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Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

Myles Davis' Opening Statement

Let me first start by defining the proposition. By scriptures I mean the 66 books of the Bible both new and old testaments, by teach I mean to instruct or impart knowledge, by must be I mean just that there is no option, by baptism I mean immersion in water, and to be saved I am talking about the initial salvation. If this doesn’t define the proposition attackingly let my friend say so and I will be define further if needed.

Let me first by looking at Mark 16:16, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Notice here we have a compound and complex sentence. In the first sentence Whoever is the subject and will be saved is the predicate now Believe and be Baptized is the subordinate clause. I think I can ask any 5^th grade grammar student who is it in this sentence that will be saved and the will say he who believes and is baptized.

Question for Jeremiah: According to this passage who will be saved?

Next lets look a passages that I want to spend some time on and that is Acts 2:38,  And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

The phrase I want to point out to you is “for the forgiveness of your sins."  The Greek phrase for these phrase is "eis aphesin hamartion humon" (εις αφεσιν αμαρτιων) and is found in the Bible 4 times. Let’s look at anther lace where this phrase is found and that is Matt. 26:28, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Question for Jeremiah: Why did Jesus shed his blood?

Jeremiah you need to deal with this. In Acts 22:16, "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

Be careful on how you answer this question because whatever the reason he did it is the same reason we are repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38).

Now something else I want to discuss is the conversion of Paul. Many people say that Paul was saved on the road of Damascus like my friend Jeremiah might, so let’s look at this. 

What about Saul?

 In Acts 22:16, "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

Question for Jeremiah: Have you ever under any circumstances told anyone what Ananias told Saul?

If Paul was saved on the road of Damascus

a) God didn’t know it because he said go into the city and there it will be told to thee what you must do (Acts 9:6)

b) Saul didn’t know it because he was without sight, neither eat nor drink (Acts9:9)

c) Ananias didn’t know it because he said arise and be baptized calling in the name of the Lord.

Just turn this passage upside down and you have Jeremiah’s doctrine.

The next passage I want to look at is Rom. 6:3, “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.”

Bible: “We die from our sins and are buried with him in Baptism.”
Jeremiah: You are alive in Christ and then you are buried with him in Baptism.
 

JEREMIAH IS BURYING LIVE PEOPLE!!!   

Next thing I want to look at is how we are saved by Grace through Faith?

In Eph. 2:8-9 the bible says, ”For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The Ephesians Heard, Believe, Repented, Confessed, and were Baptized. THEN NOT BEFORE, BUT AFTER THEY DID THIS, PAUL WRITES THEM A LETTER SAYING YE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH!!!

Question for Jeremiah: Will you tell me what someone has to do before they are saved by grace through faith? (A) Hear (B) Believe C) Repent (D) Confess (E) Be Baptized (F) All of the above

Now let me illustrate this point with some stories in the Torah

                                         Jericho ’s Fall
                                            (Joshua 6)
1. God said “I have given into thine hand Jericho ”(verse 2).
2. The Israelites were told to march around the city for seven days when did they take the city?

1.  After they marched the first day?
2.  After they marched the third day?
3.  After they marched the fifth day?

NO!!!   

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, AFTER they were compassed about the seven days” (Hebrews 11:30).

                                      Naaman’s cleansing
                                            (2Kings 5:10)
10. “And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.”
                                       When was he cleansed?
                                       1. After the first dip?
                                       2. After the third dip?
                                       3. After the fifth dip?
                                                   NO!!!
But he was cleansed by faith after he was dipped in the Jordan seven times.

                       Healing those bitten by the fiery serpent  
                                         (Numbers 21:6-7)

1. (6)“Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.

(7) “The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.

2. (8) “The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.

(9) So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.”

Question for Jeremiah: What did the have to do to be healed? (A) Just have faith (B) Look and live (C) Pray to God
Question for Jeremiah: what are we to do to be saved? (A) Just have faith (B) All that God tells us to (C) Pray to God
 

                       Healing those bitten by the fiery serpent  
                                         (Numbers 21:6-7)
1. (6)“Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.

(7) “The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
2. (8) “The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.

(9) So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.”

Question for Jeremiah: What did the have to do to be healed? (A) Just have faith (B) Look and live (C) Pray to God
Question for Jeremiah: what are we to do to be saved? (A) Just have faith (B) All that God tells us to (C) Pray to God

Next let look at 1 Peter 3:20,21:

20. “Which sometime were disobedient when once the longsuffering of God waited in these days of Noah while the ark was a-preparing wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water.
 21. The like figure where unto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Here we see water baptism saves us. Now what about washing away the filth of the flesh?
The phrase washing away of the filth of the flesh according to the Arndt and Gingrich Greek lexicon means “removing of dirt from the body“.

The last thing I want to do in this speech is go back and look at the phrase for the forgiveness of sins in Acts 2:38. Many people in the religious world today say in reply to this that the Greek word translated “for” means because of and not in order to as I would teach so I want to spend the last part of this speech looking at this

26 Translations on Acts 2:38

King James - repent, and be baptized ... for the remission of sins

American Standard - repent ye, and be baptized … unto the remission of your sins

Modern English - change your minds and be baptized for a release of your sins

Goodspeed's - You must repent, and every one of you be baptized in order to have your sins forgiven

Spanish Translation - Repent and be ye all baptized for the purpose of the remission of your sins

Macknight's Translation - Reform and be each of you immersed ... in order to the remission of sins

Phillips - … repent and everyone of you must be baptized – so that you may have your sins forgiven

Short Baptist College – … be baptized … for (in order that you may receive) the forgiveness of your sins

Wycliff's Translation (1308 - oldest English translation) - … and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, into remission of youre synnes

Anderson - Repent and be immersed in order to the remission of

Living Oracles - reform, and be ... immersed ... in order to the remission

German Translation - repent and be baptized ... (for, unto) in order to the forgiveness of sins

Indian Translation - Turn back and be baptized ... in order to the forgiveness of sins

First German Bible - Repent and ... be baptized ... for (in order to, unto) the forgiveness of sins

Emphasized - Repent ye, and be immersed ... into the remission of your

English Revised - repent ye, and be baptized ... unto the remission

Revised Standard - Repent, and be baptized ... for the forgiveness of

American Bible Union Translation (1858) - Reform and be immersed ... for the remission of sins

Modern Readers Bible (Moulton) - Repent and be baptized ... unto the remission of your sins

Twentieth Century - You must repent, and be baptized for the remission

Emphatic Diaglotto - Reform and be immersed for the forgiveness

Moffat's Translation - Repent ... be baptized for the remission of sins

Weymouth's Modern Speech (Robertson's Version) - Repent ... and be baptized ... for the remission of sins

Syriac Version - Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins

Rotherham's Translation - Repent ye ... and be immersed ... unto the remission

Douay Version (Roman Catholic) - Do penance ... and be baptized ... for the remission of your sins

                                     And I have many more if needed.

I wonder Jeremiah, will you go up against these 26 translations?

Acts 2:38

Definitions of "Eis" by Greek Scholars

Thayer (page 94) - “Eis aphesin hamartion," to obtain the remission of sins”

Charles B. Williams, Baptist Translator of the New Testament and a student of Edgar J. Goodspeed - "That your sins may be forgiven."

J.W. Wilmarth, a great Baptist scholar - "The truth will never suffer by giving to 'eis' it's true significance.  When the Campbellites translate 'in order to' in Acts 2:38, they translate correctly. … 'In order to declare' or 'symbolize' would be a monstrous translation of 'eis.'"

                                              And I have more of these too!

Thank you,

Myles Davis

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