let me try another avenue to show the Baptist position on baptismal regeneration is unscriptural. i will use the unscriptural term “water baptism” as a Baptist would.
1. why did Jesus command “water baptism”?
2. where does the Scripture teach “water baptism” is a “first act of obedience”?
3. where does the Scripture teach “water baptism” is an outward display of what has happened inwardly already?
Jesus Himself commanded baptism as an act of faith (Mk. 16:16) identifying one with the Triune God, (Mt. 28:19).
And Peter requires it as the first outward step of repentance and faith for the remission of sins and regeneration, (Acts 2:28) as the faith behind baptism appropriates this, for “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins,” (Acts 10:43) and thus some souls realized this before baptism, all of which you must reject in order to prevent indigestion.
And 1Pt. 3:21 still refers to it as a like figure of salvation, salvific as it requires and expresses faith, rather than depending on whether the one doing the baptizing intends to do what Rome does, of which no one may be sure, and its efficacy is not dependent on whether the person being saved personally has faith (though they must not set up an obstacle). Because if the faith required, Westminster Standards can state , sacraments are “effectual means of salvation.” See more: http://www.joelgarver.com/writ/sacr/exopere.htm
But such questions and more have already been addressed, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2811552/posts?page=2866#2866, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2891087/posts?page=965#965 and elsewhere, but as it is your modus operandi to blithely ignore such and asked the sames questions again, i need not waste more time responding and refuting the premise behind them .
But unlike me, you refuse to answer questions asked of you. Thus we would still like to know:
In contradiction of your previous statements, do you reject baptism of desire, and that one could be regenerated before they are baptized?
Do you believe the CCC is in error concerning this?
Do you hold Vatican 2 as binding, and that Protestants can be saved if they do not believe the pope to be the successor to Peter and Catholic apostolic succession? Explain.