Baptism is not required for salvation
Mark 16
16Whoever believes
and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
That, imo, necessitates baptism (without defeating the purpose of saying "and is baptized").
Granted, "sózó" (to save) in its various forms can mean
various things. Cornelius received the gift of the Holy Spirit before being baptized, and I believe was thus a child of God (Galatians 4:6), however if the Lord Jesus Christ meant this by "saved" in Mark 16:16
(Click to expand, note the bolded)
Romans 6
2Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?
3Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.
6We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
7For anyone who has died has been
freed from sin.
then Mark 16:16 could still be true despite Acts 10:44 if having the Holy Spirit and being a child of God in itself does not necessarily mean you have been (in bold)
Romans 6
4We were therefore
buried with Him through baptism
into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.
which would explain why it says "through baptism" rather than something else
and
would explain why Cornelius was (
in bold)
Acts 10
47“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”
48So he ordered that they be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
and why the 12 disciples with John's baptism in Acts 19:1-7 got
baptized and not just hands laid on them (which is not faith alone btw), etc.
Even if Jesus did not mean "freed from sins", baptisms are clearly necessary for freedom from sins (Romans 6:4) and if we do not get freedom from sin
Romans 6
20For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness.
21What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?
The outcome of those things is death.
(notice "saved" in Mark 16:16 and "freed" in Romans 6:7 both
a) require baptism
b) result in what can be described as 4982 sṓzō (from sōs, "safe, rescued") – properly, deliver out of danger and into safety; used principally of God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin – and into His provisions (safety).
"Whoever believes and is Baptized will be freed from their sins" would also seem to fulfill this, which sounds like it, imo,
Matthew 1
21She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”)
further,
Peter had the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4)
Galatians 2
11When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to
be condemned.
the Galatians Paul is talking to here had the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:2-5, Galatians 3:26-4:7, Galatians 5:25)
Galatians 5
2Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.
3Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
4You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you
have fallen away from grace.
These Romans had the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:15) was Paul not warning them?
Romans 6
12Therefore do not
let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.
Therefore, if Cornelius was freed from sins before baptism, despite "through baptism" in Romans 6:4, then it is not because he
couldn't do the three bolded things immediately above^.
(Also note that Galatians 4:6 implies that one is a child of God before they receive the Spirit, getting the Spirit as a result of sonship - would you argue that they first became freed from sins when they became sons?
Galatians 4:6And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” )
Baptism is simply the first command given AFTER salvation
It is, in fact, this
Romans 6
4We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.
6We know that
our old self was
crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 7For anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
which is important, because
Matthew 13
40As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.
42And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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