Is baptism essential for salvation?

by Honesty 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Honesty

  Is the following information from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society what the bible really teaches?

  *** Watchtower 1989 January 15 p.15 How Baptism Can Save Us ***

  How Baptism Can Save Us

  "Immersion . . . saves us."-1 PETER 3:21, The Emphatic Diaglott.

  JEHOVAH has specific requirements for those seeking salvation. They must acquire accurate knowledge, exercise faith, repent of their sins, be converted, make a dedication to God, and undergo baptism as believers. (John 3:16; 17:3; Acts 3:19; 18:8) Baptismal candidates must acknowledge publicly that on the basis of Jesus' sacrifice they have repented of their sins and have dedicated themselves to Jehovah. They must also understand that dedication and baptism identify them as Jehovah's Witnesses.

  2 The entire baptismal arrangement, including this public expression of faith, is essential for salvation
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  stillajwexelder

  (John 17:3) 3 This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.

  NOT BAPTISM
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  Honesty

  So stilla, is the Watchtower wrong on this? I agree with you, BTW. Except I use an accurate Bible rather than the apostate WT version:

  John 17:3 This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ.
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  blondie

  Mark 16:16 (New Living Translation)

  Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.

  Acts 16:30-33 (NLT)

  30 He brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household." 32 Then they shared the word of the Lord with him and all who lived in his household. 33 That same hour the jailer washed their wounds, and he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.

  It appears that belief in the Lord Jesus is necessary for salvation.

  Blondie
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  Gregor

  This is a trick question, right?
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  Shazard

  To be saved you have to have faith. But as just grown seed is in risk without the land you have to plant it to get fruits from it, so the same is danger for unbaptised believer. But what matters at the time of death if the seed is alive... so if you became believer (seed becomes alive) and you are hit by the car you get saved. And so if you are in the land (in baptism) but you do not have the life (faith) you still are dead seed! Baptism for christian life is like land for seed to grow and bare fruit. If you will thing about baptism in this categories you will understand each place in the bible about baptism. Land gives for seed the water and food. Baptism gives forgiviness of sins and gift of the Spirit. In the baptism you hear voice of God specially saying to you "your sins are forgiven for sake of Jesus Christ". It is God who baptises you, who pours the Spirit over you coz it is his promise. It is gift even if you don't understand what it is, it does not changes it's power and meaning. Baptism is not anything YOU are doing. It is what God does for you! WT changed it in the work of man as they don't believe in the work of God.
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  Sad emo

  I was going to ask a question but Shazard has answered it for me! Thanks!

  But I'd still like to know how the WT answers it - how does the repentant thief come into this teaching, he got saved but was not baptised.
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  Honesty

  It is God who baptises you, who pours the Spirit over you coz it is his promise. It is gift even if you don't understand what it is, it does not changes it's power and meaning. Baptism is not anything YOU are doing. It is what God does for you!

  Shazard and emo, you two would wear the Watchtower scholars out in less time than it would take for them to compose New Light.
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  M.J.

  But I'd still like to know how the WT answers it - how does the repentant thief come into this teaching, he got saved but was not baptised.

  The WT teaches that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and unrighteous...that is, with the exception of those who go to "gehenna"...meaning that they are dead for good. These include those who willfully oppose God throughout history, as well as everyone destroyed at Armageddon. The theif is in the "unrighteous" category according to their doctrine, and will receive a resurrection. So they imply that Christ was telling the theif he will be resurrected on a paradise earth far into the future, along with the rest of the flunkies, so JWs can teach em right n proper, along with a good dunkin. Except he actually wont be WITH Christ as promised. But of course Jesus didn't LITERALLY mean WITH him...it was more like "with my peeps".
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  mdb

  There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
  1 Peter 3:21,22

  Talk about taking a passage out of context!

  Baptismal candidates must acknowledge publicly that on the basis of Jesus' sacrifice they have repented of their sins and have dedicated themselves to Jehovah

  Here's your public acknowledgement... it's not baptism by water that saves, but a spiritual baptism (death to the flesh and being born of the spirit), a spiritual rebirth.

  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
  Rom 10:8-11

  "But those things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart..." (Matt 15:18)

  If you believe in your heart on Jesus Christ, then you will not be ashamed and from your mouth public proclamation will be made. As followers of Christ, one will be baptised by water because Jesus commanded us that we should and if we love His commands, that's what we'll do. But to say one must be baptised by water in order to be saved is to add works to a salvation which comes only by the grace of God through faith.

  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
  Eph 2:8

  The thief on the cross was not baptized by water and the Lord said, "today you will be with Me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) Why did Jesus say it? Because the thief believed on Jesus Christ and was saved. God revealed that truth to him so it remains that God was gracious to save a thief, even gracious enough to save me. Savation is by grace, by faith, not by works or by a water baptism. Even John said that though he baptized by water, one was coming who would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Matt 3:11)

  And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
  Acts 1:4,5