A debate has raged for aeons as to whether or not a person should be baptized to be saved or not. I have a pretty simple view of this whole issue. I don't get caught up in all the differing hypotheticals (i.e., If a person is headed toward the baptistry and they are hit by a bus, do they still go to heaven?). I think those are all stupid wastes of time to even discuss.
I think it boils down to this...Jesus said we should, so do it. Mark 16:16, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved." Why would anyone counter Christ's remarks? Who would argue against Jesus' position?
Now is a person saved before they are baptized? What exactly happens at baptism? How should baptism be performed? Those are all worthy discussions.
But whether or not a person should be baptized was settled by our Savior. The only individual who trusted Christ in the New Testament and was not baptized was the thief on the cross. Everyone else who trusted Christ and followed him in the New Testament was baptized. So the idea of an un-baptized follower of Jesus is not supported in the New Testament.
Next post I'll look at infant baptism and whether or not that is a valid practice.
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