DAY 200
CHALLENGE
“The Catholic Church teaches a false gospel by saying you need to be baptized. We are saved by faith without works.”
DEFENSE
Baptism is not a “work.” The New Testament teaches—and many Protestants agree—that baptism is important for salvation.
Scripture unambiguously teaches that baptism is important for salvation (see Day 20).
If one accuses Catholics of holding a false gospel because they see baptism as a means of salvation, then one must make the same charge against Orthodox, other Eastern Christians, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, and others. Only a comparatively small group—mostly of Evangelicals—denies baptism a role in salvation.
In fact, one would have to accuse Martin Luther—who popularized the “faith alone” formula—of teaching a false gospel. In his Small Catechism, Luther wrote:
Q.What does Baptism give? What good is it?
A.It gives the forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the Devil, gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, just as God’s words and promises declare.
Biblically speaking, baptism is not a “work” that would violate Paul’s teaching. He said we are not justified by “works of the law” (Rom. 3:28; Gal. 2:16). This refers to acts done from the belief that you need to fulfill the Mosaic Law (see the question for Day 63). Baptism is not commanded by the Mosaic Law, so it is not a “work of the law.”
Some have tried to interpret Paul’s reference to “works” as referring to anything that you do, but this is false. Not only would it make his reference to the law superfluous, it would contradict other passages. Je- sus exhorted people to “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Repenting and believing are things you do. “Works” can’t be anything you do or they would include repenting and having faith.
Others have tried to see works as actions done to earn one’s place before God, but undergoing baptism doesn’t earn anything. It is simply submitting to what God asks. Suppose you had a fatal disease and a doctor offered to cure you free of charge. All you have to do is submit to treatment. Submitting to treatment would not “earn” your cure.