Our Lord, in giving the Great Commission to his disciples, told them: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16). Notice how He establishes a link between the concept of faith and that of baptism. For believers not to be baptized is tantamount to disobeying a clear and unequivocal command.

Did our Lord mean that without the baptism of the believer we cannot be saved? That this was not what He meant is shown by the case of the dying thief who could not be baptized. But the fact that the Lord presented this case in this way is very significant, and His words, quoted in the Gospel according to Mark, harmonize with those which Matthew expressed when he wrote: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen" (Mt. 28:19-20).

Baptism should take place after the believer has received the necessary instruction. Believers, and only believers, should be baptized. Note that baptism takes place in the name of the Trinity, which implies that converts are required to have instruction on the nature of God.

The command to baptize believers, and only believers, will continue until the end of time, which is implicit in the words of Jesus: "And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

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