Baptism is a symbolic act

The symbolical view, held by most Protestants (other than those who hold the covenantal view – see the previous section), says that baptism is an act of obedience by a believer so that the person can be publicly identified with Jesus and initiated into the Church (not into the Christian life). Salvation is completely dependent on the person’s decision of faith (which happens before he or she is baptized) and has nothing to do with the act of baptism itself. 

Believers with this view point to Ephesians 2:8-10, which emphasizes that salvation is by faith, not baptism: 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. 

According to proponents of the symbolical view, the fact that this passage doesn’t mention baptism is a clear indication of baptism’s symbolical role. Faith is the critical element in a Christian’s life, and baptism, regardless of its importance, plays a secondary role. 

Exploring the relationship between baptism and salvation

Given the wide disagreement on what exactly baptism is and does, as well as on the role of ordinances in general, it’s obvious that Christians have a difference of opinion on the relationship between baptism and salvation. 

Baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation

Catholics believe baptism is a requirement to receiving salvation, plain and simple. They point to two key passages in the Bible to back up their position: 

In Mark 16:16, Jesus talks about what one must do to be saved:

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 

A Catholic understanding of this verse is that Jesus links both faith and baptism to God’s saving grace. 

In John 3:5, Jesus tells a curious Jewish leader named Nicodemus about salvation. Catholics believe his reference to being “born of water” is a direct reference to baptism: 

Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into the Kingdom of God! 

However, Catholics do allow for certain special case exceptions, as I discuss in the section, “What role sacraments play in salvation,” earlier in this chapter. 

Baptism is important, but is not necessary for salvation

Other Christians, mostly Protestants, believe that baptism is an act of obedience to Jesus because he tells his followers to be baptized. But they disagree with the connection between the act of baptism and a person’s salvation. They make three arguments in response: 

The emphasis in Mark 16:16 is on faith, not on baptism. Notably, Jesus doesn’t say at the tail end of the verse, “He who is not baptized will be condemned.” Rather, he says, “He who does not believe will be condemned.” 

The primary emphasis of the New Testament, whether spoken by Jesus (John 3:16) or Paul (Romans 3:28 and Ephesians 2:8-9), is that Christians are saved by grace through faith. Mark 16:16 is the only place in the New Testament that directly alludes to any connection between baptism and salvation. Also, many Protestants aren’t convinced that the “born of water” reference in John 3:5 actually refers to baptism (another perspective is that it refers to amniotic fluid). In addition, Protestants say that the rest of the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus focuses on the teaching that people who believe in him will be saved (John 3:15, 18). 

The “last gasp” conversion of the thief on the cross in Luke 23:40-43 shows that at least one person entered heaven without having first been baptized. See Chapter 3 for more on the thief on the cross. 

Deciding who should be baptized

All Christians believe that a person “of age” (see the “A Christian’s age of accountability” sidebar in this chapter) who believers in Jesus Christ and wants to follow him should be baptized. However, the debate centers on people who are too young to make a deliberate decision for or against Jesus. Should infants and small children receive this sacrament? Or should only people who’ve already made a decision for Christ take this step? The Bible is unclear on this issue; it doesn’t explicitly authorize one way or another. As a result, people on both sides of the fence point to verses that suggest support for their positions. 

Baptizing infants

Different Christian groups allow for infants to be baptized, but for a variety of reasons. Some of the more prominent ones are 

Catholics: Catholics and others who hold a sacramental view of baptism (see the section, “Considering the nature of baptism,” earlier in this chapter) believe that infants should be baptized because the baptism itself is what gives saving grace. The nature of the parents’ faith (or, for that matter, the faith or spiritual condition of the priest) is a non-issue to Catholics. 

Lutherans: Although Lutherans don’t believe that saving grace is present in the act of baptism, they allow for infant baptism on the grounds that they believe the Bible implies that infants have an implicit or natural faith (Mark 10:15), and so their baptism is a outward sign of that faith. 

Covenantal view believers: People who hold a covenantal view of baptism (see the section, “Considering the nature of baptism,” earlier in this chapter) point out that circumcision was a sign of the covenant between the Hebrews and God, and infants were active participants in that covenant, with their parents acting on their behalf. Therefore, because baptism is the New Testament’s version of circumcision, infants can and should be baptized, as long as the child has Christian parents. In this view, the key is the child’s potential faith in Christ, not his or her faith at the specific time of the baptismal act. 

Proponents of infant baptism often point to three justifications:

Households were baptized in the New Testament. Although the Bible doesn’t specifically account for any child being baptized, it does list several occasions in which entire households were baptized at the same time (such as Acts 16:15, 16:33, and 18:8.) And though the ages of the people in the households aren’t known, advocates for infant baptism insist that odds are likely that some of them would’ve been infants or small children. 

Jesus gave special attention to children. Jesus gave special priority and blessing to children throughout his ministry, so forbidding infants and small children from baptism contradicts his actions. 

Infant baptism has been practiced throughout Church history. Infant baptism wasn’t something that came along late in Church history, but was a practice started as early as the second century, just a few generations from the age of the apostles. 

Baptizing believers only

The opposing view held by most Protestants is that only people who have consciously and deliberately made a decision to become a follower of Jesus should be baptized. People who uphold the symbolical view of baptism (see the “Considering the nature of baptism” section, earlier in this chapter) insist on believer’s baptism. Proponents of this position use the following grounds for their argument: 

The Bible doesn’t explicitly endorse infant baptism. In every specific instance of baptism in the New Testament in which the person is known, the person is always an adult. Although the Book of Acts mentions whole households being baptized, the ages of the members are completely unknown and could’ve easily been older children, teenagers, or even all adults. 

Baptisms in the Bible exclusively involve adults who’ve converted. Where specific examples of baptism are mentioned in the New Testament, the baptisms are always observed after a person has repented and believed. Therefore, because infants don’t consciously repent or have faith, it’s premature for them to be baptized.

Infants should be blessed, not baptized. Jesus did bless children and give them priority, but no account exists of him ever baptizing them.