I feel blessed from what I feel the Lord gave to me regarding BAPTISM DOTH ALSO NOW EVEN SAVE US in
1 Peter 3.
I just re-read this passage again in its entirety, and believe I have found some nuggets that are priceless indeed! For those interested, let me share them.
1 Peter 3:18-22 KJV For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (19) By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; (20) Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (21) The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: (22) Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Verse 18 sets the picture. Jesus died in the flesh and
was quickened by the Spirit.
Keep this in mind as we read on.
It was by that same Spirit that quickened Him that he preached to the spirits in prison. This is a controversial passage, but of no consequence in the overall issue of water baptism. However, I believe it is saying that Noah preached in his day to those who are now in "prison" as spirits. since they disobeyed Noah and perished, in the anointing of the Spirit of Christ. He preached about salvation by water, which of course meant entrance into the ark.
Peter then stated that the picture of Noah preaching in the anointing of the Spirit for the people to be saved by water (regardless if we have a Genesis account of that preaching or not, the point is the same) is a figure of how baptism saves us. Baptism of course involves water.
Peter gave a disclaimer in parentheses, saying the salvation is not cleansing filth of the flesh, so that we do not derive a legalistic merely mechanical concept where faith is not required. And then Peter proceeded to state how the salvation in baptism is possible.
...baptism doth also now save us ... by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
Consider those words. Baptism saves by the resurrection of Jesus.
I believe this is inseparable from the understanding we find in
Romans 6 regarding baptism. There, Paul stated that the entire reason we are baptized into Christ's death is because Christ resurrected from His death. In other words, we will share His resurrection if we enjoin ourselves to His death. Since He resurrected from His death, when we are baptized into that death we will likewise, therefore, resurrect with Him! In THAT SENSE, baptism saves by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It reminds me of the other very controversial words found in
1 Cor 15.
1 Corinthians 15:29 KJV (29) Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
Baptism FOR THE DEAD in this verse, I believe, means we are baptized BECAUSE OF CHRIST'S DEATH. We are baptized into His death (Ro 6:3) because His death caused Him to resurrect. What is the purpose of baptism into the death of Jesus if there is no resurrection from the dead? If Jesus did not resurrect, then the reason for baptism's salvation is lost! Peter said baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus. In other words, if Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, why bother with baptism? Our purpose in being baptized is to resurrect with Jesus.
And Peter continued his words say that baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus which then led to Jesus Christ's seating at the right hand over all powers.
1 Peter 3:21-22 KJV The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us ... by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: (22) Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
In other words, this salvation in baptism is possible by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who went to such an extent of resurrection that He was seated at the right hand throne of God!
OH WOW. This is just coming to me now. I never saw this until I wrote this post....
Keep reading.
1 Peter 4:1-2 KJV Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
When we keep reading from chapter 3, we realize the SALVATION IS FROM SIN. As much as Jesus resurrected and went to the right hand place of POWER (hint hint), we do not have to live the rest of our time in the flesh to the lusts of the flesh and all its sins! It took us to the place of KINGDOM POWER over the lusts of the flesh.
Paul said the same thing.
Romans 8:11-12 KJV But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Romans 6:6-7 KJV Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Romans 6:12 KJV Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
The common denominator in Peter and Romans is that the Spirit that resurrected Jesus can quicken us so that we do not have to live after the flesh.
When you compare Peter's words with Paul's in
Romans 6 and 8, it all comes together!
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