The National Speech & Debate Association rules allow a final rebuttal statement of up to 4 minutes. Any member of the team may read it.
Team 2 will now deliver their final, unyielding strike, asserting with razor-sharp precision that baptism isn’t the cornerstone of salvation — faith alone wears that crown.
Picture this first-century scene in Judea: a thief, gasping his final breaths on a cross next to Jesus. No baptismal font gleams nearby, no water waits to sprinkle or submerge — just a raw, desperate cry for mercy: “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus’ response rings clear: “Today, you’ll be with me in paradise.” Not “Sorry, friend, no dip, no entry.” Yet Team 1 clings to a rigid checklist … they claim faith, yes, but they hoist baptism as the mandatory seal, a ritual thrust beyond its biblical bounds.
Let’s walk through scripture, not with Team 1’s tunnel vision, but with eyes open to God’s full revelation. They point to Acts 2:38, where Peter calls, “Repent and be baptized” — a directive for obedience, no doubt, but not the key that unlocks heaven. Contrast that with Paul’s clarity in Romans 10:9: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him, you’ll be saved.” No water is mentioned here—just faith, pure and unshaken.
And Paul doesn’t stop there. He doubles down, defining baptism’s place with precision: it’s a deliberate, personal act — a work of human effort, a step you choose to take. In Ephesians 2:8-9, he draws the line: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” For Paul, “works” include deeds like baptism — it is valuable, yes, but distinct from the free gift of grace that faith alone receives.
Team 1 might wade into Mark 16:16, proclaiming, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” Fair enough — but listen to the rest: “Whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Belief is the hinge; unbelief is the single condemning statement. Baptism? It’s the outward sign of an inner seal, a deliberate step of obedience that follows faith’s pivotal moment, reflecting what trust in Christ has already established.
Scripture proves this time and again. That thief on the cross? Saved without a splash. Cornelius in Acts 10? The Holy Spirit filled him and his household before water touched them — faith locked in their salvation, baptism trailed behind. The pattern holds firm: salvation’s a gift, not a rite.
So here’s the knockout, Team 1: your baptismal fortress lies in ruins. You’ve propped up a theology on wobbly stilts in sinking sand, overlooking the jailer in Acts 16 who begged Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul didn’t shout, “Find a stream, fast!” He answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you’ll be saved.” Faith opened the door and baptism followed as a sign. Like an old billboard baking in the sun, your argument cracks, peels, and fades away … salvation rests on faith, not water.