Faith is required for salvation but also baptism
If that's the case, then what happened to baptism in (Luke 7:50; 8:12; John 1:12; 3:15,16,18,36; 6:40,47; 11:25,26; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 15:7-9; 16:31; 26:18; Romans 1:16; 3:22-28; 4:5-6; 5:1; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 2:16; 3:6-9, 26; Ephesians 2:8.9; Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 10:39; 1 John 5:13 etc..). The Bible clearly states in many passages of scripture that man is saved through belief/faith "apart from additions or modifications."
Mk 16:16 He who believes and is baptized shall be saved acts 8 the eunuch was baptized
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 necessary for salvation. Condemnation rests on unbelief and not on a lack of baptism. So salvation rests on belief. *NOWHERE does the Bible say "baptized or condemned."
If water baptism is absolutely required for salvation, then why did Jesus not mention it in the following verses? (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 statements?
*BELIEVES. *What happened to baptism? *Hermeneutics. 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.
Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Excellent article on Acts 22:16 -
https://kentbrandenburg.blogspot.com/2015/03/acts-2216-baptism-essential-for.html
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Amen! Christ's finished work of redemption is sufficient and complete to save believers. No supplements needed.
Rom 6:4 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.
Romans 6:3
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
In Romans 6:4, the phrase "buried with Him through baptism," (on the surface) appears to support the idea that baptism is the instrumental cause of justification. However, even here baptism could be understood as the sign of justification. It's not unusual in scripture to call the reality by the name of its sign. Thus, for example, Paul says that all Christians are circumcised (even though one may not be physically circumcised) - meaning that they possess what circumcision signifies (Philippians 3:3). Using this kind of language, Paul can speak of the reality of the believers’ spiritual union with Christ, and the benefits which flow from that union, in terms of baptism, its sign.
We need to interpret these verses in context. Before mentioning baptism in chapter 6, Paul had repeatedly emphasized that
faith, not baptism is the instrumental cause of salvation/justification (Romans 1:16, 3:22-30; 4:4-6, 13; 5:1). That is when the old man was put to death and united in the likeness of His death, which
water baptism symbolizes and pictures. Righteousness is "imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised up because of our justification." (Romans 4:24,25) Since believers receive the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection (justification), and that through faith, believers must be spiritually united to Him (delivered and raised up with Him). If baptism is taken as the instrumental cause, then Paul contradicts what he had established before, namely that
justification is by faith, not baptism. *Hermeneutics. As Greek scholar AT Robertson points out - "A symbol is not the reality, but the picture of the reality."
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/robertsons-word-pictures/romans/romans-6-3.html
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/robertsons-word-pictures/romans/romans-6-4.html
Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
And how are we saved?
By grace through faith, not works. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
Acts 4:4 - However, many of those who heard the word
believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
Acts 5:14 - And
believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.
1 Corinthians 12:13
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
This is Spirit baptism and not water baptism. By
one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body.. Those who teach salvation by water baptism typically confuse water baptism with Spirit baptism.
Galatians 3:27
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Galatians 3:26 - For you are all
sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Period.) Not through faith and water baptism. *Also read John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He
gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. *Received Him, given the right to become children of God,
through believing in His name, not through water baptism.
Galatians 3:27 - For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have
put on/clothed yourself with Christ. The Greek word for "put on" is "enduo" and means to enclose oneself in, as when one "puts on" clothes or armor or some other item. Involved in this is the idea of "imitation" and "identification." "Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us
put on the armor of light...
put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:12,14). This exhortation is written to Christians (those already saved). Evidently then, baptism is not the only way to
"put on" Christ. To
"put on" Christ is to conform to Him, imitate Him. So it is in baptism; we "put on" Christ, conforming to Him in the ordinance that declares Him to be our Savior.
Now in 1 Corinthians 10:2, we read that the Israelites were
"baptized into Moses" in the cloud and in the sea, but this does not mean that the Israelites were water baptized into the body of Moses. So in what "sense" were the Israelites baptized into Moses? In the same sense that believers would be water baptized into Christ, in regards to "identification." Not to be confused with believers being baptized by one Spirit into one body....the body of Christ through Spirit baptism.
One does not put on a uniform in order to become a soldier. Simply putting on a soldier's uniform does not make one become a soldier. One is made a soldier first and then is able to put on and wear the uniform that distinguishes or marks them as a soldier.
Putting on a judge's robe does not, in itself, make anyone a "judge." But, one who has been made a judge is qualified to put on "judicial robes" and thus declare their qualifications. So too with being water baptized. The Christian puts on robes for which they have previously been qualified to wear. The putting on of Christ is not what makes one become a Christian, but one which becomes a token of it. If one puts on the clothes of a Christian, in water baptism, without first becoming a Christian (child of God through faith), then one becomes an imposter, and is declaring, in baptism, to be what they are not.