Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

Christians disagree. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1257 (1), says the Lord himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation, and that God is not bound by his sacraments, while the Westminster Confession, 28.5 (4), says grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed to baptism that no person can be saved without it, and the Baptist Faith and Message, Article VII (5), calls baptism an act of obedience that symbolizes the believer’s faith.

Key Points

• Catechism 1257 (1) says baptism is necessary for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have been able to ask for it, and that the Church knows no other means that assures entry into eternal beatitude.
• The same paragraph says God has bound salvation to the sacrament, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments. Paragraphs 1258 through 1261 name baptism of blood, catechumens who die first, people who seek God without knowing the Gospel, and children who die unbaptized.
• The Augsburg Confession, Article IX (2), says baptism is necessary for salvation and that children are to be baptized. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod FAQ (3) says baptism is not absolutely necessary, and that Mark 16:16 condemns the absence of faith.
• Westminster 28.1 (4) calls baptism a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of engrafting into Christ, of regeneration, and of remission of sins. 28.5 (4) denies that no one can be saved without it, and denies that everyone baptized is undoubtedly regenerated.
• Baptist Faith and Message VII (5) defines Christian baptism as immersion of a believer, a symbol and a testimony, and a prerequisite to church membership and the Lord’s Supper. Article IV says there is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
• The Assemblies of God statement, article 6 (6), commands baptism by immersion for all who repent and believe, as a declaration that they have died and been raised with Christ.
• Luke 23:39–43Close^23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. ^23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? ^23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. ^23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. ^23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.Luke 23:39–43 · King James VersionOpen source (19) tells of a man crucified beside Jesus who asks to be remembered. Jesus says that man will be with him in paradise that day. The narrative does not mention baptism.

What the Churches Say

The sentences below are the fetched texts. They are not a ranking, and this page does not decide which reading of the verses is right. Can you lose your salvation? is the related disagreement about whether a believer can fall. What Does the Bible Say About Infant Baptism? is who may be baptized. Baptist vs Catholic stays on those two churches.

Can You Be Saved Without Being Baptized?

Catechism 1257 (1) limits the necessity it has just stated:

Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.

1258 (1) says those who suffer death for the faith without baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. It calls that baptism of blood, and says the desire for baptism brings the fruits of baptism without being a sacrament. 1259 (1) says catechumens who die first are assured salvation by their explicit desire, repentance, and charity. 1260 (1) says every person ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, who seeks the truth and does the will of God as that person understands it, can be saved, and that such persons may be supposed to have desired baptism if they had known its necessity. 1261 (1) says the Church can only entrust children who have died without baptism to the mercy of God, and that Jesus’ tenderness toward children allows the Church to hope there is a way of salvation for them. The same paragraph says the call to baptize little children is all the more urgent.

Westminster 28.5 (4) says it is a great sin to contemn or neglect baptism, and then: “yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated, or saved, without it; or, that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.” 28.6 (4) says the efficacy is not tied to the moment it is administered.

The LCMS FAQ (3) says the synod does not believe baptism is absolutely necessary. It says all true believers in the Old Testament era were saved without baptism, that Mark 16:16 implies it is the absence of faith that condemns, and that faith also comes by reading or hearing the Word. It says baptism dare not be despised, and that it is not a mere ritual or symbol but a means of grace by which God grants faith and the forgiveness of sins.

Heidelberg Q&A 72CloseQ. What does the Lord require in the first commandment?
A. That I, not wanting to endanger my own salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, sorcery, superstitious rites, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I rightly know the only true God, trust him alone, and look to God for every good thing humbly and patiently, and love, fear, and honor God with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything rather than go against God’s will in any way. Q. What is idolatry?
A. Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed himself in the Word.Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 94–95 · Christian Reformed ChurchOpen source (9) answers whether the outward washing itself washes away sins: “No, only Jesus Christ’s blood and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins.” Q&A 73 asks why the Spirit then calls baptism the water of rebirth and the washing away of sins. The answer says God teaches that the blood and Spirit of Christ take away sins just as water removes dirt, and that the pledge assures a person of being as truly washed spiritually as the body is washed physically.

Luke 23:39–43Close^23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. ^23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? ^23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. ^23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. ^23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.Luke 23:39–43 · King James VersionOpen source (19) is the account of the man on the cross. One criminal mocks Jesus. The other rebukes that mockery, says they are punished justly, says Jesus has done nothing amiss, and asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom. Jesus tells him that he will be with him in paradise that day. The passage does not say the man was baptized. Churches that treat baptism as necessary cite the Catechism’s sentences on desire and on God not being bound by the sacrament. Churches that treat baptism as a sign cite this narrative as a person saved without the water.

What Does Acts 2:38 Mean?

