On Heresy and Heretics (2)
The Heresy of Salvation by Faith Alone
Heretics Ignore the Value of Baptism
They focus on faith alone: “Just believe.” They see that faith alone is sufficient for salvation.
And by faith alone a person is saved, and by faith alone he receives the second birth, renewal, becomes a child of God, and his sins are forgiven!!
In all of this, they give no value, importance, or efficacy to baptism.
And if they speak about it, their words are weak and without spirit, and they are contradictory to their words about salvation (salvation by faith alone).
Here, we place before them a few verses:
- “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16):
This is the saying of the Lord Christ Himself, His teaching which He delivered to the apostles. He did not say, “He who believes will be saved,” but rather, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Here, the Lord clarified the necessity of baptism for salvation.
- The saying of the Apostle Peter: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38):
He said this to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost, after they were pierced in their hearts, believed, and asked, “What shall we do, men and brethren?”
Saint Peter did not focus on faith alone and its sufficiency for salvation. He did not say, “Believe only, and your sins will be forgiven.”
Or, “Since you have believed, your sins have been forgiven.” Rather, he placed repentance and baptism alongside faith.
And is baptism necessary for the forgiveness of sins? There is no salvation except through the forgiveness of sins.
- The saying of Ananias to Saul of Tarsus, after his faith and his calling by the Lord: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16):
Therefore, by his faith and his calling, he had not been freed from his sins. He was in need of baptism to wash away his sins.
Does anyone, then, deny the necessity of baptism for salvation?!
They are the heretics who speak of salvation by faith alone and ignore the work of baptism in salvation…
An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III — in El-Keraza Magazine — Ninth Year, Issue 39, September 29, 1978.
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