Is Baptism Essential?

Mark Dunagan
02/07/16 - Sunday Morning

Is Baptism Essential?

Jesus placed baptism before salvation and that should settle the issue (Mark 16:16).   Peter said that “baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21).  That should settle the issue.  Yet there have been many arguments advanced in the attempt to convince people that baptism is not essential for salvation. 

“In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul said that Christ did not send him to baptize, therefore baptism is not part of the gospel and is not essential to salvation”

• Yet, everywhere that Paul preached the gospel in the Book of Acts people were baptized.  Paul preached to Lydia and she was baptized (Acts 16:14-15).  The same is true of the Philippian Jailor (Acts 16:33), and people in Ephesus (Acts 19:9). 
• The very people that Paul is writing to in the Corinthian letter were baptized when Paul preached to them: Acts 18:8
• Paul even mentions specific individuals in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 that he had baptized (1:14-16).
• The problem in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 is not baptism, rather it was division in the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:11), based on following men (1:12), which in turn was founded on the erroneous assumption on the Corinthians part that you followed the man who had personally baptized you (1:15).  This is the context in which Paul says, “Christ did not send me to baptize”.  That is, it was not Paul’s task or job to personally baptize everyone who responded to the gospel. 
• The essential nature of baptism is actually seen in this chapter.  In 1 Corinthians 1:13 Paul makes the argument that the only way that anyone could rightly call themselves “after Paul” is that Paul must have been crucified for that person, and that person would then have to be baptized in the name of Paul. 

Therefore, a person cannot wear the name of Christ (call themselves a Christian) unless they had been baptized into the name of Christ.  Obviously, if Jesus did not die for me, then I cannot be a Christian.  Just as obvious, if I have not be baptized in His name (Acts 2:38) I am not a Christian either. 

“What about the thief on the cross?  Wasn’t he saved without being baptized?”

• While Jesus was on earth He had the power to the forgive sins of people He encountered (Mark 2:10).
• The command to be baptized in Mark 16:16 was given after Jesus forgave the thief and after both Jesus and the thief died.
• The thief lived, died and was forgiven under the First Covenant or the Old Testament period.  Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection started a New Covenant, which includes the command to be baptized to be saved (Hebrews 9:15-17).

“What about people who die on the way to be baptized?”

• First, I have never heard of such a case and we don’t have any cases like this recorded in the Bible.  Jesus knows every possible “what-if” and yet still commanded us to be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16).
• If we say that God is going to save the person on the way to be baptized if a tree limb falls on them---then jump to the conclusion that this means that baptism is not necessary for salvation.  Then the same argument could be used against any condition for salvation, including repentance, confession or faith.  So what about the person who is going to hear the gospel, will believe, but a tree limb falls on them before they hear the gospel and believe, does that mean that the gospel and faith are not necessary for salvation?
• My experience has been that falling tree limbs and car accidents are not the thing to be worried about.  Rather, what is deadly is putting off being baptized and simply allowing one opportunity after another to pass by (Acts 22:15; 24:25).

“Suppose a man is in a desert and wants to be saved, yet there isn’t enough water to baptize him?”

• Yet John the Baptist was baptizing in the Judean wilderness (which is a desert) and was baptizing all sorts of people (Matthew 3:1, 5-6).
• Anywhere in the world where there isn’t enough water to be baptized is equally a place where man cannot survive physically.  People who live in desert regions have wells, they have livestock, and there is enough water to bathe, clean, water their livestock, cook and to be immersed.
• The man who is away from enough water to be baptized does not have to stay there.  Saul waited for three days to hear a preacher command him to be baptized (Acts 9:9).  Someone intent on being saved will find enough water in which to be baptized as soon as possible (Acts 8:36).

“Baptism is a work and Paul said that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works”

• Observe that the major or well known passages that tell us that we are not saved by works (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9) have baptism mentioned in the passage (Titus 3:5 “washing of regeneration”) in the context (“and raised us up with Christ” (Ephesians 2:6) or in the epistle as being very essential (Ephesians 4:4-6 “One baptism”).
• The work or works that do not save us are works of man’s invention.  Yet baptism is a command of God (Acts 2:38; Luke 7:28-29).
• Jesus and the Apostles never saw a contradiction between faith and baptism, that one was faith and the other was works.  Rather, they always placed faith and baptism together (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:12; 18:8).
• In Colossians 2:12 it is made very clear that we do not do the work in baptism, rather, God is doing all the work in baptism.
• When Paul said that we are not saved by works, he is not saying that there are no conditions for salvation or that no effort is needed on our part.  Taking the time to hear the gospel and give it an honest hearing takes work.  Making the decision to side with God, and believe takes a lot of work.  Confronting the sin in one’s life and turning from sin and to God (repentance) that takes work.  Confessing Christ takes work (Romans 10:9-10).  Actually, of all the conditions mentioned prior to salvation (hearing the gospel, faith, repentance, confession and baptism), baptism actually is the most passive.
• Many of those who claim that baptism is a work that does not save, actually have invented their own substitute for this essential condition that Jesus commanded.  In many churches where people are told that one is saved by faith alone, when it really comes down to being saved they are also told to believe in Jesus, accept Him as their personal Savior, let Him into their heart, come forward and then say the “Sinner’s Prayer”.  Wait a minute.  Where is that in Ephesians 2:8-9?  I can find baptism in that context, book and in the New Testament, yet I cannot find the “Sinner’s Prayer”.

“In Mark 16:16, Jesus doesn’t say, ‘He who is not baptized shall be condemned”

• Jesus did not need to add “and is not baptized”.  The failure to believe will stop a person dead in their tracks.  If a person does not believe and is baptized, they just go wet.  Every condition for salvation is equally essential.  If I don’t listen to the gospel, I cannot believe (Romans 10:17).  If I don’t believe, my confession and baptism will be meaningless. If I don’t repent, then my confession and baptism are meaningless.  If I don’t confess Christ, then my faith is worthless (John 12:42-43).  And if I refuse to be baptized, then I really did not believe Jesus in the first place (Acts 8:35-36; 16:30-34; 2:41). 

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net