Salvation Before Baptism?

Friends, if you’re like me, you listen to a number of religious programs on this station besides this one. I’m thankful for this station making these programs available. One of the benefits of these programs is that they expose the differences between various religious groups and their beliefs.

Since I have begun listening to these programs, I have heard various preachers teach that salvation comes before baptism. I would like for these denominational preachers to do something for me. I would like for one of these preachers to provide me with an account of one person who lived during the time of the New Testament who was saved from his sins before he was baptized. Just one person! If the Bible teaches that salvation comes before baptism, this should not be too difficult for one of these preachers to do. If the Bible teaches that salvation comes before baptism, surely these denominational preachers would not object to providing me with just one example of someone who was saved before he was baptized. If the Bible teaches that salvation comes before baptism, it should not be difficult to find just one example of someone who lived during the time of the New Testament who was saved from his sins before he was baptized.

Friends, I’ve always taught that a person living during the time of the New Testament must be baptized before he is saved from his sins. I’ve taught that, because that is what the Bible teaches. I’ve taught that because every time I find the words baptism and salvation in the same verse, baptism always comes first, without exception! Friends, I don’t expect you to take my word for it. I want you to have the attitude of the Bereans, examine what I say and see if it is true. I encourage you to get your Bibles and read Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, and I Peter 3:21. Again, in every instance where baptism and salvation are mentioned in the same verse, baptism always comes first, without exception. But, if any of these other preachers you hear on the radio can provide just one account of someone who lived during the New Testament who was saved from his sins before he was baptized, I’ll publicly correct my error. If these preachers are unable to provide me with such an account, I would like for them to publicly correct their error. That’s seems only fair and reasonable, doesn’t it? Or will these men continue to teach a false doctrine that is not supported by the scriptures, causing many precious souls to be lost?

Friends, every time I read in the New Testament about someone being saved from his sins, his salvation always followed his baptism. Always! Consider the conversion of those present on the day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts, chapter two. "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren what shall we do? Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:36-38).

Friends, notice the question, "Men and brethren what shall we do?" If the Baptist preachers of our day had been present on the Day of Pentecost, they would have told those who wanted to be saved to "say the sinner’s prayer and receive Christ into their hearts." Why is it we don’t have one example anywhere in the Bible of anyone who lived during the time of the New Testament being saved from his sins by praying the sinner’s prayer? Not one example anywhere in the Bible! Oh no friends, when those present on the Day of Pentecost asked what they must do to be saved, Peter told them, "Repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." Did you notice something? Baptism came before the remission of sins, not after. Whom do you choose to believe, the apostle Peter or the denominational preachers you hear on the radio? Friends, I choose to believe the Bible!

In Acts 8:5-8, we read about Philip and the conversion of the Samaritans. "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city." Now notice verse twelve. "But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized." Friends, verse twelve teaches us what it means to preach Christ. To preach Christ means to preach about the kingdom of God, that is, not a man made denomination, but the one church that Christ purchased when he shed his blood on the cross (Acts 20:28). To preach Christ means to preach about the name, or authority, of Christ. To preach Christ means to preach about baptism. It is not possible to preach Christ without preaching about baptism. Why? Because baptism comes before salvation, not after! Christ’s blood is of no benefit to those persons who have not been baptized! Simple, isn’t it?

Friends, let’s consider the record of another conversion from the book of Acts. In Acts 8:26-39, we read about the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. "Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and overtake this chariot. So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you understand what you are reading? And he said, How can I, unless someone guides me? And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer [is] silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. So the eunuch answered Philip and said, I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, See, [here is] water. What hinders me from being baptized? Then Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing."

Friends, did you notice something in that passage? Verse thirty-five indicates that Philip preached Jesus unto the Ethiopian. Verse thirty-six indicates that when Philip preached Jesus unto the Ethiopian, he preached about baptism. Why? Again friends, it’s simple for anyone with an open mind and an honest heart to understand. Philip knew that no baptism equals no salvation!

It’s also noteworthy that the Ethiopian was baptized immediately. Why didn’t Philip tell the Ethiopian to wait and be baptized at later date? If Philip taught what the Baptist preachers of our day teach, he would have told the Ethiopian to be baptized later along with several other people during a special ceremony. Why did Philip baptize the Ethiopian immediately? Because friends, until the Ethiopian was baptized, he was lost in his sins! Philip realized this and the Ethiopian, after being taught, realized it too! It’s also significant that verse thirty-nine tells us the Ethiopian went on his way rejoicing after he was baptized, not before. Friends, before the Ethiopian was baptized, he was lost in his sins and had no reason to rejoice!

Let’s look at still another record of a conversion from the book of Acts. In Acts 22:1-16, Paul relates the account of his conversion. Notice as we read from Acts chapter twenty-two beginning at verse twelve: "Then one, Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

Friends, did you notice something in verse twenty-six? Baptism came before salvation, not after! Paul was not saved before he was baptized. In order to teach that he was, the preachers in the Baptist church have to twist Acts 22:16 and make it say something it doesn’t really say! The very reason Ananias told Paul to be baptized was to have his sins washed away. Also notice Ananias’ words, "And now why are you waiting?" Why didn’t Ananias encourage Paul to wait and be baptized at a later date along with others at some special ceremony? Ananias realized the urgency of being baptized because he knew that until Paul was baptized he was lost in his sin!

Oh I know friends, most denominational preachers, in order to cling to their Calvinist doctrine, want to discard the necessity of baptism and tell you Paul was saved from his sins by calling on the name of the Lord. But those who do so fail to grasp the meaning of the phrase, "calling on the name of the Lord." The phrase, "calling on the name of the Lord" is a participle phrase that describes what Paul was doing when he was obeying the commandment to be baptized. Again friends, you don’t have to take my word for it. Check it out for yourself! This can be easily verified by referring to any textbook of Basic English Grammar. In order for the denominational preachers you hear on the radio to be correct, Ananias would have had to tell Paul, "Call on the name of the Lord and wash away your sins and then be baptized." In order for the denominational preachers you hear on the radio to be correct, they would have to rewrite the Bible.

Friends, no matter what the denominational preachers may teach, my Bible and yours teaches that, for those persons living during the time of the New Testament, baptism always comes before salvation, not after!