THE REASON FOR BAPTISM
…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.
I Peter 3:20-21
There are many who quote these verses to prove their doctrines of baptismal regeneration, but is this truly representative of the passage? Is it truly representative of the Bible in general? The key to understanding Peter’s message is to come to terms with what he means when he uses the word “saves” when referring to baptism.
First, let us recognize that Peter is not in the middle of a lesson about baptism. Instead, he is discussing suffering in the flesh and putting the flesh to death so we may be made alive in the Spirit. This point should not to be overlooked. His statement about baptism must be taken in that context. As he is discussing the sufferings of Christ, Peter reaches the point of using Noah as an example, or type. It is at this juncture that he uses another type or more precisely, antitype. He is saying, “Just like Noah was “saved” through water so does baptism “save” us.
So we must ask – did the water “save” Noah? Our first, and honest, response would be “No, the ark saved him.” This answer is the most logical and unforced one we can imagine. Yet Peter says the water “saved” Noah, so what does he mean?
First, and this is before the water that “saved” him, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:8) That means that Noah’s relationship with the Lord had already begun. He was already “saved” in our understanding of that word. God spoke to Noah, told him His plans, and told Noah to build an ark so His plan could be accomplished. That’s a rather impressive relationship with God for someone who is not “saved” yet. So if we want to quote this passage about baptism we need to conclude from Peter’s example that the rebirth has already taken place before the water that “saves.”
Secondly, Peter refers to BOTH the flood and baptism as types (Greek: antitype). This means that they are symbolic, representations of a greater reality. Hebrews is often translated with the word “shadows” referring to how the temple and the law were merely symbolic of Christ and He redeeming work. The greater reality in all of this is Jesus and our relationship with Him. Remember that John the Baptist proclaimed, “I baptize you with water…He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11) We know from Scripture that the Holy Spirit is given to us as a seal when we believe, which has already taken place before we are baptized.
Thirdly, I would hardly be to first to point out the symbolism of the ark with Jesus Christ. Noah was delivered by having a relationship with God, obeying His commands, and entering into the ark (into Christ) to live. Yet what if the flood waters never came? Would we be remembering Noah today as we do? Therefore, the waters are necessary to “fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15) After Noah believed and obeyed, God used the flood for a testimony to the world. The ark alone was good in that God commanded Noah to build and enter it and he obeyed in all, yet without putting it through the waters there would be no testimony to the world.
So that is the first point, baptism is a testimony to the world that you have a relationship with Jesus and you are obeying Him by publicly declaring it. Baptism cannot bring the new birth. The new birth must come first then the baptism. It is the “answer of a good conscience toward God.” For this reason, the doctrine of infant baptism should be thrown out. (That and the fact that there is NO SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT for it.) This is the equivalent of Noah surviving the flood THEN building the ark. Ridiculous, isn’t it?[i]
The second point is seldom talked about today. Baptism is a separation from the world. To use Peter’s example, the waters of the flood “saved” Noah from the corruption and destruction of the world around him. When he emerged from the flood, safe in the ark (of Christ), he lived in a different world. Baptism serves as the mechanism that accomplishes this in us.
It must be clear that the blood of Jesus washes us clean and grants us eternal life. It is a gift of God that comes by faith alone. NOTHING SHOULD BE ADDED TO IT! Not even baptism. As John Piper has written:
Paul said in Romans 10:13, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord - everyone who appeals to the Lord - will be saved." Paul does not mean that faith alone fails to save. He means that faith calls on God. That's what faith does. Now Peter is saying, "Baptism is the God-ordained, symbolic expression of that call to God. It is an appeal to God - either in the form of repentance or in the form of commitment.
So baptism serves its purpose. It is our testimony to God, the world, and to the enemy, that we are putting our trust in the Lord and are forsaking everything that the world offers to draw us away. Watchman Nee has said it well:
The first act before God is to “believe,”
but the first act before men is to be “baptized.”
The blood of the Lord Jesus saves us before God,
and the water of baptism saves us from the world.
We must always remember that there are things God has done for us in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and by giving us the Holy Spirit, and there are things He will not do that we must. We cannot do what the work of the cross has done for our eternal salvation, yet the very One who died on the cross for our sins has said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34), and also through the apostle, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
So, in fact, there are things we must do that God will not (and sometimes cannot) do for us. Baptism is the first of those things. Baptism does not “save” us as we use the word today. Only the blood of Christ can wash sins and grant eternal life. Nevertheless, baptism does deliver us from the world because we are publicly declaring that first, our old self died on the cross with Christ (buried in the likeness of His death), and second, we are now a new person (raised in the likeness of His resurrection).
If you doubt this is Peter’s message continue reading:
For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same FLOOD of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
I Peter 4:3-4 NKJV
Baptism shows the world that you are serious about your commitment and that you will no longer be part of the way you lived before. It is not what gave you this new life only a physical proof of what has inwardly occurred. In much the same way we receive a diploma for graduating. The diploma had nothing to do with what came before it. Graduating is the more important and necessary part, but the diploma is a public declaration of what has already been accomplished.
Finally, baptism not only is a testimony to the others, it is a testimony to ourselves. When Joshua challenged the people of Israel to “Choose this day who you will serve,” he erected a stone as a testimony. (Joshua 24) His explained that the stone would be a constant reminder to them of their words of commitment and promise to follow God. The stone was not the promise but a testimony of the promise. Likewise, baptism can serve that purpose to us today as the time we can point to in order to remind ourselves of our promises to God and to remain faithful Him.
By Loren Romick 7/6/2014
[i] In my humble opinion, if one is convinced that he should be baptized again because he believes he didn’t truly understand what he did before, I see no problem with that. (Read Acts 19)
…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.
