Ignorance of the bible is something we face quite frequently. People taking verses out of context and changing them to mean all matter of things. 

As Solomon said nothing is new under the sun” in the nearly 2,000 years after Jesus’ death people still miss [sometimes intentionally] critical concepts of the bible.

During the Sanhedrin court shortly before His death, He’s challenged by the chief priests, elders, and scribes. Those who should’ve known what Jesus said and why He said it.

One such case is found in Mark 14: 57-59.

“ Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying,  “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” But not even then did their testimony agree.”

The reason their testimony did not agree is because it did not agree with Jesus’ teaching. He never said HE will destroy the temple, nor did He say he will build ANOTHER physical temple. The temple Jesus was referring to was His body.

This is why it’s important that we are clear when we speak to others about God’s word. People could get the wrong idea, whether intentionally or otherwise, and all the effort we put into explaining the importance of baptism and living faithfully could be of no effect.

Jesus gave the authority for baptism in the great commission, what it makes us and how it’s to be done.

The apostle Peter tells us why we need to be baptized. 1 Peter 3: 18-22

 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.  There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

We are baptized because it saves us. It saves us because as Acts 2:38 states “repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins."”

As one must be baptized for the remission of sins, naturally without baptism, our sins are not remitted. This is why we given an invitation every chance we have. Keeping the hope of salvation to ourselves is worse than selfish.