What is Baptism, is it required for salvation?

Published 3/20/2024

Baptism involves being immersed in water by another person, symbolizing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Romans 6:3-4 sufficiently expresses this concept: “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We 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 live a new life." In the New Testament, baptism consistently followed an individual's reception of salvation, occurring immediately and not as a separate act. Baptism, though not a means of regeneration, is a visible outcome of one's salvation. While only God can discern the authenticity of an individual's faith, a refusal to be baptized may suggest a lack of genuine salvation, as baptism was consistently the initial response to salvation in the Gospels. The thief on the cross serves as an example of true faith without baptism.