Many have received the wrong answers from the “Got Questions Ministries.” The site teaches that salvation comes before a believer is raised alive with Christ being saved by grace. This is found throughout their articles including this one, “Does 1 Peter 3:21 teach that baptism is necessary for salvation?” This article asserts that salvation comes before God raises a believer with Christ from baptism. The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This error is in contrast to the Truth presented in the Scriptures: “Why Does 1 Peter 3:21 Say, ‘Baptism Now Saves Us’?” Because of this error, I was compelled to write. Here is my letter to “Got Questions Ministries,”
Dear Mr. Houdmann and all of your volunteers,
Why is it that your website teaches people that they are saved by grace before being raised with Christ? When is a believer made alive and regenerated with Christ?
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved, and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:5–9, emp. added).
Are not believers born again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Pet 1:3, emp. added).
Why do you not present that the saving Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (1 Cor 15:1–4)? What did Jesus command all people after He was resurrected? Yet, you teach people to be saved like the thief on the cross before Jesus’ died, was buried, and resurrected. The New Testament began at the death of Christ, and you teach people to be saved like someone under the Old Testament. Not only are you rejecting the resurrection by putting salvation by grace before the resurrection, you are putting salvation by grace before the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and thus before the whole salvation of the Gospel. Are believers not saved by the Gospel (Rom 1:16)?
When are believers raised with Christ and saved by grace? Please, post your answer to that question.
Who has convinced you to believe these things? What did Jesus command to make disciples after He was resurrected? Was that command from man or from heaven? Why libel what Jesus commanded to reject that element of “water”? Would I be right to reject Christ’s crucifixion and being crucified with Christ because I label it as “just wood and nails salvation”? Can you really have been born again through the resurrection when you oppose being buried with Christ in His death? How can you then by raised with Him? Will you not be overcome by temptations when you have not put to death the works of the flesh?
I write this because you all appear to be sincerely religious. Yet, like Cornelius being devout, God-fearing, praying, and giving alms was not saved until Peter told him “words by which you and all your household will be saved” (Acts 11:14). You know that Cornelius must have been born again of the water and the Spirit (John 3:5; Titus 3:5; 1 Cor 6:11), and you know that Cornelius was taught that “the forgiveness of sins is through His name for whoever believes in Him” (Acts 10:43). What was Cornelius commanded to do in Jesus’ name (Acts 10:47–48)? Who can forbid this instruction in Jesus’ name?
What work of Moses’ Law is there in submitting to Christ’s Law? What in Moses’ Law is of faith and of the Spirit of life? Are Jesus’ commands the works of the Law of Moses?
“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Rom 3:27–28).
Christ overcame the curse of the Law, and He did the work. He died, was buried, and was resurrected. Do you not really believe (Gal 2:20; 3:26–27)? His love compels true believers to die with Him (2 Cor 5:14–15). If you truly believe, then answer, “When does the believer begin to ‘walk in the newness of life’ (Rom 6:3–7)?” When are believers freed from sin by being united with Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection? When are believers buried with Christ and raised with Him through faith in the working of God (Col 2:12–13)? When are believers made alive with Christ having been forgiven of all trespasses? Are believers not saved “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 3:21)?
My plea is for you to rethink, reconsider, and pray. Consider God’s judgment. How will you stand before God if you have changed the Gospel (Gal 1:6–9)? Be careful, and do not be like those who are as Jesus described, “For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in” (Matt 23:13). This will be posted as an open letter. I await your response.
May God bless us through His saving Gospel,
Scott Shifferd, evangelist, GodsBreath.net
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Here is the response from “Got Questions Ministries”:
Scott,
The “biblical answer” is already available on our website in numerous different articles on baptism. You can use the phrases “being raised with Christ,” and “made alive and regenerated with Christ” all you want, but it does not change the fact that you are talking about water baptism. Simply put, we do not believe that water baptism is when a person is spiritually raised with Christ, made alive, or regenerated. Yes, water baptism illustrates those events, but it is not necessarily the time when those events actually occur. The vast majority of Scripture verses you point to can easily be interpreted as referring to Spirit baptism, as water is nowhere mentioned in the contexts.
