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The Gospel Observer
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to
observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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February 13, 2011
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Contents:
1) 1 Peter 3:21-22 (Tom Edwards)
2) News & News
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-1-
1 Peter 3:21-22
by Tom Edwards
After Peter last mentions of Noah and his family being "saved by water"
(1 Peter 3:20, KJV), he then states in 1 Peter 3:21, "Baptism, which
corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the
body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ."
In Noah's case, the floodwater separated him and his family from the
world of sin; and when that water subsided, they ended up in a new
world. So they were saved "through water," as many versions
render it.
In the penitent believer's case, water baptism will separate him from
his sins and allow him to begin living a new life in Christ and in the
Lord's spiritual kingdom. For Paul in Romans 6:3,4 shows that
this new life begins when one arises from the watery grave of baptism:
"Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ
Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been
buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was
raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might
walk in newness of life."
To see of the flood in Noah's day being used as a figure for today's
baptism, consider this verse in the New International Version:
"and this water [the water in the flood] symbolizes baptism that now
saves you also...."
In the New King James Version, the water baptism of the Gospel Age is
referred to as the "antitype," which would then imply that the
floodwater of Noah's day was the type, shadow, or figure of our water
baptism today.
Without the flood in Noah's day, all the sin in the world would have
remained. Without water baptism today, sin will remain in even
the penitent believer's life. So baptism is essential toward
becoming a Christian.
Many of our religious friends today emphatically state that "baptism
does not save"; but notice again what Peter says in 1 Peter 3:21,
"...baptism now saves you...." Peter says it does
save. Whom should we believe? The many who are uninspired -- or
the apostle Peter who was inspired by the Holy Spirit?
What Peter says about water baptism saving, corresponds with other
verses in the New Testament. For instance, in Mark 16:16, Jesus
states, "he who has believed and has been baptized shall be
saved...." In Acts 2:38, "Peter said to them, 'Repent, and each
of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins....'" In the 1973 edition of the NIV, this verse is
rendered as, "Peter replied: 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be
forgiven....'" In Acts 22:16, Ananias told Saul, "Now why do you
delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His
name." This was said to Saul, after he had met the Lord on
the road to Damascus and had spent 3 days in Damascus fasting and
praying. From the account of Saul (a.k.a. Paul), we can
clearly see that it took more than faith alone to save him. It
also took more than faith and repentance. And, in addition, it
took more than faith, repentance, and prayer. For he did all
these things, but still had sin in his life. To be baptized in
water, therefore, was the one thing remaining that would enable Paul to
be forgiven, to be put into Christ, and to become a Christian.
After being baptized, Paul would then have that "new life." As we
saw earlier in Romans 6:3,4, a person is raised up from the water of
baptism in order to "walk in newness of life," which is referring to
that time when he or she has become a Christian and is then "a new
creature" in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17). But the baptism comes
first. For it is through baptism that one is put into Christ
(Gal. 3:26,27), where there is no condemnation (Rom. 8:1).
In all the conversions recorded in the book of Acts, not all of them
mention faith (though it is essential -- Jn. 8:24), not all mention
repentance (though it is also necessary -- Luke 13:5), not all mention
confession of one's faith (which is also part of God's plan of
salvation -- Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38); but they all do consistently
mention baptism as being needful for forgiveness and becoming a
Christian, as can be seen in the following: Acts 2:38, 41 (the 3,000 in
Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost when the church was established);
Acts 8:12,13 (the Samaritans); Acts 8:36-38 (the Ethiopian eunuch);
Acts 10:48 (the gentile Cornelius and his household); Acts 16:15 (Lydia
and her household); Acts 16:33 (the Philippian jailer and his
household); Acts 18:8 (many of the Corinthians); Acts 19:5 (the twelve
men at Ephesus); and Acts 22:16 (Saul , a.k.a. Paul).
In addition, in all the examples of conversions in the Bible, we never
find anyone -- who wanted to get right with God -- even taking the time
to eat or sleep, before he or she was baptized. In the case of
the Philippian jailer, he was baptized right after hearing the gospel
message -- around midnight. Also, just think how
inconvenient it must have been to be baptized in the winter. Yet
those who wanted to get right with God, didn't wait for the warmer
months, before submitting to baptism. They were all baptized
immediately!
1 Peter 3:21 (KJV) shows that it is not by getting clean in the water
that baptism saves; but, rather, it saves as "...the answer of a good
conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." The
term "answer" comes from the Greek word "eperotema," which
Bullinger defines as "a question, an asking; enquiry after, seeking by
enquiry," which is probably just the opposite of how we would normally
think of the English word "answer" in our time. It is rendered in
some versions as "question" (Young's Literal Translation), "pledge"
(NIV), "interrogation" (ASV), and also in some other translations as
"an appeal to God for a good conscience." The word "appeal"
means primarily "an earnest request or entreaty"; "an earnest
plea." But in 1 Peter 3:21, we see that this appeal is being made
through the act of baptism itself -- rather than through some type of
"sinner's prayer."
