Similarly, Mark 16:16 does not say a believer must be baptized. The statement does not say a believer must live in Kansas in order to go to heaven. However, to say that only those believers who live in Kansas are saved is an illogical and false assumption. Yet this is exactly the assumption made by those who support baptismal regeneration.Ĭonsider this example: "Whoever believes and lives in Kansas will be saved, but those that do not believe are condemned." This statement is strictly true Kansans who believe in Jesus will be saved. In the same way, “he who believes and is baptized will be saved” is true however, the statement “he who believes but is not baptized will not be saved” is an unwarranted assumption. This is the rule to follow: “If a statement is true, we cannot assume that all negations (or opposites) of that statement are also true." For example, the statement “a dog with brown spots is an animal” is true however, the negative, “if a dog does not have brown spots, it is not an animal” is false. Those who try to use Mark 16:16 to teach that baptism is necessary for salvation commit a common but serious mistake that is sometimes called the Negative Inference Fallacy. In order for this verse to teach that baptism is necessary for salvation, a third statement would be necessary, viz., “He who believes and is not baptized will be condemned” or “He who is not baptized will be condemned.” But, of course, neither of these statements is found in the verse. While this verse tells us something about believers who have been baptized (they are saved), it does not say anything about believers who have not been baptized. 2-He who does not believe will be condemned. 1-He who believes and is baptized will be saved. This verse is composed of two basic statements. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). What this verse does teach is that belief is necessary for salvation, which is consistent with the countless verses where only belief is mentioned (e.g., John 3:18 John 5:24 John 12:44 John 20:31 1 John 5:13). In order to make it teach that baptism is required for salvation, one must go beyond what the verse actually says. As a result, it is best not to base a key doctrine on anything from Mark 16:9-20, such as snake handling, unless it is also supported by other passages of Scripture.Īssuming that verse 16 is original to Mark, does it teach that baptism is required for salvation? The short answer is, no, it does not. There is some question as to whether these verses were originally part of the Gospel of Mark or whether they were added later by a scribe. Regarding Mark 16:16, it is important to remember that there are some textual problems with Mark chapter 16, verses 9-20. For more information, please visit our webpage "Is salvation by faith alone, or by faith plus works?" So, any interpretation which comes to the conclusion that baptism, or any other act, is necessary for salvation is a faulty interpretation. In the case of baptism and salvation, the Bible is clear that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works of any kind, including baptism (Ephesians 2:8-9). We also filter it through what we know the Bible teaches elsewhere on the subject. As with any single verse or passage, we discern what it teaches through careful consideration of the language and context of the verse.
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