On the day of Pentecost, after the crowd asks what they should do, Acts 2:38CloseThen Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.Acts 2:38 · King James VersionOpen source (17) has Peter tell them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and he says they will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The next verse says the promise is to them, to their children, and to all who are afar off. Article IX (2) cites Acts 2:38–39 for baptizing children. Heidelberg Q&A 74CloseQ. What does the Lord require in the first commandment?
A. That I, not wanting to endanger my own salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, sorcery, superstitious rites, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I rightly know the only true God, trust him alone, and look to God for every good thing humbly and patiently, and love, fear, and honor God with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything rather than go against God’s will in any way. Q. What is idolatry?
A. Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed himself in the Word.Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 94–95 · Christian Reformed ChurchOpen source (9) cites the same verses for infants in the covenant. Baptist Faith and Message VII (5) requires the person baptized to be a believer, so the repentance in the verse is read as coming first. The Westark FAQ (8) reads the verse as the moment God forgives, because God acts, not because a physical act earns it.

What Does Mark 16:16 Say?

Mark 16:16CloseHe that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.Mark 16:16 · King James VersionOpen source (16), in the King James Version, has Jesus say that the one who believes and is baptized will be saved, and that the one who does not believe will be damned. The verse as printed names unbelief, not the absence of water, as the clause of condemnation.

The Augsburg Confession (2) puts Mark 16:16 beside the sentence that baptism is necessary for salvation. The LCMS FAQ (3) reads the same verse as condemning the absence of faith. The Assemblies of God (6) list Mark 16:16 among the texts for immersing those who repent and believe. The 1689 Confession, 29.2 (13), lists Mark 16:16 among the texts for professing repentance and faith as the only proper subjects. Heidelberg Q&A 71CloseQ. What does the Lord require in the first commandment?
A. That I, not wanting to endanger my own salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, sorcery, superstitious rites, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I rightly know the only true God, trust him alone, and look to God for every good thing humbly and patiently, and love, fear, and honor God with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything rather than go against God’s will in any way. Q. What is idolatry?
A. Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed himself in the Word.Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 94–95 · Christian Reformed ChurchOpen source (9) quotes the verse in the catechism’s own English, inside a longer promise that includes “whoever does not believe will be condemned,” as Christ’s promise of washing by his blood and Spirit.

What Does 1 Peter 3:21 Say?

1 Peter 3:21CloseThe like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:1 Peter 3:21 · King James VersionOpen source (18) says baptism doth also now save us, and it immediately qualifies that claim. The saving it names is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The verse before it compares the water that bore the ark.

Heidelberg Q&A 69CloseQ. What does the Lord require in the first commandment?
A. That I, not wanting to endanger my own salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, sorcery, superstitious rites, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I rightly know the only true God, trust him alone, and look to God for every good thing humbly and patiently, and love, fear, and honor God with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything rather than go against God’s will in any way. Q. What is idolatry?
A. Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed himself in the Word.Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 94–95 · Christian Reformed ChurchOpen source (9) uses 1 Peter 3:21 for the promise joined to the outward washing: as surely as water washes dirt from the body, Christ’s blood and Spirit wash the soul. Westminster 28.1 (4) calls baptism a sign and seal of remission, not the sentence “baptism saves” standing alone. Baptist Faith and Message VII (5) calls the water a symbol of the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour.

Catholic Teaching

Catechism 1277 (15) repeats that baptism is birth into the new life in Christ and, in accordance with the Lord’s will, necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which a person enters by baptism. 1278 (15) says the essential rite is immersing the candidate or pouring water on the head, while pronouncing the invocation of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 1284 (15) says that in necessity any person can baptize, with the intention of doing what the Church does, by pouring water and saying, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

1263 (14) says that by baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. 1264 (14) says temporal consequences remain, including an inclination to sin that Tradition calls concupiscence. What Do Catholics Believe? quotes the Catechism on the wider confession. The Catholic hub lists the Church’s own doctrine pages.

Eastern Orthodox Teaching

The Orthodox Church in America essay (7) says Christian baptism is a person’s death and resurrection in and with Jesus, participation in the event of Easter, and a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit into the Kingdom of God, citing John 3:5. It describes triple immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The page is Fr. Thomas Hopko’s catechism, not a council. What Does the Eastern Orthodox Church Believe? is the wider confession. The Eastern Orthodox hub lists that church’s pages.

Lutheran Teaching

Augsburg IX (2) says God’s grace is offered through baptism, citing Titus 3:4–7, and that children offered to God through baptism are received into God’s grace. The article then condemns those it calls Anabaptists, who reject the baptism of children and say that children are saved without baptism. That name is the confession’s word. The LCMS FAQ (3) is a later synod question-and-answer, not a replacement of Article IX. It holds both that baptism is a means of grace and that it is not absolutely necessary. The Lutheran hub lists those texts.

