is baptism required for salvation?

Making the Case For the Importance of Baptism

John 1:1 NKJV — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (Elohim), and the Word was God (Elohim).

John 1:2 NKJV — He was in the beginning with God (Elohim).

John 1:3 NKJV — All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 1:4 NKJV — In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:5 NKJV — And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:6 NKJV — There was a man sent from God (Elohim), whose name was John.

John 1:7 NKJV — This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.

John 1:8 NKJV — He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

John 1:9 NKJV — That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

John 1:10 NKJV — He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

John 1:11 NKJV — He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

John 1:12 NKJV — But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God (Elohim), to those who believe in His name:

John 1:13 NKJV — who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (Elohim).

John 1:14 NKJV — And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:15 NKJV — John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

John 1:16 NKJV — And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

John 1:17 NKJV — For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:18 NKJV — No one has seen God (Elohim) at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

John 1:19 NKJV — Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

John 1:20 NKJV — He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

John 1:21 NKJV — And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

John 1:22 NKJV — Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

John 1:23 NKJV — He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD (The Most High YAH),” ’as the prophet Isaiah said.”

John 1:24 NKJV — Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.

John 1:25 NKJV — And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

John 1:26 NKJV — John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.

John 1:27 NKJV — “It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

John 1:28 NKJV — These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John 1:29 NKJV — The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God (Elohim) who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:30 NKJV — “This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’

John 1:31 NKJV — “I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”

John 1:32 NKJV — And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.

John 1:33 NKJV — “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

John 1:34 NKJV — “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God (Elohim).”


Supporting Scriptures

Luke 3:21 NKJV — When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.

Luke 3:22 NKJV — And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

Mar 16:16 (NKJV) He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Acts 22:16 NKJV — ‘And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord (Master Jesus).’

John 3:5 NKJV — Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (Elohim).

Matthew 28:19 NKJV — “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,


Acts 2:38 NKJV — Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:39 NKJV — “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God (The Most High YAH our Elohim) will call.”

Acts 2:40 NKJV — And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

Acts 2:41 NKJV — Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Acts 2:42 NKJV — And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.


1 Peter 3:21 NIV - 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God (Elohim). It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

1 Peter 3:22 NIV - 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's (Elohim's) right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.


Acts 8:14 NKJV — Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God (Elohim), they sent Peter and John to them,

Acts 8:15 NKJV — who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:16 NKJV — For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Master Jesus).

Acts 8:17 NKJV — Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 


Biblical Accounts of Baptism and Salvation

Acts 16:24 NKJV — Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Acts 16:25 NKJV — But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 16:26 NKJV — Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

Acts 16:27 NKJV — And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

Acts 16:28 NKJV — But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

Acts 16:29 NKJV — Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

Acts 16:30 NKJV — And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Acts 16:31 NKJV — So they said, “Believe on the Lord (Master) Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Acts 16:32 NKJV — Then they spoke the word of the Lord (Master) to him and to all who were in his house.

Acts 16:33 NKJV — And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.


Acts 8:26 NKJV — Now an angel of the Lord (Master) spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.

Acts 8:27 NKJV — 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,

Acts 8:28 NKJV — was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.

Acts 8:29 NKJV — Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”

Acts 8:30 NKJV — So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

Acts 8:31 NKJV — And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

Acts 8:32 NKJV — 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.

Acts 8:33 NKJV — In His humiliation His justice was taken away,

And who will declare His generation?

For His life is taken from the earth.”

Acts 8:34 NKJV — So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?”

Acts 8:35 NKJV — Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

Acts 8:36 NKJV — 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?”

Acts 8:37 NKJV — 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 (the Most High YAH).”

Acts 8:38 NKJV — So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

Acts 8:39 NKJV — Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord (the RUACH HAKODESH/Holy Spirit/the Set Apart Spirit) caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.