There are NO traditions IN ADDITION to Scripture.

Lutero said:

There are NO traditions IN ADDITION to Scripture.

Precisely true. This is why you should drop the five alones and any other traditions of men taught by the Reformers which contradict the Traditions of God by word and epistle taught by the Catholic Church.

Roman Catholic sales pitch. Although certain people may be guilty of this, not everyone outside of the Roman Catholic church has done this.

Yes, everyone outside the Catholic Church believes in things which have been added to the Word of God and has approved things which have been removed from the Word of God.

Actually, the Lord has thoroughly enlightened me to the truth. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. Christianity is about a relationship with Jesus Christ and not legalistic religious bondage to a church that teaches false doctrine.

That is correct. The Catholic Church teaches only truth.

In Mark 16:16, if we look at this verse closely, we see that it is composed of two basic statements. 1—He who believes and is baptized will be saved.

agreed.

2—He who does not believe will be condemned.

Also true.

Clearly, the determining factor regarding whether one is saved or condemned is whether or not he believes.

How is belief proven? It is obvious that one is proven faithful if one acts upon his faith and is baptized. If one does not believe, there is no sense in being baptized.

Here, let me break it down further.

Say one believes and is baptized. Will he be saved? According to Mark 16:16, yes. According to the rest of Scripture, as long as he perseveres in good works to the end.

Now, say one believes and refuses to be baptized. Will he be saved? According to Mark 16:16, it takes both. Why? Because one who claims to believe but refuses the promises of Baptism does not truly believe. Therefore his belief amounts to an empty claim. Faith alone. Faith which is dead.

Now, say one does not believe but accepts Baptism. Will he be saved? According to Scripture, it doesn't matter what you do, without faith it is impossible to please God, therefore, according to my understanding, no.

Do I need even mention the person who does not believe and refuses baptism?

Do you disagree with any of that?

In interpreting this passage correctly, it is important to realize that while it tells us something about believers who have been baptized (they shall be saved), it does not say anything about believers who have not been baptized. In order for this verse to teach that baptism is necessary for salvation, a third statement would have had to be included, that statement being: “He who believes and is not baptized will be condemned” or “He who is not baptized will be condemned.” But, of course, neither of these statements is found in the verse. While Jesus does give the positive condition of baptism (whoever is baptized) in Mark 16:16, nowhere in the Bible do we find the negative condition of baptism being taught (such as whoever is not baptized will not be saved).

This, I think, is true. Because the verse presupposes someone who has heard the Gospel. However, someone who acts righteously, keeping the Commandments even though they have not heard the Gospel, will, the the Teaching of the Catholic Church, be saved by God because they have acted according to the Law written in their heart:
Acts 10:33-35

King James Version (KJV)
³³Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
³⁴Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
³⁵But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

If water baptism is absolutely required for salvation, then why did Jesus Himself not mention it in the following verses? (3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26).

How many times must Jesus repeat a teaching before you obey it? He just needs to mention it once for me.

What is the ONE requirement that Jesus mentions in each of these complete statements? BELIEVES. *What happened to baptism? *Hermeneutics. The omission of baptized with "believeth not" shows that Jesus does not make baptism essential to salvation.

Note however, that faith ALONE is never a condition for salvation.

Condemnation rests on unbelief, not on baptism. So salvation rests on belief.

I have broken it down above. I await your response to that explanation.

It logically follows that we get baptized after we believe, not before as infants,

If we know the Scriptures, we know that the faith of the parents is very important to God in Christ:
Matthew 15:28

King James Version (KJV)
²⁸Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Note how the daughter is saved because of the mother's faith.

Acts 2:38-40

King James Version (KJV)
³⁸Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
³⁹For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.
⁴⁰And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

Note how the promise is unto us and to our children. The children of a Christian are Christians from birth. It always seems strange to me that a Protestant consider his children heathen. What a strange thought. They relinquish their children to Satan until their children should save themselves by their proclamation of faith.

but if you are on your death bed and cannot get baptized, you are still saved because you BELIEVED (Acts 10:43;

⁴³To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
⁴⁴While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
⁴⁵And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
⁴⁶For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
⁴⁷Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
⁴⁸And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Let us see how St. Peter says one receives the remission of sins:
Acts 2:38

King James Version (KJV)
³⁸Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Romans 1:16)

That doesn't mention Baptism, but does not deny it's efficacy. While St. Paul in a different place, teaches the efficacy of Baptism:
Acts 19:2-5

King James Version (KJV)
²He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
³And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
⁴Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
⁵When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

THAT is faith.

which is in harmony with Mark 16:16(b)...but he that BELIEVES NOT shall be damned.

Agreed. Understanding that he who claims to believe, but does not act upon that belief, is only making empty claims.