Reformed and Presbyterian Teaching

Westminster 28.4 (4) says not only those who profess faith, but also the infants of one or both believing parents, are to be baptized. 28.3 (4) says dipping is not necessary, and that pouring or sprinkling is right administration. The necessity question is 28.5 (4), quoted above. The Reformed hub lists the confession. What is Calvinism? is the wider Reformed map.

Baptist Teaching

Baptist Faith and Message IV (5) says there is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Article VII then places baptism after that faith, as immersion and as a symbol. The 1689 Confession, 29.1 (13), calls baptism an ordinance and a sign of fellowship with Christ in his death and resurrection, of engrafting, of remission, and of walking in newness of life. 29.2 (13) limits the subjects to those who profess repentance, faith, and obedience. 29.4 (13) says immersion, or dipping of the person in water, is necessary to the due administration. The 1689 text used here is the MARBAC edition. The Baptist hub lists both statements.

Methodist and Anglican Teaching

United Methodist Article XVII (10) says baptism is not only a sign of profession and a mark of difference, but also a sign of regeneration or the new birth, and that the baptism of young children is to be retained. Article XVI (10) says the sacraments are certain signs of grace by which God works invisibly, and names two: baptism and the Supper. The article does not contain the sentence “baptism is necessary for salvation.”

The Church of England Article XXVII (11) says baptism is a sign of profession, “whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened,” and also a sign of regeneration or new birth, by which those who receive it rightly are grafted into the Church. Forgiveness and adoption are “visibly signed and sealed.” Faith is confirmed and grace increased. The baptism of young children “is in any wise to be retained.” The Anglican hub lists that church’s doctrine pages. The Methodist hub lists the Articles of Religion.

Pentecostal Teaching

Assemblies of God article 6 (6) is water baptism of those who repent and believe. Spirit baptism is a different article. What Do Pentecostals Believe? quotes articles 7 and 8, on the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. This page does not repeat that survey. The Church of God declaration (12) likewise pairs water baptism by immersion of those who repent, in the Triune name, with a separate sentence on tongues as the initial evidence of Spirit baptism. The Pentecostal hub lists both documents. What Does the Bible Say About Speaking in Tongues? is that other question.

Churches of Christ

There is no Church of Christ hub on this site, and the congregations do not publish one confession the way a synod does. The Westark FAQ (8) says so in its own words: “There are no official positions in congregations of the Church of Christ. Each congregation is independent.” David Chadwell, writing on 21 February 1997, says he is not a spokesman for the church of Christ. His own reading is that at baptism God places him in Christ, clothes him in Jesus, makes him part of the body, and forgives his sins. He says that happens because God acts, not because he has performed a physical act, and that baptism is no more important than his faith and repentance. He says he will not judge all who reach a different conclusion. Some, he says, would answer his question about sprinkling and faith alone one way, and some another. This page does not turn his paragraph into a rule for every congregation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Bible Verses Are Used in This Disagreement?

The texts above cite Matthew 28:19CloseGo ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Matthew 28:19 · King James VersionOpen source (20), the command to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; Mark 16:16CloseHe that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.Mark 16:16 · King James VersionOpen source (16); Acts 2:38CloseThen Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.Acts 2:38 · King James VersionOpen source (17); 1 Peter 3:21CloseThe like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:1 Peter 3:21 · King James VersionOpen source (18); and Luke 23:39–43Close^23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. ^23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? ^23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. ^23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. ^23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.Luke 23:39–43 · King James VersionOpen source (19). John 3:5CloseJesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.John 3:5 · King James VersionOpen source is the new birth by water and the Spirit, which the OCA essay quotes. Romans 6:3–4Close^6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ^6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.Romans 6:3–4 · King James VersionOpen source is burial with Christ in baptism, which the Baptist and Pentecostal statements cite as the picture the water declares.

Who Should Be Baptized?

Catechism 1250, Augsburg IX, Westminster 28.4, Methodist Article XVII, and Anglican Article XXVII include children. Baptist Faith and Message VII, the 1689 Confession, the Assemblies of God, and the Church of God declaration require repentance and faith, or a profession of them. The infant question is What Does the Bible Say About Infant Baptism?.

Is the Thief on the Cross the Exception?

The Gospel account does not call him an exception. It says Jesus promised him paradise that day, and it does not mention water. Catholic 1257–1261, Westminster 28.5, and the LCMS FAQ each explain, in the words already quoted, how salvation and the absence of baptism can stand together. They do not use the same explanation.

The Churches on This Site

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• What Does the Bible Say About Infant Baptism?
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