Does baptism come before or after the salvation contemplated in 1 Peter 3:21?

When the plan of salvation is so easy to understand, why do some go to such great lengths to obscure it?

A remarkable passage in John demonstrates that a human response is required in God’s plan of salvation.

Those who teach that salvation is solely by faith, without further acts of obedience, have a difficult time reconciling Paul with himself. Study this matter with us.

Benedict XVI, the current “pope” of the Roman Catholic Church, recently ignited a firestorm of controversy by reaffirming the oft-made church claim that salvation is found exclusively in the Roman Church.

Based upon a misunderstanding of Ephesians 2:8, some argue that “faith” is a gift from God, and that it is not, therefore, a condition of salvation. This theory is the offspring of Calvinism. This week’s question explores this issue.

Peter affirmed that God “made no distinction” between Jews and Gentiles with reference to the matter of salvation. In other words, both Jews and Gentiles were to be redeemed in precisely the same fashion.

In the book of Isaiah (55:1ff) there is a thrilling prophecy of the salvation that was to be made available as a result of the promised Messiah’s victory over death.

In the biblical context, atonement has to do with the plan employed by the Lord to provide a way of salvation for sinful humanity by means of the redemptive mission of Christ. Study with us the basic facts.

Some religious folks assume that this passage teaches that salvation is given upon the basis of faith alone — without additional acts of obedience. This is a tragic mistake.

A sincere student wants to know how one can read Romans 10:9-10, which mentions only faith and confession, and then contend that baptism is essential to salvation. Wayne Jackson discusses the “analogy of faith” principle.

Was the death of Jesus Christ a part of God’s eternal plan for human salvation? Amazingly, some have contended it was not—contrary to the explicit testimony of Peter (see 1 Peter 1:19-20).

Does this passage teach that our salvation is strictly a matter of God’s arbitrary election before the world was made, irrespective of any choice that we might exercise in the matter?

The denominational community has long assaulted Mark 16:16 due to the simplicity of the passage in including baptism as a preliminary condition of salvation. Now, such attacks are coming even from certain “change agents” within the body of Christ. This article highlights one such recent effort.

In the July issue of the well-known protestant journal, Christianity Today, Dr. Timothy George responds to a question regarding the relationship of baptism to salvation. Wayne Jackson comments on this intriguing essay.

If one looks at each of the three processes involved in the salvation of mankind — development, consummation, and revelation, he should see that each was effected in perpetuity, and none is being replicated today.

Words are vehicles of communication. Since it is the case that “words” can lead either to salvation or to condemnation, it is important that Christians craft a vocabulary that expresses biblical ideas in their purest form. Study this issue with us in this month’s Feature.

A subtle, but important, point from the Greek text helps us to distinguish several factors in the plan of salvation

Did the apostle Paul teach that baptism was not necessary for salvation from sins? By no means. Study this passage with us.

Baptism is a very important rite in the divine scheme of salvation. But it is imperative that one be able to distinguish between the “essential” and “nonessential” items associated with the command. Study this matter with us in this week’s Penpoints.