I Peter 3:20-21
There are many who quote these verses to prove their doctrines of baptismal regeneration, but is this truly representative of the passage? Is it truly representative of the Bible in general? The key to understanding Peter’s message is to come to terms with what he means when he uses the word “saves” when referring to baptism.
First, let us recognize that Peter is not in the middle of a lesson about baptism. Instead, he is discussing suffering in the flesh and putting the flesh to death so we may be made alive in the Spirit. This point should not to be overlooked. His statement about baptism must be taken in that context. As he is discussing the sufferings of Christ, Peter reaches the point of using Noah as an example, or type. It is at this juncture that he uses another type or more precisely, antitype. He is saying, “Just like Noah was “saved” through water so does baptism “save” us.
So we must ask – did the water “save” Noah? Our first, and honest, response would be “No, the ark saved him.” This answer is the most logical and unforced one we can imagine. Yet Peter says the water “saved” Noah, so what does he mean?
First, and this is before the water that “saved” him, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:8) That means that Noah’s relationship with the Lord had already begun. He was already “saved” in our understanding of that word. God spoke to Noah, told him His plans, and told Noah to build an ark so His plan could be accomplished. That’s a rather impressive relationship with God for someone who is not “saved” yet. So if we want to quote this passage about baptism we need to conclude from Peter’s example that the rebirth has already taken place before the water that “saves.”
Secondly, Peter refers to BOTH the flood and baptism as types (Greek: antitype). This means that they are symbolic, representations of a greater reality. Hebrews is often translated with the word “shadows” referring to how the temple and the law were merely symbolic of Christ and He redeeming work. The greater reality in all of this is Jesus and our relationship with Him. Remember that John the Baptist proclaimed, “I baptize you with water…He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11) We know from Scripture that the Holy Spirit is given to us as a seal when we believe, which has already taken place before we are baptized.
Thirdly, I would hardly be to first to point out the symbolism of the ark with Jesus Christ. Noah was delivered by having a relationship with God, obeying His commands, and entering into the ark (into Christ) to live. Yet what if the flood waters never came? Would we be remembering Noah today as we do? Therefore, the waters are necessary to “fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15) After Noah believed and obeyed, God used the flood for a testimony to the world. The ark alone was good in that God commanded Noah to build and enter it and he obeyed in all, yet without putting it through the waters there would be no testimony to the world.
So that is the first point, baptism is a testimony to the world that you have a relationship with Jesus and you are obeying Him by publicly declaring it. Baptism cannot bring the new birth. The new birth must come first then the baptism. It is the “answer of a good conscience toward God.” For this reason, the doctrine of infant baptism should be thrown out. (That and the fact that there is NO SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT for it.) This is the equivalent of Noah surviving the flood THEN building the ark. Ridiculous, isn’t it?[i]
The second point is seldom talked about today. Baptism is a separation from the world. To use Peter’s example, the waters of the flood “saved” Noah from the corruption and destruction of the world around him. When he emerged from the flood, safe in the ark (of Christ), he lived in a different world. Baptism serves as the mechanism that accomplishes this in us.
It must be clear that the blood of Jesus washes us clean and grants us eternal life. It is a gift of God that comes by faith alone. NOTHING SHOULD BE ADDED TO IT! Not even baptism. As John Piper has written:
Paul said in Romans 10:13, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord - everyone who appeals to the Lord - will be saved." Paul does not mean that faith alone fails to save. He means that faith calls on God. That's what faith does. Now Peter is saying, "Baptism is the God-ordained, symbolic expression of that call to God. It is an appeal to God - either in the form of repentance or in the form of commitment.
So baptism serves its purpose. It is our testimony to God, the world, and to the enemy, that we are putting our trust in the Lord and are forsaking everything that the world offers to draw us away. Watchman Nee has said it well:
The first act before God is to “believe,”
but the first act before men is to be “baptized.”
The blood of the Lord Jesus saves us before God,
and the water of baptism saves us from the world.
We must always remember that there are things God has done for us in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and by giving us the Holy Spirit, and there are things He will not do that we must. We cannot do what the work of the cross has done for our eternal salvation, yet the very One who died on the cross for our sins has said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34), and also through the apostle, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
So, in fact, there are things we must do that God will not (and sometimes cannot) do for us. Baptism is the first of those things. Baptism does not “save” us as we use the word today. Only the blood of Christ can wash sins and grant eternal life. Nevertheless, baptism does deliver us from the world because we are publicly declaring that first, our old self died on the cross with Christ (buried in the likeness of His death), and second, we are now a new person (raised in the likeness of His resurrection).
If you doubt this is Peter’s message continue reading:
For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same FLOOD of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
I Peter 4:3-4 NKJV
Baptism shows the world that you are serious about your commitment and that you will no longer be part of the way you lived before. It is not what gave you this new life only a physical proof of what has inwardly occurred. In much the same way we receive a diploma for graduating. The diploma had nothing to do with what came before it. Graduating is the more important and necessary part, but the diploma is a public declaration of what has already been accomplished.
Finally, baptism not only is a testimony to the others, it is a testimony to ourselves. When Joshua challenged the people of Israel to “Choose this day who you will serve,” he erected a stone as a testimony. (Joshua 24) His explained that the stone would be a constant reminder to them of their words of commitment and promise to follow God. The stone was not the promise but a testimony of the promise. Likewise, baptism can serve that purpose to us today as the time we can point to in order to remind ourselves of our promises to God and to remain faithful Him.
By Loren Romick 7/6/2014
[i] In my humble opinion, if one is convinced that he should be baptized again because he believes he didn’t truly understand what he did before, I see no problem with that. (Read Acts 19)