (See Acts 2:47.) This is the reason the words “believeth” and “baptized” are so closely linked in Mark 16:16. If baptism was essential to salvation, the last part of the verse would read, “…but he that believeth not or is not baptized shall be damned.” But that’s not the way it reads.

You aren’t understanding the words.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

He that believes and is not baptized shall not be saved.
He that does not believe and is yet baptized, shall be damned (1 Corinthians 11:30).
He that does not believe at all, shall be damned.

John 3:16 emphasizes believe (trust) and doesn’t mention baptism one time.

True. It doesn’t mention baptism at all. So how do you read that baptism is unnecessary? Especially when other verses in Scripture command baptism?

Find me one verse in Scripture which says we don’t need to be baptized. If you can’t find it, then that is further proof that you are reading into Scripture, your presuppositions.

False teaching always has loopholes in it.

And we are finding many loopholes in your false teachings.

Again, baptism is the first obedient step after you get saved.

That is not what Scripture says. That is what you say. Even St. Cornelius, who had received the Holy Spirit, needed to be Baptized in order to be saved. If St. Cornelius had not been baptized, he would not have been born again, into the Body of Christ, he would not have been added to the Church and he would not have been saved (Acts 2:37-47).

It has no part in getting you to heaven. If you get saved and are never baptized you will still go to heaven just as the Bible promises. But, the Christian who doesn’t get baptized will never have the blessings in their life because of their disobedience.

That sounds like you just contradicted yourself. A Christian who doesn’t get his blessings is a Christian who is not saved (Matt 7:21).

Sincerely,

De Maria