Is baptism essential to salvation?

[WIP]

Here are my thoughts.

I believe that God can save someone who is not baptized. Therefore, I guess I ascribe to the idea that baptism is not necessarily required for one to be saved. However, I also believe that baptism is necessary. Why do I believe that?

Searching the KJV for the keywords baptize, baptized, and baptism returned 82 results.

John is described in Luke 1:
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

From Luke 3 we learn how he prepared the way for the Lord:
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

Searching the KJV for the keyword “Water†returned 636 reference in one form or another beginning as early as Genesis 1:2 with the last reference in Revelation 22:17. Our bodies are about 70% water. The earth’s surface is about 70% water. Coincidence?

In Jeremiah 2:13 and again in 17:13 God refers to himself as “the fountain of living waters.†KJV

I found five other references to living water(s) in Zachariah, John, and Revelation.

Jesus himself was baptized even when John hesitated.
Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize.
Jew and gentile baptisms alike are recorded in scripture.

I don’t claim to understand or know much about baptism but it is becoming quite obvious that water and baptism are very important and that’s enough for me.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

I believe that God can save someone who is not baptized. Therefore, I guess I ascribe to the idea that baptism is not necessarily required for one to be saved. However, I also believe that baptism is necessary.

The non-baptised saved person is then as rare a Enoch whom God granted an exception to death for. So in other words, unless God explicitly makes an exception, in order for a person to be saved, they must be baptised?

 

[Butch5]

Here are my thoughts.

I believe that God can save someone who is not baptized. Therefore, I guess I ascribe to the idea that baptism is not necessarily required for one to be saved. However, I also believe that baptism is necessary. Why do I believe that?

Searching the KJV for the keywords baptize, baptized, and baptism returned 82 results.

John is described in Luke 1:
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

From Luke 3 we learn how he prepared the way for the Lord:
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

Searching the KJV for the keyword “Water” returned 636 reference in one form or another beginning as early as Genesis 1:2 with the last reference in Revelation 22:17. Our bodies are about 70% water. The earth’s surface is about 70% water. Coincidence?

In Jeremiah 2:13 and again in 17:13 God refers to himself as “the fountain of living waters.” KJV

I found five other references to living water(s) in Zachariah, John, and Revelation.

Jesus himself was baptized even when John hesitated.
Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize.
Jew and gentile baptisms alike are recorded in scripture.

I don’t claim to understand or know much about baptism but it is becoming quite obvious that water and baptism are very important and that’s enough for me.

Hi WIP,

I agree with you. Here is what I believe is the main point. God can save anyone, He doesn't need anything to do that. However, He told the apostles to go and make disciples by baptizing and teaching them. That is what we are to do. Nowhere has God promised to save a person who refused to be baptized.

 

[About the Son of God]

He told the apostles to go and make disciples by baptizing and teaching them. That is what we are to do. Nowhere has God promised to save a person who refused to be baptized.

That makes a lot of sense.