Note 9 at Mr 16:16: This scripture has led many to believe that water baptism is a part of salvation and that the born-again experience cannot be a reality without it. The same kind of thinking would make seeing Jesus a prerequisite for salvation, based on Joh 6:40.

It is faith in the redemptive work of Christ that produces salvation--not our actions. However, James wrote that faith without works is dead (Jas 2:20). Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone; it must be acted upon. This is what Mark was referring to when he spoke of baptism.

Water baptism is a command of Jesus and is the initial action upon believing. Mark's statement could be rendered, "Those that believe with saving faith (i.e., faith that produces actions) shall be saved." In this sense, water baptism is very important. It is an opportunity to act on our new profession of faith. Those who would refuse to follow the command of Jesus in water baptism would be suspect as to whether they really believed or not.

However, there are scriptural examples of people being born again before they were baptized in water. Cornelius and his friends were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues before they were baptized in water (Ac 10:44-48). Joh 14:17 records Jesus as saying that unbelievers cannot receive the Holy Ghost (see note 27 at Joh 14:17), so Cornelius and his friends must have been born again before their water baptism.

When Peter was rehearsing the conversion of Cornelius before the believers at Jerusalem, he referred to the baptism of the Holy Ghost as a proof of the Gentiles' conversion, but he never mentioned their water baptism (Ac 11:1-18). This would have been unthinkable if the early church had held water baptism as a requirement of salvation.

Also, in Ac 19:1-7, the Apostle Paul found some disciples who had believed on Jesus through the preaching of John the Baptist and had been water baptized by John, but they had not heard of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Paul re-baptized them with Christian baptism, and then they received the Holy Ghost. But the fact remains that they were Jesus' disciples before they were properly baptized in water.

Water baptism is the sign of the New Covenant in the same way that circumcision was the sign of the Old Covenant. The Apostle Paul made it very clear in Ro 4 that although Abraham was circumcised, his circumcision was only a sign. Abraham was justified in the sight of God before his circumcision. Paul went on to state in Ga 5:1-6 that those who trust in circumcision are fallen from grace; Christ will profit them nothing.

Circumcision was a command of God that had to be kept (Ge 17:9-14), yet Abraham was justified over thirteen years before he was circumcised (Ge 15:6 with 17:23-26). Likewise, water baptism is a command, but keeping this command does not produce justification.

Jesus administered forgiveness of sins without any mention of water baptism (Mt 9:2; Lu 7:48, 50, 18:14, 19:9, and 23:43), as did Peter (Ac 3:19-4:4) and Paul (Ac 13:38-43 with 1Co 1:13-17).

Philip told the Ethiopian eunuch, who asked Philip to baptize him, that if he believed with all of his heart, he could be baptized (Ac 8:37). Philip used water baptism only after an individual had already believed. This is how Mark was using water baptism.