RESOLVING CONTROVERSY

A look at 1Peter 3:21

 

By Gary Ray Branscome

 

“We have not written anything to you, other than what you read” (1Corinthians 1:13).

 

          Although the Word of God is clear in the sense that it means just what it says, because of the blindness of the human heart men often fail to understand what is being said while reading their own assumptions into the text, claiming that it says something other than what the words actually say, or explaining away what it does say.

 

          One example of this is found in First Peter 3:21: “That water [the water of the flood] prefigured baptism which also now saves us (not by removing the filth of the flesh, but as the promise of a good conscience toward God,) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

          Although the words of this passage are clear, many who read them read unscriptural assumptions into the text. And because of those unscriptural assumptions fail to understand what the words actually say. Some assume that baptism is a work, (they like the phrase, “Act of obedience”). Some portray baptism as a requirement for receiving God’s forgiveness. Others assume that applying water in God’s name conveys God’s grace simply by performing the act, without faith in Christ. However, all of those ideas are being read into the text, and lead to conclusions that contradict what the Bible says elsewhere.

 

          One man, who assumed that baptism is a work or “act of obedience”, became frantic when I quoted 1Peter 3:21. Because he regarded baptism as a work he saw that passage as a threat to the doctrine of salvation by faith, and assumed that those words had to mean something else. He also failed to realize that he was rebelling against God by refusing to accept His Word.

 

          I know of a group of college students who stayed up all night debating this question, “If a man accepts Christ as his savior, and while walking down to a stream to be baptized is killed by a falling tree, will he be in heaven or hell?” Those who assumed that baptism is a requirement for receiving God’s forgiveness contended that he would not be in heaven because he had not been baptized.

 

The problem in all of this lies in a failure to let the Bible speak for itself!

 

          First of all, baptism cannot be an “act of obedience,” because the Bible never commands anyone to be baptized. Yes, it tells us to baptize, but it never commands anyone to be baptized.

          Once, when I pointed this out to someone, he quoted Peter’s words, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins,” as if they were a command (Acts 2:38). However, he was pulling those words out of context. Peter was answering a question, not commanding people to be baptized. And, the answer to a question is never imperative.

 

          Secondly, the Bible never says that baptism is a requirement for receiving forgiveness. When I once asked a young man to show me where the Bible says that baptism is a requirement for receiving God’s forgiveness, he quoted the words, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38). When I pointed out that those words do not say anything about baptism being a “requirement,” he replied, “What else could they mean”. In order to answer that question, let us look at what that passage actually says.

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“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:37-38).

 

          The people mentioned in this passage, the people who asked Peter this question, were Jews [see Acts 2:5]. And because the Greek word, “Christ” is a translation of “Messiah,” every Jew who heard Peter’s words, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Messiah for the forgiveness of sins,” knew that to be baptized “in the name of Jesus Messiah” was to accept Jesus as the Messiah. For that reason, coming to baptism was an act of faith on their part, not an act of obedience. And, the words, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” tell us that all who came to baptism believing that there is forgiveness in Christ received forgiveness (Mark 16:16). At the same time, the words, “He that believeth not shall be damned,” tell us that it is the lack of faith, not the lack of baptism that damns (Mark 16:16).

          Furthermore, the promise Peter gave to those who were baptized was not a promise of forgiveness, but a promise of the Holy Ghost. He said, “You will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). And, that is God’s promise to all who come to faith. As it is written, “You… were also sealed with the holy Spirit of promise, after you believed” (Ephesians 1:13).

 

          Therefore, having examined what Peter said in acts 2:38, let us compare that verse with 1Peter 3:21, which says, “That water [the water of the flood] prefigured baptism which also now saves us (not by removing the filth of the flesh, but as the promise of a good conscience toward God,) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”.

          Many who read 1Peter 3:21 assume that baptism is nothing more than a ceremonial application of water in God’s name. However, the words, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins,” tell us that to Peter baptism was not just water, but water applied by God’s authority in the context of repentance and faith in Christ (Acts 2:38). In short to Peter baptism was a, “baptism of repentance” [See Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3.]

 

          Therefore, when Peter said, “Baptism… also now saves us,” he was not speaking of baptism as an isolated act, but of baptism in its context of repentance and faith in Christ. In short, he was using baptism as a synonym for conversion. Of that fact C. F. W. Walther said:

 

“|When Peter says, 1Pet. 3:21, that “the like figure whereunto,” namely, the water in Baptism typified by the water of the Flood, “also now saves us,” he speaks by way of synecdoche.|” [A synecdoche is a figure of speech in which part (in this case baptism) is given for the whole (conversion).] (“Law and Gospel,” page 355.)

 

The Word of God is not rightly divided when men are taught that the Sacraments produce salutary effects ex opere operato, that is, by the mere outward performance of a sacramental act. (C. F. W. Walther, Law and Gospel, page 346.)

 

[NOTE: When the Bible tells us that the water of the flood “prefigured baptism” (1Peter 3:21), it is not saying that baptism is a type of the flood (it is not), but that just as God used the flood to separate His people from the lost, He now uses baptism to separate His people from the lost.]

 

Conclusion

          To avoid misunderstanding 1Peter 3:21 or any passage of Scripture, we must be aware of assumptions, and avoid reading unscriptural ideas into the text.

The clarity of Scripture consists of the fact that its words mean just what they say. There are no hidden meanings! Nevertheless, the blindness of human heart leads men, time and again, to misconstrue what is said, looking for hidden meanings and reading unscriptural ideas into the text.