Here is my own refutation of the water bapstism saves arguement:
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
This verse doesn’t say that baptism saves. Look at the explanation of the verse. That which is born of flesh is flesh (water represents fleshly birth, the mother’s womb contains water), that which is born of Spirit is spirit (Spiritual birth)
This is a Protestant tradition that you were taught against the sacraments of the Catholic Church. Jesus is here speaking of water baptism. You have misunderstood the passage. Nicodemus had already been born of his mother, but he still asked if he should return again to his mother’s womb. No, Jesus was speaking of the waters of baptism, which He Himself sanctified by entering them.
As far as baptism saving you, it is the baptism of repentence that saves, not water baptism. The baptism is an outward showing of what happens when you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. It is NOT salvation, nor is it part of it. It is a believer’s act of obedience.
The two are not to be separated from one another. Repentance and water baptism go together, for John, and for Jesus, and for the Church.
Mr 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Look at this verse. At first glance it appears as though baptism saves. But it says “He that believeth not shall be damned.” He is not damned for not being baptized.
No, but the normative expectation is that baptism should happen,and is part of salvation. God can save whoever He wants, however He wants. He told us to use baptism as a means of infusing His grace.
1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto 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:
The baptism being talked about is a good concience toward God not water baptism. It says “not the putting away of the filth of the flesh” but what? “a good conscience toward God”
They are not separated. The washing with the water in baptism is not for personal bathing, it is for washing clean the conscience. Sins are washed away by the cleansing waters in baptism.
Here are verses regarding Salvation:
This thinking is erroneous. To cherry pick out certain verses, and say “here they are…about salvation” is not appropiate. It is true that these verses teach important concepts about salvation, but they need to be taken together with ALL the verses, whether the word salvation is in them, or not.
Ac 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Where is baptism mentioned here for Salvation?
Read down a couple verses:
Acts 16:33-34
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family.
Repentance unto salvation is not to be separated from baptism.
1Co 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. {words: or, speech}
What did it just say?
This passage is about Paul being grateful that he did not personally baptize people because they were becoming factious. He is aware that he has another gift:
1 Tim 2:6-7
7 For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth."
There are others that do the baptisms. Paul is saying that he does not want people to become divided over who performed the baptism, not that it wasn’t important. Paul was baptized, and had all the believers baptized.
Rom10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Where is baptism mentioned here?
Belief, and profession of faith is not to be separated from baptism, at which time a person is filled with the HS.
Acts 9:17-19
“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, 19 and took food and was strengthened.
Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Where is baptism mentioned here?
Like I said, these verses have to be taken together with the whole.
Acts 2:38
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 shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Repent> Believe> Be Baptized> Receive HS. They go together.
Eph 2:8 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.
It says it is by grace through faith, not baptism.
Baptism IS an act of faith.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
It says whosoever believeth in Him. Where is baptism meantioned here?
You quoted it above. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved.
If baptism were necessary for salvation surely it would have been mentioned in these important passages.
This is a logic error. It is not up to you to decide why the Holy Spirit arranged the teachings the way He did. It is arrogant for you to assume that, if they teachings are not arranged the way you think they ought to be arranged that they are not valid.
You cannot possess the Holy Ghost unless you are saved right?
The nature of salvation will have to go on another thread.
Ac 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
They were already saved and possessed the Holy Ghost and they had not been baptized yet.
And then what???
Acts 10:48
8 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
They are to go together.
Ga 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Where is baptism mentioned here?
For every passage you show me where baptism is not mentioned, I can show you one where it is. We are born into the kingdom through baptism, the circumcision of the new covenant.
Rom 6:3-4
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
The children of faith become baptized into His death.
Mr 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
I believe that some of those verses that you believe are talking about water baptism are actually talking about being baptized with the Holy Ghost.
They are one and the same. The HS acts in and through the waters of baptism.
Heb 10:22
2 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
We are washed by the HS.
Ro 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Baptism is not mentioned here.
Acts 18:7-9
8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.
Baptism goes hand in hand with faith unto salvation. The two are not meant to be separated.
Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The Door is Jesus Christ. We enter in by accepting Him.
Yes, and accepting Him means following His commandments, of which Baptism is one. They are not meant to be separated from each other.
Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
We open the door by receiving Him, what He did on the cross for us to pay for our sins. Baptism is an act of obedience. It is a public profession of faith.
The thief had a baptism of blood.
Ac 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
What was the requirement for Him to be baptized? He has to believe. Baptism is for believer’s only. Believer’s are already Saved.
Your definition of “saved” needs some work.
1Jo 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
If believing means that you know that you have eternal life, where is baptism mentioned here?
It is very clear that baptism is NOT for salvation but an act of obedience. It is an ordinaince just as communion is.
You have been wrongly informed by Protestant traditions. However, we can agree that baptism is required, and should only be given went saving faith is present. There are a lot of things about baptism you apparently have not been taught.
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sign over the family farm.