Baptism

While the first clause says that all who both believe and are baptized will be
saved, it does not say that all who neither believe nor are baptized will not be
saved. In other words, the clause does not exclude any group, while it does
tell of a group of people who will be saved, namely, those who both believe
and are baptized. But the second clause negates one group: those who do not
believe will not be saved. There is no negation of the group of those who
believe but are not baptized. Those who believe and are not baptized are not
condemned in any way. Thus, while the verse as a whole does teach that
belief is essential to salvation, it does not teach that baptism is.
Luke 7:30
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not
having been baptized by him
"him" in this verse refers to John the Baptist. . Acts 18:24-19:7 clearly
indicates that John's baptism was not sufficient because it was only a baptism
of repentance. To reject John’s baptism, therefore, was to reject John’s
testimony. John’s testimony was that Jesus was the Savior (John 1:6-7) Jesus
pointed this out clearly when he was questioned by the Pharisees by asking
them in return "John’s Baptism. From whence was it? From heaven or from
the earth?’
John 3:5
Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water
and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God"
If we assume that "born of water" means water baptism and "born of the
Spirit" means Holy Spirit Baptism this confirms that we need both water
baptism and spirit baptism to be saved. Both these contentions are wrong. We
are not speaking of baptisms but births. We are also accepting that entering
into the Kingdom of God is what we mean by salvation. If as assumed it is
indeed taking about baptisms, then the verse reads as follows:
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