Baptismal Question for Protestants

[Nicea325]

Quote:
The teaching that Baptism is required for salvation is also in error according to the words of Christ. For on the cross when the penitent thief asked to be remembered, Christ did not say get down and be baptized. Instead he said ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’ If Christ does not put a prerequisite of baptism as part of the salvation process then neither should we add to His words.

An error? According to Baptists,not Christ. And your argument is based off the criminal on the cross?

Baptism is necessary for salvation because 1 Peter 3:21 also says “baptism . . . now saves you.” Jesus as the only Savior uses the waters of baptism to save people from their sins. Further, our Lord once said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16).

John 3:5, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

This verse is so important that those who say baptism is just a symbol must deny that Jesus here refers to baptism. “Born again” Christians claim the “water” is the preached word of God.

But the early Christians uniformly identified this verse with baptism. Water baptism is the way, they said, that we are born again and receive new life—a fact that is supported elsewhere in Scripture (Rom. 6:3–4; Col. 2:12–13; Titus 3:5).

No Church Father referred to John 3:5 as anything other than water baptism.Jesus was baptized to make all the waters in the world holy and usable for baptism.