First Epistle of Peter
SALVATION AND BAPTISM
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:21 (KJV)
"baptism"
This verse has caused a little controversy. Some have understood it to teach that baptism along saves, in and of itself. However, Scripture here and elsewhere does teach that baptism plays a major role in our salvation as does faith in Christ, repentance from sin and confession of Christ. All are equally important if we are to contact the blood of Christ and be washed clean.
Today some teach that baptism is simply an ordinance for the transitional period between Judaism and Christianity and that it was never meant for Christians of the present time. Also that it was for the Jews leaving Judaism and turning to Christianity. A religious leader once said that when referring to baptism in the epistles it always means baptism of the Spirit, never baptism in water. Surely, our verse refutes these views.
As we noticed in connection with those to whom Peter wrote in chapter 1 (v. 1), they were not Jewish Christians primarily, but Gentile converts in Asia Minor; mostly fruit of the labors of Paul and his helpers. Although Paul preached to Jews, too, and some were saved, yet his work was primarily among Gentiles. We are not told just how it came about that Peter was writing to those Christians, but it is generally assumed that he took them under his wing because of Paul's imprisonment or Paul may have already been executed.
It is claimed by some that Paul makes no statement concerning water baptism in epistles he wrote while in prison. This we do not concede, but even if so, Peter still writes about it while Paul was either in jail or perhaps dead. And surely no one would say that Peter is not talking of water baptism. In verse 20 he speaks about the flood (plenty of water there) and the last word in the verse is water – our verse compares baptism with the flood.
"The like figure"
"The like figure" is the translation of one Greek word which means "counterpart" or "representative" and teaches that the flood was a counterpart or a type of baptism; that even as the flood saved Noah, baptism saves the one baptized. Of course, Peter is not saying here that baptism alone saves us, for to do so he would go against other Scriptures in the New Testament which teach the necessity of faith, repentance and confession. But here Peter is simply teaching all who will listen, that baptism is vital if we are to please God.
Like baptism, the flood pictures death, burial and resurrection. The flood brought death and burial (submersion) to many. It would have brought the same to the occupants of the ark, except in the ark they rose above the flood and this pictures resurrection. First of all baptism pictures the death, burial and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and then our death, burial and resurrection with Him. When we truly believe in Christ as our Savior, God reckons us as having died with Christ. Then, through repentance and confession we die to the sins of the world. A dead person needs burying, so we are then buried in baptism (submerged in water). Coming up out of the water a new creature, having been raised from the death of sin and washed clean by the blood of Christ, to live a new, resurrected, saved life – born again! (see Rom. 6)
Most will agree that before there can be a desire to obey the Lord Jesus Christ, one would first need to have faith in Him – believing that He was and is the Son of God. From the foundation of faith comes the desire to obey the Lord by repenting of sin, confessing and being baptized for the remission of sins. Some practice baptizing infants. We know of no Scriptural example or teaching providing grounds for doing this. The order is always that of Mark 16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized". To baptize one before he believes is to perform a useless ceremony. The word "baptizo" means "to immerse". To sprinkle a little water on one is not immersion and therefore cannot be Bible baptism.
In the ark Noah went through the flood and into a new world. The Christian believes in Christ then through baptism is raised to walk in newness of life. "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). The flood swept away the old world and brought in the new. Also the saved should no longer live for or love the world (1 John 2:15-17). Even Noah's old companions, if he had any, were drowned in the flood. The moment one is saved his companionships should change and if he lives and speaks for Christ, his old friends will probably no longer care for his company.
Like Noah, as long as he remains faithful to Christ the Christian is on the other side of death and eternal life in heaven belongs to him. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (See John 11:25 and 26; also John 5:24).
Here, as in Mark 16:16, baptism is joined with salvation. When we read of a case of conversion in the Scriptures we nearly always read of one's baptism. And it should be the same today. In early times, one might have truly trusted Christ but was not considered saved until having obeyed Christ through baptism. This was one's testimony that he trusted and obeyed Christ.
This was the obedience that showed the unsaved that such a one was obedient to Christ's teaching. One was then born again, in newness of life, and henceforth treated as such. Too often Bible baptism is buried under traditions of men.
"not the putting away of the filth of the flesh"
This is what water usually does when one takes a bath. It washes away the filth from the body. Some think that baptism does the same thing. If it did, many would act far differently than they do. Drunkards, harlots, thieves, murderers, in some cases have been baptized (so called) as children. Some, even after years of adulthood, have been immersed. But it had no cleansing effect on their physical body. Baptism does not put away the filth of the flesh, but contacting the blood of Christ (through baptism) can and certainly does. By Christ's blood, drunkards have been and are still being made sober, harlots made virtuous, thieves made givers, and murderers made whole. Yes, through obedience to Christ, i.e., trusting and obeying His teachings, we can surely contact the blood of Christ and be born again to walk in newness of life, serving Christ always.
