Of course baptism is not required for salvation. This article will address the common arguments given by those who believe in baptismal regeneration. In short:

1. Scripture clearly teaches, throughout its entirety, that salvation is by faith alone
2. The verses used to prove baptism is required for salvation are slightly ambiguous, yet agree with the rest of Scripture that salvation is by grace through faith alone
3. Scripture gives us demonstrative proof that baptism is not required for salvation by presenting us with individuals who are saved without being baptized

Response to Arguments

1 Peter 3:21

And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you - not the washing off of physical dirt but the pledge of a good conscience to God - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ1 Peter 3:21

Context tells us that "[the eight saved on Noah's ark, delivered through water] prefigured baptism, which now saves you...."

First, it's important to note the rest of the verse. Peter, wanting to make clear that baptism does not save people, clarifies that he is not talking about "the washing off of physical dirt." What is it that saves us? Peter says not water baptism, but "the pledge of a good conscience to God." What is this pledge? This pledge is faith.

Peter says that Noah and his family being delivered through water is what prefigured baptism. That is, it was a symbol of baptism. Our initial instinct might be to equate that flood waters with the water of baptism, but did the water save the eight, or did the ark? Clearly the ark did, and the water was the destruction of the evil people (2 Peter 2:5; 3:6). Scripture tells us that Noah was saved and made righteous through faith:

By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.Hebrews 11:7

So it was Noah's "pledge of a good conscience to God," as he responded to God in faith, that saved him. And it is this "pledge of a good conscience to God"--the response of faith in God--through which we are saved. That is, the baptism that saves us is the pledge of a good conscience to God--our salvation, as Noah's, comes by faith.

Acts 2:38

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."Acts 2:38

The word translated "for" in this verse is the Greek word eis. This word is translated in a number of different ways and can have a number of different meanings. It could mean, for instance, "in order to get," as in, "I paid for the item." Or, it could mean "because of," or "in respect to," as in, "I was rewarded for my hard work."

In Corinthians, eis is used to mean "in respect to", again talking about baptism:

and all were baptized into [eis] Moses in the cloud and in the sea1 Corinthians 10:2

Surely, the people were not baptized "in order to get" Moses! They were baptized to identify themselves with Moses, as the Christian is baptized to identify himself with Christ.

The word eis is used when talking about baptism in Matthew, as well:

"I baptize you with water, for [eis] repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am - I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."Matthew 3:11

John did not baptize "in order to get" repentance, but "because of," or "as the result of" repentance.

The word eis is used when talking about baptism in Romans:

Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into [eis] Christ Jesus were baptized into [eis] his death?Romans 6:3

Again, we are not baptized "in order to get" Christ or "in order to get" his death.

Matthew also uses eis when speaking about Ninevah:

The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them - and now, something greater than Jonah is here!Matthew 12:41

Though this translation obscures the text, the Greek reads, "...they repented at [eis] the preaching of Jonah." Surely, the people of Ninevah did not repent "in order to get" the preaching of Jonah, but "because of" the preaching of Jonah.

According to GotQuestions.org, the grammar of the verse also argues against the interpretation of Acts 2:38 that baptism results in the forgiveness of sins (starting just about halfway down the page). Essentially, the verse would best be translated, "You all repent for the forgiveness of all of your sins, and let each one of you be baptized." This creates two separate ideas--that the people should repent "for" the forgiveness of their sins, and that each person should be baptized.

So even though the meaning of eis in Acts 2:38 could possibly mean either "because of" or "in order to get," 1) Scriptural soteriology, 2) usage elsewhere, and 3) grammar argue strongly against the baptismal regeneration interpretation.

Mark 16:16

The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.Mark 16:16

Note what this verse actually says: 1) The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but 2) the one who does not believe will be condemned. That might seem like a pointless reiteration, but consider what the verse does not say: the one who is not baptized will be condemned. What does Mark say is the requirement that, if not met, condemns a person? Belief.

Mark could have said, "The one who believes and tithes," or, "The one who believes and goes to church," etc. We could also simply add a list of things to Mark's statement without making it untrue: "The one who believes, is baptized, wears clothes, plays Euchre, limps, and knows binary will be saved." This is a true statement, just as is Mark's actual statement. The one requirement for salvation, however, does not change: belief.

We might say, "The one who goes outside in the rain and plays will get wet. The one who does not go outside in the rain will not get wet." It is true that a person both 1) being in the rain and 2) playing will get a person wet, but not both of those are requirements for getting wet. The requirement--being out in the rain--is indicated in the second statement. In reality, then, Mark 16:16 actually argues that faith alone, not baptism, is required for salvation.

Also, the translators of the NET Bible argue that Mark 16:9-20 is not likely part of the inspired Word. That said, even if Mark 16:16 did teach that baptism is necessary for salvation, it would be best not to build a doctrine solely upon this questionable text.

Demonstrative Proof

Scripture provides us with plenty of examples of people who were saved without being baptized.

The Thief on the Cross

If baptism were required for salvation, then what of the thief on the cross? Did Jesus lie to him? Those who believe in baptismal regeneration might argue that God, in His grace, made an exception for the thief, because he was unable to be baptized. If this were so, however, one should ask:

If the thief didn't need to be baptized, then what does baptism actually accomplish? Does baptism accomplish anything? If sins can be forgiven without baptism, then why is baptism necessary? What's more, we have a clear example of someone who could be baptized, yet was saved before he was ever baptized: Cornelius.

Cornelius

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 "No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?" 48 So he gave orders to have them baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for several days.Acts 10:44-48

Acts 10 tells the story of Cornelius and his Gentile friends who were saved before being baptized. It wasn't until after they were already saved that Peter gave the order for them to be baptized. To claim, then, that baptism is required for salvation is to contradict the plain teaching of Scripture.