“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Which does NOT say:
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that is BAPTIZETH not shall be damned.”
**Which does NOT say:
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that is BAPTIZETH not shall be damned.**
He that believeth not is obviously not going to be baptized.
Is this how you interpret the first half of Mark 16:16?....
‘He that believeth is saved and can be baptized.’
The utter urgency of water baptism, shown several times in the book of Acts, is certainly not common today: people postponing it for days or weeks so that it can be viewed by plenty of family and friends, turning it into a party.
Therefore, the the lack of urgency shows the lack of faith (and understanding) in the act.
When Ananias was convinced of Saul (Paul) being repentant toward God, he declared:
“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Acts 22:16
(That’s obviously not Spirit baptism, for Spirit baptism doesn’t require a particular moving around or positioning.)