"but the answer of a good conscience towards God"
The fact that Christ was raised from the dead gives us a good conscience about our salvation. It is God's guarantee that He is satisfied with the work of Christ. Thus we can know that trusting, obeying and serving Him we are safe. However, we can also imagine one who believes in Christ, repents of sins and even confesses Christ before men having a bad conscience about not being baptized. He realizes that he must obey the Lord in everything, not just some of His commandments, and he does not have a good conscience until he is immersed in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life.
"answer"
The word "answer" in the Revised Version is rendered "interrogation". It could also be translated "appeal".
"by the resurrection of Jesus Christ"
The Revised Version has "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ", implicating that here lies the basic foundation of salvation. Noah and his family were inside the ark. If the ark had not been buoyed up by the flood, all would have been lost. In the same manner, if Christ had not been resurrected, all in Him would have been lost. "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17). All our hopes are based on the fact that Christ arose from the dead and we have a living Savior at God's right hand in heaven.
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:22 (KJV)
"Who is gone into heaven"
Here we have the ascension and glorification of our Lord Jesus. This naturally follows His suffering and death as recorded in verse 18 and His resurrection in verse 21. He went into heaven as no others ever went. True, Enoch and Elijah went without dying, but Christ went as the great Victor over sin, death, hell and Satan. What a furor there must have been when He entered those gates in triumph. His entry into Jerusalem was nothing compared to it. What a celebration millions of Americans had on VE day and again on VJ day, after World War II. But words could never describe the day when the mighty Victor entered those pearly gates.
"and is on the right hand of God"
The right hand is the place of authority and power. This tells us that He was immediately given the highest place in glory next to His Father. We should be thrilled to think that our Savior, the one who loved us and gave Himself for us, is now seated as our representative in that great place of authority. What have we to fear as long as He sits in that place? It means that God is for us – "If God be for us, who can be against?" (Rom. 8:31). How could we ever fail to be faithful to Him?
"angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him"
Angels gladly do His bidding. The special work of angels is ministering to the saints (See Heb. 1:14). This they do by His direction. The bride of Christ has myriads of servants, serving at the direction of the bridegroom. Nothing can harm us apart from His will. Through this wilderness scene we have a much better escort than Rebecca. She had Abraham's servant, Eliezer, to guide and protect her as she made the journey from Haran to Canaan (See Gen. 24). Why would anyone desire not to trust and obey Christ and live a faithful Christian life of service to Him?
Just who these authorities and powers are, we are not told. Perhaps they are earthly authorities. Wicked men in power now are not allowed to do anything apart from His permissive will. We have an interesting comment regarding this in connection with Nebucanezzar (Dan. 4). He was a proud monarch and through a dream the Lord prophesied that he would be humbled. In verse 30 we see him strutting through his palace and saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?" Immediately he lost his reason and was driven out from among men into the fields where he lived like a beast and no doubt looked like one. A voice from heaven, in pronouncing the sentence upon him said, "And seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will" (v. 32). We have this three times in this chapter, except in verse 17 where we have this added, "And setteth up over it
the basest of men".
And so, even when there is a wicked ruler in power we can know that this was permitted by the Lord and if He did not want it so it would not be so. This must have been very encouraging to the early Christians suffering persecution, to know that the Lord Jesus was on the throne and that even these wicked authorities were subject to Christ. Many today sometimes worry about the way things are going in the world, but we can take courage. All things are in His hands.
"Powers" may refer to satanic powers. Even they are subject to our Lord Jesus. This we see in more than one case while He was here on earth. He came in contact with various ones that were possessed with demons. At His word they were forced to depart. There was a legion of demons in the man of Gadara. These demons knew that Christ would order them out of the man, but they asked that they might go into the herd of swine. They were ordered out of the man and permitted to go into the swine. This shows just how demons are subject unto Him today.
We have the same thing in connection with Job. Satan wanted to try Job, but he complains that the Lord had put a hedge above him and blessed him in every way. "But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face" (Job 1:11). Then the Lord permitted him to take everything away from Job, but not to touch him personally. Yet, in spite of this Job does not curse the Lord. Then Satan comes again and says, "well let me touch his body and he will curse you". The Lord permits this also and Job is covered with boils from head to foot. During this severe trial Job does curse the day he was born, but not the Lord. In all this we see how even the devil is subject to Christ.
Surely, if angels, authorities and powers are subject to Christ, so should we. We should constantly seek to do His will, asking Him to lead and help us walk the way He wants us to go.
