The following question was submitted as part of a lesson one return. My questions: Do you believe that baptism is essential to being saved? If so, how can one be saved on his death bed? Will people that are not raptured be able to be saved? I have a friend that is a member of the Church of Christ and they do not use musical instruments in their Church and they also believe that one must be baptised to be saved. I have noticed that in some scripture it says all you have to do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,repent of your sins and you will be saved. Yet in others there is the term believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, be baptised and you will be saved. Please give me your understanding on both parts of this. Dear Name I was pleased to get your first set of answers to lesson one of the Exploring the Bible course. And thanks for your own questions! I will do my best to give you answers based on the Bible as our sole authority for Truth. But first your answers: Question 1: Godıs inspired word. It is indeed, but defining the words "Holy" means set apart or separate and "Bible" is taken from the Greek word for book (see page 1). It certainly is a unique book. Question 2: 66 Correct Question 3: God selected Holy/God fearing men to put his word in writing. Yes, men drawn from all walks of life, but all of them God-fearing. Question 4: To teach men about God, His purpose, and to direct them into a way of life that is pleasing to Him. Exactly. Since these donıt change, the Bible is still very relevant today. Question 5: Because man cannot predict the future and in the bible God predicts future events with total accuracy. Correct. Question 6: The birth of our Savior; Jesus Christ. The end times. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Jesus being raised from the dead and his assenssion into Heaven. True. I think the question suggests things that are still future in your words "the end times", regarding which I would be specific and say "the return of Jesus Christ to the earth". Proof?< Acts 2:9-11; 3:20-21 etc. Now for your questions, dealing first with what we must do to be saved. This was the precise question that the jailer in Philippi put to the apostle Paul Acts 16:30. Note Paulıs answer "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (v31). Yet it was accepted that he would baptise him so that the jailer might not only put his past sins behind him but also show his obedience to God in this way. It is evident that he had been impressed by the unwavering faith of Paul and Silas, who later "spoke unto him the word of the Lord" (v32). Look how the jailer "rejoiced" (v34) after his baptism. Another man rejoiced for the same reason< an Ethiopian eunuch. You will find this account in Acts 8:27-39. When he was enlightened about Jesusı role as the Messiah foretold in the prophets, he was keen to be baptised and Philip baptised him. The apostles preached the gospel as Jesus had commanded them (Mark 16:15-16) and those who believed were baptised. The reason for baptism is "the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38) and an acknowledgment that God is right< we deserve to die because we are sinners, but He has graciously provided a way out of the grave< on His terms. Baptism is a complete immersion in water after a confession of belief in the gospel. Past sins are washed away in the water of baptism and the believer enters upon a new way of life. The apostle Paul wrote at length on baptism in Romans 6, showing the way a believer publicly identifies with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Take time to carefully read that chapter and you will see that the person who is baptised comes up out of the water in a new relationship with God and with Jesus Christ. This new relationship is mentioned in other places, eg Colossians 2:12-13; 3:1-4 "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.S And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespassesS If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." This new relationship is in other places called being "in Christ" (See Romans 8:1; Galatians 3:26-28) and baptism is the only way in. It is the first step by which we "walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Can one be saved on his death bed?ı Well, it is pretty evident that belief in the gospel is the first conscious response we must make if we want to be saved from (out of) death. To ignore God all our life and then, realising that death is imminent, to call on Him for the "gift" of eternal life (Romans 6:23), which He has promised to those "who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory, honour and immortality" (Romans 2:7) seems to show a lack of understanding of the character of God. He is certainly very merciful and forgiving but will not be mocked or treated lightly (see Exodus 34:6-7; Galatians 6:7). As to the raptured This expression is no where found in the Bible. The erroneous idea of rapture seems to be based on a mistaken interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Apart from the evident danger of basing such a major belief on just one passage of Scripture, it should be noted that there is no mention of Oheavenı here. The air only extends up a few kilometres above the earth. Christ is to descend from heaven and carry off suddenly (this is the meaning of the Greek word as any lexicon will show) those who are alive among his believers to meet with those who have been raised from the dead and they shall all then be gathered at the tribunal of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10; 2 Timothy 4:1, 8). We are not told the exact location but it is evidently somewhere on the earth, perhaps at Sinai where God first gathered together His people in ancient times. It is clear that salvation is predicated upon a belief of the true gospel (Acts 8:5,12; Galatians 1:7-8) followed by baptism (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16). As to what is the true gospel, well, I hope that as you work your way through this course you will see the consistent message that God has revealed from Genesis to Revelation. I will certainly do all I can to help you in your search. By the way, the password for lesson 2 is Looking forward to hearing from you Kind regards Name http://www.exploringthebible.net