I have observed at least five different interpretations of Mark 16:16:
The Catholic "He who believes not and is baptized shall be saved."
The Atheist "He who believes and is baptized shall not be saved."
The Universalist "He who believes not and is not baptized shall be saved."
The Protestant "He who believes and is not baptized shall be saved."
The Bible "He who believes and is baptized will be saved."
Saved by Grace through Faith
Protestants, citing Eph. 2:8-9, argue that we are saved by grace, and because baptism is a work (something we do as opposed to simply believing) it cannot save. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "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."
We are saved by grace, but grace is conditional (Rom. 5:2). Grace (literally "unmerited favor") is the free gift of God, free because we have done nothing on our own to deserve it, yet "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8; see also Eph. 2:5). By God’s grace, we are justified (literally "acquitted," or declared not guilty of sin) "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24; 5:16, 18). Because sin demands a sacrifice, God made Christ the propitiation (or "atoning sacrifice") for our sins (Rom. 3:25).
Although grace is universally available to all, it is conditional in that we only have access to God’s grace through faith (Rom. 5:2) and humble submission to His will (James 4:6-10). Thus, the Universalist’s view that, "He who believes not and is not baptized shall be saved," is wrong.
Faith Alone?
Ephesians 2:8-9 is not a license to ignore Scriptures that require confession (Rom. 10:9-10), repentance (Acts 2:38), or baptism. Paul is simply saying that merely because we choose to accept God's grace by "submitting to the righteousness of God" (Rom. 10:4) and doing the things commanded, we do not save ourselves. God saves us. To view the verse otherwise is to equate faith with saving ourselves, or to deny all other Christian responsibilities such as confession, repentance, baptism, and continued obedience. We do not save ourselves through faith or baptism, but we accept God's saving grace by doing the things He has commanded.
In John 6:28-29, Jesus said that belief in Him is "the work of God." If Eph. 2:8-9 precludes works from playing a role in our salvation, does it also preclude belief, which Jesus said is a work?
If faith only saves, does this mean Paul was wrong when he wrote that confession is necessary for salvation (Rom. 10:9-10; see also Matt. 10:32-33)? If belief and confession are the same thing, then are the rulers who believed Jesus, but refused to confess Him saved (John 12:42)? Obviously, belief and confession are not the same thing and both are required for salvation (Rom. 10:9-10). Thus, faith "only," is wrong also.
Consider also Rom. 4:3. When Paul, quoting Genesis, said "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness," (Rom. 4:3) Paul was arguing that the "deeds of the law," (i.e., the Law of Moses) do not justify (Rom. 3:27-28).
Of course, another way to know that Paul isn’t arguing that we are saved by faith alone is to read more of the Bible. If a passage says baptism is necessary for salvation (Mark 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21), then that should resolve the matter because God has spoken.
We know that the Bible is the inspired word of God (2 Tim. 3:16). Thus, irreconcilable conflicts do not exist in its passages. Otherwise, one verse or the other would be wrong, not infallible, and logically not inspired of God. If this was true, how could we trust any passage in the Bible?
Martin Luther (1483-1546), the father of Protestantism, faced this dilemma when he read the following passages in the Book of James:
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? *** 17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
* * *. 19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! 20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
James 2:14-24
For those who believe in faith only, there is an apparent conflict between what Paul and James believe with respect to salvation even though both Apostles write that "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Rom. 4:3; James 2:23). Knowing that no Scripture could irreconcilably conflict with any other Scripture (or else the entire Bible would be untrustworthy), Martin Luther arrived at a novel approach to resolve his dilemma; he denied that the Book of James was divinely inspired, or properly a part of the Bible:
"I maintain that some Jew wrote it [the Book of James] who probably heard about Christian people but never encountered any. * * * Many sweat to reconcile St. Paul and St. James, but in vain. 'Faith justifies' and 'faith does not justify' contradict each other flatly. If any one can harmonize them I will give him my doctor's hood and let him call me a fool. * * * This defect proves that the epistle is not of apostolic [origin]... He does violence to Scripture, and so contradicts Paul and all Scripture. He tries to accomplish by emphasizing law what the apostles bring about by attracting men to love. I therefore refuse him a place among the writers of the true canon of my Bible."
Luther’s words must be read in the context of the problems he was dealing with at the time the words were written. Luther was concerned about indulgences and the Catholic notion of salvation by works apart from faith. He erred, however, by swinging the pendulum too far. He was right in his belief that works without faith do not save, for "without faith it is impossible to please [God]" (Heb. 11:6). However, he refused to acknowledge that man is not justified by "faith only" (James 2:24).
Paul himself did not believe in faith only. The book of Romans begins and ends by stating that the Gospel was something that must be obeyed (Rom. 1:5, 16:26). Paul writes that the goodness of God is supposed to lead us to an action – repentance (Rom. 2:4). He continues by saying that God "will render to each one according to his deeds" (Rom. 2:6) and then states that "glory, honor, and peace" are the rewards for "everyone who works what is good" (Rom. 2:10).
If a person is saved by faith only he is saved before he becomes a child of God, for John 1:12 says faith gives a person the right to become a child of God. Faith doesn’t make you a child of God. A person saved by faith only is saved before he turns to God (compare the distinction in faith and turning in Acts 11:21 with the rulers of John 12:42). He is also saved without having to confess Christ (John 12:42) and he is saved while being no better than a demon (James 2:10).
Baptism
Baptism saves us (Mark 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). It is only through baptism that we "put on Christ," (Gal. 3:27). Thus, without baptism we are not saved and our sins are not forgiven (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Furthermore, without baptism we do not have access to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 6:3-4), and thus do not gain access to the following (notice that all of these precede Rom. 6:3-4):
God’s grace and the redemption that exists in Christ (Rom. 3:24).
Christ’s atoning sacrifice that makes amends for us with God (Rom. 4:25, 5:8).
Christ’s death that reconciles us to, and makes peace with, God (Rom. 5:10).
Christ’s blood, which justifies us (Rom. 4:25, 5:9).
Christ’s obedience, which makes us righteous (Rom. 5:19).
Christ’s resurrection, which justifies us and provides us eternal life (Rom. 4:25, 5:10).
If someone tells you that baptism isn’t necessary for salvation, ask him the following questions:
How can anyone say faith only saves when James 2:24 explicitly says it doesn’t?
If we can be saved without baptism can we be saved while in sin (for baptism washes away sin, Acts 22:16), without becoming a new creature in Christ (Rom. 6:4ff), and without being "in Christ" (Gal. 3:27)? How is this possible?
If baptism doesn’t save why does the Bible say it does in Mark 16:16 and1 Peter 3:21?
How do they define "necessary?"
Through baptism we do not deny faith, but demonstrate it. We cannot "save ourselves" through baptism anymore than we can save ourselves through faith. God saves us through grace (Eph. 2:8). Of course baptism without faith is as worthless as faith without baptism. It is through both belief and baptism that we take advantage of the grace that is available to us. Thus, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16).
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment