Is Baptism by water mandatory for salvation...

Here in India, a question one often comes across is whether water baptism (full immersion) is mandatory to salvation... this is mainly because there are many which don't believe in full immersion baptism and take other routes like sprinkling / pouring water on the head. Some even allow the baptism of infants which is not scriptural.

When we are born many of us are born into the traditions of our parents and automatically become part of the church that they go to and its doctrine. But when we grow up some of us realize that maybe some of the traditions and doctrine was not based perfectly on scripture. Then comes the doubt whether we should be baptized again and in a proper manner... i.e by immersion

Many people argue against the need for baptism by water quoting as proof the example of the men who died on the cross beside Jesus.

And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.(Luke 23:32)
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:39-43)

Now what about this man to whom Jesus said that he would be with him in paradise. Obviously he wasn't baptized. Or what if someone is invalid or on death row when they accept Christ as Savior and they don't have an opportunity to be baptized in today's world?


This page will attempt to clarify all baptism related doubts by understanding Baptism from a scriptural point of view... Let's begin...

What is Baptism?

The passage of scripture that best explains what baptism is from the sixth chapter of the book of Romans,

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: (Romans 6:3-8)

According to the above passage of scripture Baptism is being buried with Jesus in His death so that we can be partakers of the resurrection as well. Personally I feel it is also a witness that we give to the people around us that Jesus is our Lord and Savior from that moment onwards.

1. The Great Commission of Jesus

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20)

This passage is called the Great Commission. Jesus' last commandments to His immediate disciples and by extension to all His believers. According to this passage we can see that Baptism is a direct commandment from the Lord Jesus. In fact the Lord places Baptism in the same category as teaching all nations, keeping His commandments which makes it a very important if not mandatory thing to do.

2. Baptism as a model is very much present but concealed in the Old Testament 

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; (1 Corinthians 10:1-2)

Hence we see that the concept of Baptism is there in the Exodus of Israel from Egypt through the Red Sea. There is a wonderful saying that goes, "The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed, The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed." Only if one reads the New Testament can one understand that the children of Israel were baptized unto Moses.

3. Naaman's example

All of us remember the story of Naaman. The Bible says that Naaman was the captain of the armies of the King of Syria. He was successful and honorable but he had one shortcoming, he was a leper. A young girl from Israel was a servant in Naaman's house and she advised Naaman's wife to send him to see the prophet Elisha to be recovered of his leprosy. And so Naaman went to see Elisha,

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 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. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:9-14)

The servants of Naaman advised him not to be angry and said that the prophet had asked him to do a small thing. Being baptized by water is also a very small thing, a small act of obedience which every able follower of Christ must gladly do.

4. Consider the time of the apostles

Consider the following verses from the book of the Acts of the Apostle,

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)

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? (Acts 8:36)

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. (Acts 10:48)

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

And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:1-5)

If the matter of baptism was such an important one that every person that accepted Christ in the time of the Apostles was baptized immediately then why should it be something that our generation puts away or is lethargic about.

5. Baptism by Full immersion not by sprinkling or pouring

What about the question of whether to baptize by immersion or by sprinkling or by pouring on the head? Firstly there is not a single incident recorded in the whole bible about any believer of Christ being baptized by sprinkling or pouring water on their heads. One may say there is not mention of the word immersion too but that is a very legalistic and religious view of the scripture.

Consider...

And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. (John 3:23)

Why was Much water required to baptize unless the person needed to be immersed completely?

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. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. (Acts 8:36-38)

Why did they go into the water to be baptized unless to be immersed completely?

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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (Romans 6:4-5)

How can someone be buried with Him or planted together with Him unless by immersion? Can you imagine sprinkling water on someone's head and saying that they have been buried with Jesus? That act doesn't depict a picture of burying at all...

The bible makes it very clear that every instance of baptism mentioned in the new testament was by immersion and not by methods like pouring and sprinkling. But one may ask if baptism is just a symbol then why should we not sprinkle or pour water. The answer is very simply that sprinkling or pouring does not symbolize death of the sinful flesh as does immersion (because in immersion we are buried in water which is compared to being buried with Christ).

6. Baptism as an infant? What age should one be baptized?

There is not a single instance of baptism of infants or babies in the bible. The act of baptism requires that the soul is able to realize that it is a sinner and the need for a savior.  How would a baby understand that lust or murder is a sin? How can a baby understand that Jesus is God or appreciate His sacrifice on the cross?A person can only be baptized after the age of accountability and when they understand and desire salvation through Jesus. The age of accountability is when a person is able to understand what sin is, what good and bad is...

7. Prerequisites to Baptism 

What does one require to do before one gets baptized?

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (Acts 2:37-39)

All anyone needs to do before baptism is to repent. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ...Unless a person has realized that they are a sinner and that they need to be saved, there is no point in Baptism. Once they have realized that they are a sinner the person must repent from their sins and be baptized.


8. Who should baptize you?

Someone may say that the pastor / preacher that baptizes a person must be a sincere committed man of God, following the right doctrine etc. Yes it would be good if the person baptizing was all that. But only God knows the true condition of his heart. Hence the preacher / pastor's sincerity doesn't matter as much as the sincerity of the person who is being baptized in turning away from his / her sinful nature...


 9. What are the steps of baptism? Are there any particular clothes / traditions / words?

There are no conventions for a baptism. One can wear any clothes, you can immerse in water forwards or backwards. There are some groups that argue whether one should be baptized only in the name of Jesus Christ as it is mentioned all through the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Or that one should baptize only in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost as commanded by Jesus. Aren't the two things essentialy the same? I mean would the apostles baptize in the name of Jesus Christ after being commanded by the Lord to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost if the two were different things?  I personally feel that both the events are one and the same thing. 

God looks at the heart and not on the outward appearance and hence the sincerity of the person being baptized is the only factor to be considered...

But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)



Conclusion

In concluding water baptism by immersion might not be mandatory for salvation when you are in a situation where you will die in the flesh before you can be baptized (for example the man who repented on the cross beside Jesus, a person who is sentenced to death, a person who is sick and invalid etc.). But everyone who is able to and not hindered by death or sickness must of their own free will, be baptized, having a desire to repent and turn to Jesus for the salvation of their soul.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
(1 Thessalonians 5:9)

- In His Grace



Feel free to comment or to get in touch with me if you think that something more could be added to this list...