John MacArthur, of Grace to You, has reasoned incorrectly against baptism’s necessity for salvation on the basis of Acts 15. In his article, “Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation,” he says such texts as Acts 15 and Romans 4 show “no external act is necessary for salvation,” and that “salvation is by divine grace through faith alone.”

WRONG CONTEXT
The famed theologian is reading baptism into a context in which it does not fit. In the Acts passage, there were Jews compelling Gentile believers to be circumcised according to the command of Moses (v. 1), that is, to place themselves under the Mosaic Law (Gal. 5:3ff). Thus, the Jerusalem conference (v. 6) did not concern mere “external acts,” as MacArthur alleges, but rather the Old Testament Law specifically and whether it was binding on these believers (v. 10). Water baptism of the New Covenant (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38), of course, was never enjoined as part of that law.

Considering, therefore, that MacArthur has the wrong context, his reasoning proves itself problematic. The council concluded that Moses’ Law was not binding (vv. 19 –22). It is compulsory neither in becoming saved initially nor after becoming a Christian (Gal. 5:1ff); thus, if water baptism were comprised in the Acts 15 discussion, we would necessarily conclude that it is never binding for Christians—never commanded. Few Bible students would accept such a position, and Macarthur himself says it is “required of every believer” (22^nd par.) in the same article.

BAPTISM, GRACE, AND FAITH
After his judgment not to put the Gentile brethren under the “yoke” of the Mosaic system, Peter declares that salvation is “through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 11). But Peter is not juxtaposing grace with the works God has demanded under the New Law of Christ, like baptism—he’s juxtaposing grace with the keeping of the Mosaic Law. Furthermore, while the grace of God is the basis of salvation—it’s very foundation, He still only extends that salvation to man on the condition of obedience (Heb. 5:9; Rom. 6:17), including being baptized (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38).

In looking further at MacArthur’s statement, his mention of Romans 4 fails. There, Paul does not contrast faith alone with faith and works coupled together, but he contrasts faith with works alone. If redemption were earned, then works alone would be the basis of salvation (nothing else would be needed). Yet, since nobody has earned it, God, on the basis of His mercy, i.e., grace, saves through faith. But remember that Biblical faith does not exclude doing works (James 2:14ff). Faith must be obedient, and baptism is an act of faith (Gal. 3:26 – 27). The apostle Peter declares in Acts 15:9 that souls are purified “by faith,” yet in his epistle, he says this purification is “in obeying the truth” (1 Pet. 1:22), demonstrating that Biblical faith includes the obedience to which it leads.

Paul emphasizes this salvation through faith as opposed to merit (by works). He says, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt” (v. 4). “Debt” is the word to note. When a reward is given because of a debt to works, we understand that this reward has been earned by those works. When someone works at a job and subsequently receives a paycheck, that check is the result of a debt accrued by his work. The employer pays him, not out of grace (wholly out of generosity), but because of the debt (an obligation to pay him). If we understand this, we can understand that Paul is stressing justification on the basis of grace (God did not owe us eternal life) and not on the basis of earning it via works (we have all sinned and therefore our works earn us nothing from God). So the point is this: while salvation cannot be earned by our works, works are still required.

MacArthur is wrong on such an important issue. Wrong Context. Wrong understanding of faith, grace, and works. Wrong Gospel!

Article by: A.K. Richardson