Protestants: Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

[Philthy]

One weekend we had 95 people who had never been Baptized come and be spontaneously Baptized. They gave a quick speech on how they were convicted and whatnot, how they want to publicly proclaim their Faith and obey Christ’s command to be Baptized. It seemed pretty miraculous. The Pastors made sure they understood it before it was done, but it was over all three services.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing to you?

Being Baptized is a good thing. I’m not sure what it means to “make sure they understood it”. I’ve been to such Baptisms in the non-Denominational church I frequent, and some people were coming back for a 2nd or 3rd Baptism - that is not a good thing.
I don’t think they understood it - and I don’t think the Pastor did either!

 

[Le_Cracquere]

Reared in a Pentecostal church, I was given to understand that baptism was fitting and important, but WASN’T necessary for salvation, or needed to qualify someone as a Christian. It was considered equivalent to a solemn public announcement of one’s faith (which, seeing as how you were just doing it in front of a bunch of fellow church members, didn’t seem all that public to start with).

Incidentally–or maybe as a partial result–I didn’t get baptized until adulthood, when my wife & I were attending a Baptist church and needed to get baptized to qualify for membership. (Don’t ask me why, but I couldn’t have borne to do it in front of my parents, and doubt that I ever could have with them present.)

 

[Randy_Carson]

 

[Tomster]

Maybe it’s time to look into just what Pelagianism is?

 

[rcwitness]

Interesting.

One weekend we had 95 people who had never been Baptized come and be spontaneously Baptized. They gave a quick speech on how they were convicted and whatnot, how they want to publicly proclaim their Faith and obey Christ’s command to be Baptized. It seemed pretty miraculous. The Pastors made sure they understood it before it was done, but it was over all three services.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing to you?

Oh, and also that’s neat about your wife and how it can be practiced. What are normally the circumstances of spontaneous Baptism in the CC?

how spontaneous do you mean? The Eunuch asked for instruction first.

I was offered to receive Baptism ASAP (after expressing my belief) or continue in the new start of RCIA. I chose to meet with my good director for a year and study the faith. I don’t have any regrets!

I don’t have much doubt that if a person was to walk into a parish and request to speak with someone about the faith, then genuinely profess their belief and ask to receive Baptism quickly they would be granted. however, there is no danger showing patience and devotion to the preparation of the initiation rites.

peace
Michael