How is Galatians 2:16 used to prove that baptism is needed, although it says "no works can save you"?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-08

Confession to a Priest vs. Direct Confession to God

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, we believe that confession is a Sacramental Act (the Mystery of Repentance and Confession) established by Christ Himself. While we do pray and confess our sins directly to God in our private prayers (such as in the Agpeya), the sacramental confession to a priest is the means by which we receive the authoritative absolution and the assurance of forgiveness.

1. Biblical Basis for Confessing to a Person (The Priest):

• John 20:22–23: After His Resurrection, the Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Christ explicitly gave the power of binding and loosing sins to the Apostles, a physical authority passed down to their successors, the bishops and priests. If God intended for confession to be purely "private" between an individual and Himself, this specific mandate to the Apostles would be meaningless.
• James 5:16: The Scripture commands: "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed." In the context of this chapter, St. James is discussing the role of the "elders of the church" (the priests) in visiting and anointing the sick.
• Matthew 18:18: "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
• Acts 19:18: In the early Church, we see this practiced: "And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds."

2. Why can't I just confess to God?

While God is the one who ultimately forgives, He chose to administer that forgiveness through the Church.

• Accountability and Humility: Sin is not only against God but also against the Body of Christ (the Church). Confessing to a priest requires humility and provides a level of accountability that private prayer lacks.
• Spiritual Guidance: The priest serves as a spiritual physician. Just as you cannot diagnose and treat a physical disease by simply thinking about it, you need a father of confession to provide the "remedy" or spiritual exercises (canon) to help you overcome the root causes of the sin.
• The Power of the Keys: The priest acts as a witness to your repentance and, by the authority given to him through the Holy Spirit in his ordination, pronounces the absolution, which is the "release" from the burden of sin.

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Galatians 2:16 and the Necessity of Baptism

Galatians 2:16 states: "...knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."

Protestants often misuse this verse to claim that "works" include sacraments like Baptism, and therefore Baptism is not necessary for salvation. This is a misunderstanding of the text and the theology of the Holy Church.

1. The Definition of "Works of the Law":

In this context, St. Paul is referring to the Mosaic Law (circumcision, dietary laws, and Jewish rituals) which the "Judaizers" were trying to impose on Gentile converts. He is not referring to the "Good Works" of the Gospel or the "Mysteries" (Sacraments) established by Christ.

2. Baptism is not a "Work of Man":

Orthodox theology views Baptism not as a human work or a ritual we do to "earn" salvation, but as a Divine Work of God. It is God who washes, God who regenerates, and God who adopts us. In Baptism, we are "buried with Him" and "raised with Him" (Colossians 2:12). It is the means by which we are placed into Christ to receive the very "faith" and "justification" St. Paul mentions.

3. Biblical Necessity of Baptism:

If Galatians 2:16 meant that no external act is necessary, it would contradict many other clear mandates in Scripture:

• John 3:5: Jesus explicitly says, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
• Mark 16:16: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." Faith and Baptism are linked as the requirement for salvation.
• 1 Peter 3:21: St. Peter says clearly, "There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism..."

Conclusion:

We are justified by faith, but that faith is not a mere intellectual thought; it is an active, living faith that obeys the commands of Christ. Baptism is the "door" through which we enter the life of faith. Those who claim "faith alone" without the sacraments are ignoring the clear commands of the Lord and the historical practice of the Apostles.