Sincerely in Christ,
Shea
GotQuestions.org
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Here is my following response:
Hi Shea and all,
Please, forgive my delay. I have been traveling. As previously addressed, I presented to you that a believer is raised and made alive from baptism, and this is when one is saved by grace (Col 2:12-13; Eph 2:4–7; cf. Rom 6:3–7). Any person teaching otherwise is separating faith from the resurrection of Christ that we have with Him.
As you agreed, a believer is saved when baptized, but you have excluded Jesus’ command of water baptism in His name. Why? There is big problem with your belief that “Spirit baptism” excludes Jesus’ instruction for baptism in water (Matt 28:19; cf. Acts 2:38). See, baptism in Jesus’ name is in water (Acts 10:47–48). Does the Holy Spirit have anything to do with this water baptism that Jesus commanded in His resurrection? This baptism is in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (Matt 28:19). This is the baptism of 1 Corinthians for it is the name of Christ within the proclamation of the Gospel (1 Cor 1:11–13). The Spirit washes, sanctifies, and justifies a believer when washed in His name (1 Cor 6:11). This is the baptism spoken of throughout 1 Corinthians as it is compared to the water baptism of Israel (1 Cor 10:1–2). This baptism in the name of Christ is “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor 12:13). Faith in the resurrection is essential to this baptism or one is baptized for the dead (1 Cor 15:29).
The baptism that Jesus commanded is the one baptism (Matt 28:19; Eph 4:5; cf. “water” Eph 5:26). Christ commanded His baptism in His name after His death, burial, and resurrection. Likewise, remember that the Pharisees also rejected John the Baptist’s baptism (Matt 21:25–27; Mark 11:30–33; Luke 20:4–8). I plead with all by the love of Christ to reconsider the baptism that Jesus Christ commanded in His resurrection. Do not have the spirit of the Pharisees who closed their eyes and ignored Christ’s words as the rest of the Scriptures? As proved before, one is raised and made alive from this baptism, and this is when one is saved by grace (Col 2:12–13; cf. Eph 2:4–7). This is really undeniable unless one denies Christ and the Scriptures altogether. Note that I am not saying that the water has any power outside of the commands of Jesus Christ. I am not saying a believer is regenerated and saved when entering the water or under the water, but that believers are regenerated and saved when raised with Christ and this is when God has raised the believer from the burial in water. Therefore, this is God’s work and His grace that raises us. This is taught in Ephesians 2:1–10. Look to Jesus again. He said that salvation does not come before this baptism, but salvation comes after belief and baptism (Mark 16:16). “Can anyone forbid water?” (Acts 10:47). “And now why are you waiting? Arise be baptized, washing away your sins calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Why is it that no one waited to be baptized in Acts? Yet, many wait until a certain time of the season to be immersed now. Is that scriptural? Look to Acts at all those believers who obeyed by faith Christ’s command of baptism to become His disciples (Matt 28:19–20).
I urge you to seriously consider what you are teaching. Read these scriptures and be willing to make a stand for Truth no matter what you have been previous taught. Remember James 3:1 and 2 John 9 among many scriptures that warn us to teach the Truth or be judged strictly. This is why I have sided with Christ in all things concerning His command of baptism.
May God bless you all,
Scott Shifferd, evangelist, GodsBreath.net
The Breath of God 
Why did Nicodemus need to be baptized?
Nicodemus need to be baptized to enter the kingdom of Heaven like Christ said. You are arguing against baptism like the Pharisees did.
Then the Thief on the cross needed to be baptized also. There is serious inconsistency in your theory that water baptism is necessary. You have your baptisms confused.
