Bible Q&A: Is baptism required for salvation?

October 4, 2002

See: All Bible Q&A columns Bible questions and answers by John Myers, Internet Photojournalist

Bible Question: "I read a booklet which said, 'We absolutely must be buried in baptism (not sprinkled or poured) to become a Christian. There is no hope for those who are not correctly baptized.' Is this true?"
Bible Answer: In a word, no. I'm a Baptist, have been since I got saved in 1977, and probably will always be one, but not even fundamental Southern Baptist believers like me can say that baptism has anything whatsoever to do with your salvation.
If it did, how about the thief on the cross beside Jesus?
Luke 23: 39-43 gives us the account of the thief's salvation.
"Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, 'If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.'
"But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.'
"And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'"

Can't we take Jesus' word for the thief's salvation?

Now where in that particular passage does it say, or even imply, that someway, somehow, the thief came down off the cross long enough to get baptized and they went back up there and died? You can't find that in there, because it's not there.
And we have the word of Jesus Christ Himself that this man was saved, because Jesus said that very day he would be with Him in Paradise. If that's not an assured salvation, there's none. So this man made it without being baptized, and nowhere else in the Bible does it say we have to be baptized to be saved.
I certainly believe in baptism, and being a Baptist I believe in the old-fashioned dunk 'em all the way under method, because I believe that's what John the Baptist did to Jesus Christ Himself.
They didn't call him John the Sprinkler. But baptism is merely an outward show of an inward work, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which occurs when you are saved. If you've been baptized in the Spirit of the Lord, water baptism is merely following in the steps of the Lord to fulfill all righteousness.
Baptism won't save you, and if you don't have it, it won't cause you not to be saved. Salvation is faith in Jesus, nothing less or more.

Submit Bible questions by email to writeme@johnwmyers.com

(John Myers has been a Christian lay speaker, Sunday School adult teacher and newspaper Bible study columnist for more than 20 years.)