Once again: Mark 16:16 - He who believes and is baptized will be saved (general cases without making a qualification for the unusual case of someone who believes but is not baptized) but he who does not believe will be condemned. The omission of baptized with "does not believe" shows that Jesus does not make baptism absolutely essential to salvation. Condemnation rests on unbelief, not on a lack of baptism. So salvation rests on belief. *NOWHERE does the Bible say "baptized or condemned."
*Jesus does clarify the first clause with "but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16(b) and Jesus DID NOT say that whoever is not baptized will be condemned. *In John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26, what is the ONE requirement that Jesus mentions 9 different times in each of these complete staments? BELIEVES. *What happened to baptism? *Hermeneutics.
No need for your faulty human logic. Scripture MUST harmonize with Scripture -- (Mark 16:16(b); John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26. John 3:18 - He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who (is not water baptized? - NO) does not believe is condemned already, because he has not (been water baptized? - NO) because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. *Perfect Harmony*
No clear minded person would read Mark 16:16(b); John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26 and assume that whoever is not water baptized will be condemned.
It's you who has used faulty human logic on this verse. Covers his sins is the opposite of confesses and forsakes them and vice versa. It's one or the other. Now Mark 16:16 is composed of two basic statements. 1. He who believes and is baptized will be saved. 2. He who does not believe will be condemned.
While this verse tells us something about believers who have been baptized (they will be saved), *it does not say anything about believers who have not been baptized.* In order for this verse to teach that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, a third statement would be necessary, such as, "He who believes and is not baptized will be condemned" or "He who is not baptized will be condemned." *But, of course, neither of these statements is found in the verse.
"He who takes his medication and washes it down with water will be made well, but he who does not take his medication will remain sick."
Of course it's the medication that makes one well and not the water, but it logically follows that we wash the medication down with water. If no water is available and you take the medication dry, you will still be made well BECAUSE OF THE MEDICATION.
*It's the same with water baptism. It logically follows that we get water baptized after we BELIEVE and are saved, but if no water is available (particularly due to a death bed conversion) you will still be saved because you BELIEVE which is in harmony with Mark 16:16(b); John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26; Acts 10:43-47; 13:39; 16:31; etc..