Not sure you are interested in the metaphorical aspect of spiritual language but it would be good for you to explore the this before you jump to conclusions about water being literal as used in the context of spiritual meaning. Don’t forget that the NT is a Spiritual writing and as such should be read with the understanding that many allegories and metaphors are used to make points that can easily be missed by taking everything stated as literal.
Being born of water does not mean water baptism. It means actual physical birth from amniotic fluid.
So, you think that John 3:5 and Titus 3:5 are not parallels to each other?
Read some commentary on this. Only coC people think this is referring to physical and literal water.
Again, if you understand that the NT is a spiritual writing (and what that means) then it changes everything. Do some study on how the spirit works. The spiritual world is metaphysical and you need to understand that not everything is logical and literal in the spiritual world.
Again, do you think that John 3:5 and Titus 3:5 are parallels to each other?
Also, according to your reasoning, those are not born the water of the amniotic fluid cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven, which would include unborn children. I do believe Jesus is saying that if a child is not born, then he cannot enter Heaven.
Barnes’ commentary, “By “water,” here, is evidently signified ‘baptism.’ Thus the word is used in Eph_5:26; Tit_3:5. Baptism was practiced by the Jews in receiving a Gentile as a proselyte. It was practiced by John among the Jews; and Jesus here says that it is an ordinance of his religion, and the sign and seal of the renewing influences of his Spirit. So he said Mar_16:16, ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.'”
Summer’s commentary, “Jesus does not reply directly to the question of Nicodemus, but proceeds to give a more explicit statement concerning the new birth. One must be born of water and of the Spirit. Whatever this may mean, it will be admitted by all (1) that no one is a member of the kingdom of God until he is born again; (2) that the Savior declares the impossibility of one entering who is not born of water and of the Spirit. All agree that the birth of the Spirit refers to the inward, or spiritual change that takes place, and all candid authorities agree that born of water refers to baptism. So Alford, Wesley, Abbott, Whitby, Olshausen, Tholuck, Prof. Wm. Milligan, the Episcopal Prayer Book, the Westminister Confession, the M. E. Discipline, and M. E. Doctrinal Tracts, and also the writers of the early Church all declare.”
This washing is a spiritual washing not a washing with water.
If you were led by the Holy Spirit at all, you would know better (1 John 4:1-6).
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11).
“Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:47-48).
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
“[N]ot by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5).
Look up the term, “regeneration” in the dictionary. Are you suggesting that regeneration is not associated with new understanding?
Nope. “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” (Titus 3:5-6).
Water does not regenerate the person. Regeneration has to do with and new understanding that was not present before regeneration. No one come out of the baptismal waters with new understanding. The water cannot create that event. Only the Holy Spirit can do this. Regeneration is supernatural in nature.
You are right that water does not regenerate. Christ regenerates by His Spirit when we have been raised with Him having died and been buried with Him in His death by baptism (Rom. 6:3-7, 1 Cor. 6:11, Col. 2:12-13, Titus 3:5-6).
Where is your regeneration of understanding found in the words of Christ’s Spirit as written in the Scriptures?
They say “The vast majority of Scripture verses you point to can easily be interpreted as referring to Spirit baptism, as water is nowhere mentioned in the contexts.” I guess they passed right over the mention of water in 1 Peter 3:21 that this whole conversation centered on.
That is very true. A person really has to overlook to miss that baptism in Jesus’ name is in water.
Reblogged this on Seeing God's Breath and commented:
This post has been updated with a response from “Got Questions Ministries”.
Great job! Let us know if you hear back from them. My guess is that you won’t.
Hi Trey, Thank you for the encouragement. I did hear back from them. I have now included it within the article. When I consider the Apostle Paul’s method of evangelizing by entering synagogues and similar places to speak to those, who are spiritually minded, I consider this one of the only ways that I know to do this. I pray that these believers are sincere and will honestly reconsider, and I likewise if they would present some scriptures for their conclusions. God bless, brother.
I’ve been hoping someone would address the error of the “Got Questions” website! Excellent!
“Well done…” gb