The verse is simply talking about general cases without making a qualification for the unusual case of someone who believes but is not baptized. Not every believer will have the opportunity to get water baptized, as someone like the thief on the cross.

Agreed.

You are getting ahead of yourself. Notice that Acts 16:31 says to "Believe" on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, NOT believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized and you will be saved.

It is inferred:
³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
³²And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
³³And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.Otherwise, why was he so anxious to be baptized? And to have his whole house baptized?

Their baptism followed their faith and conversion.

Exactly! Doers of the Law are justified. Not the other way around. First one is converted and begins to obey Christ, then one is justified in Baptism.

Just as it did in Acts 10:43-48. In Acts 10:43, we see that whosoever BELIEVES IN HIM shall receive REMISSION OF SINS.

For a Christian, remission of sins is by Baptism:
Acts 22:16

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁶And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

cont'd

cont'd

These Gentiles were baptized in water (vs. 48) AFTER they had already BELIEVED, received the Holy Spirit and were saved (Acts 10:43-47).

Where does it say they were saved?

Referring back to what took place in Acts 10, we see in Acts 11:17, that God gave them the same gift (Holy Spirit) as he gave us, who BELIEVED in the Lord Jesus Christ (PRIOR TO WATER BAPTISM). So believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and getting water baptized AFTERWARDS are two distinct things.

On the contrary, Water Baptism effects that which it symbolizes. The washing of the Body symbolizes the washing of the soul by the Holy Spirit:
Titus 3:5

King James Version (KJV)
⁵Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

This is what Mark 16:16 means by believe and baptized. You must believe that Baptism is for the remission of sins or your Baptism is wasted. 

In Acts 15:8-9, we see that God, who knows the heart, showed that heaccepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by FAITH. Not faith and baptism.

St. Peter is speaking of the same incident. When he says, "purifying their hearts by faith", he means by Baptism.

Now listen. St. Cornelius, was he considered a just man because he followed Christ? Or because he followed teachings of Moses? St. Cornelius is not even aware of St. Peter at the time of his vision. And he is considered just because he pays alms and prays to God. Read Acts 10.

Because of his faith, St. Cornelius kept the Law of God and is considered Just. Then St. Peter is sent to him so that he may be baptized and his heart purified by faith, in the waters of Baptism for the remission of sins.

We are saved through faith, not works, (vs. 8,9) then created in Christ Jesus UNTO/FOR good works. Notice the order. Saved FOR good works NOT by good works.

I never said we were saved by good works. But Scripture is clear that if one does not persevere in good works, one won't be saved.

The "complete" Gospel? That sounds like the Mormon claim of teaching the "fullness" of the Gospel. You both ADD works to the Gospel (difference in style but same in substance) and teach a perverted gospel of works salvation, a DIFFERENT gospel. This is Satan's ultimate goal. KEEP YOU FROM TRUSTING IN CHRIST ALONE FOR SALVATION. He doesn't care how religious you try to be or where you attend church, as long as he can keep you BLINDED with UNBELIEF (2 Corinthians 4:3,4).

One. Scripture does not say Christ ALONE anywhere, anytime.
Two. I'm not Mormon and their teachings are anathema:
Galatians 1:8

King James Version (KJV)
⁸But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Three. As are the teachings of the Reformers because they are additions to the Scriptures and they have the added offense of having removed many Scriptures.

Four. Those who trust in God do the works which He made that we should walk in them:
1 Corinthians 6:8-10

King James Version (KJV)
⁸Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
⁹Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
¹⁰Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Five.
Revelation 22:13-15

King James Version (KJV)
¹³I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
¹⁴Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
¹⁵For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Believing in Jesus for salvation is more than just believing "mental assent" in the existence and historical facts about Christ. Saving belief is a complete trust in Christ's finished work of redemption as the allsufficient means of our salvation (Romans 1:16). It's not believe in Jesus "plus something else" or else your belief (trust, reliance) is not solely in Christ for salvation, but in something else as well. Jesus needs no supplements. What else are you believing/trusting in for salvation? Your church? Your works? Mass? How many supplements (in addition to Jesus) are you trusting in for salvation?

I believe in Jesus, therefore I obey Him:
Hebrews 5:9

King James Version (KJV)
⁹And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

You are putting the cart before the horse. You are confusing believing in Jesus for salvation with good works that follow as a result of salvation.

I simply follow the words of Scripture:
Romans 2:13

King James Version (KJV)
¹³(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Philippians 2:12

King James Version (KJV)
¹²Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

James 1:21-23

King James Version (KJV)
²¹Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
²²But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
²³For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

Matthew 7:21

King James Version (KJV)
²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. - descriptive of a believer.

He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. - descriptive of unbelievers.

There you go. Believers keep the Commandments.

Sincerely,

De Maria