Of course, it would also be implied that the one being baptized
believes in the deity of Christ (Jn. 8:24), has already repented (Luke
13:5), and has confessed faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts
8:36-38). For baptism without faith, repentance, and confession
of faith cannot save anyone. As we saw earlier, Jesus shows that
one must believe and be baptized (Mk. 16:16); and Peter mentions the
need for faith, repentance, and baptism (Acts 2:36-38).
Elsewhere, we also see of the need for that confession of faith toward
the deity of Christ, which for one reason is so that the person doing
the baptizing can know the person believes. For if not, the
baptism would do no good. So God's plan of salvation --
like many other instructions in God's word -- is not found in just one
verse of the New Testament. Rather, we need to consider it all to
get the big picture, so that we will do all that the Lord has
instructed on a subject.
Making an appeal to God through baptism also reminds us of Acts 2:21,
when coupled with Acts 2:36-38. For in the previous verse, Peter
is quoting some of Joel's prophesy and saying, "AND IT SHALL BE THAT
EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." Here,
again, is the idea of making an "appeal"; but just how was that to be
done? Peter goes on to show the answer to that in this
latter passage of the same chapter: First, they would need to believe
in Jesus as being Lord and Christ: "Therefore let all the house of
Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and
Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified" (v. 36). Lord literally
means "ruler," and Christ literally means "anointed one." So when
we put the two together, we have Jesus as the "anointed ruler" -- and
reminding us of many of the anointed kings of the OT times, but Jesus
has become the great "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev. 19:16) --
far superior to any earthly king.
Coupled with their need to believe in the deity of Christ is also their
need to repent and be baptized in water. For they were not only
told to believe, but also to "...Repent, and each of you be baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins...'" (v. 38).
We know that there are not two or more different plans of salvation for
the alien sinner, but only one. So "calling" on the Lord to
"be saved" (Acts 2:21) was done by believing (v. 36), repenting and
being baptized so that their sins would be forgiven (v. 38) -- and from
elsewhere we can infer that they also confessed their faith in Christ
(Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
Notice in all this that they were never told to just "pray a sinner's
prayer" or "just invite Christ into your heart." Rather, if they
wanted to be forgiven and have the Lord in their hearts, they needed to
submit to what Peter, by the Holy Spirit, was telling them to do.
In the Gospel Age, the only people who can pray for forgiveness are
those who had already become Christians, but had later fallen into sin
(cf. Acts 8:13-23; 1 John 1:9 -- John is writing to Christians, 1
Jn. 3:2). They would not need to be baptized again, but they
would need to repent and pray for forgiveness.
Baptism is effectual, not only because of the death of Christ (so that
we can be buried into that death); but also by the resurrection of the
Lord (so that we, too, can be risen up to walk in the newness of
life). Christ literally died, and literally arose from the dead;
but we die, in a manner of speaking toward sin, and are blessed with a
new spiritual life: See Romans 6:5-13.
1 Peter 3 then closes with verse 22, which pertains to Jesus, "who is
at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and
authorities and powers had been subjected to Him." As Stephen was
being stoned to death, he saw Jesus there -- but standing at God's
right hand, which would seem to indicate the honor Christ was showing
toward His faithful servant who was boldly proclaiming God's word even
to the point of martyrdom (Acts 7:55,56). Mark's account of
the life of Christ also speaks of the Lord's exaltation to God's right
hand: "So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received
up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God" (Mk.
16:19). Peter declares this truth also in Acts 2:33: "Therefore
having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from
the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this
which you both see and hear." The very fact that the apostles
were baptized in the Holy Spirit and could, therefore, work miracles is
an indication that Christ truly did ascend back to the Father.
For He told the apostles He must do that in order to send them the Holy
Spirit (Jn. 16:7).
Peter also points out that "angels and authorities and powers" are
subject to Christ. Jesus refers to this in Matthew 28:18, by
saying, "...'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth.'" The Bible shows Christ's reign to be universal (Eph.
1:20-23). One day, even those who had rejected Him during this
earth-life, will bow down to Him -- but it will then be too late for
them to get right with God (Phil. 2:9-11). Will you be ready for
when that day comes? Look at what Paul went on to exhort the
Philippians in Phil. 2:12-16.
In most denominational groups today, baptism is not seen as being
necessary in order to be forgiven and become a Christian. Rather,
they believe that it is for those who are already saved and that
baptism is merely "an outward showing of an inward grace." But
this is not what the Bible teaches! Please consider carefully
what the New Testament has to say about water baptism, and it will be
made clear that it is so that our sins will be forgiven and we become
Christians. For it is through our obedience to the gospel plan of
salvation that we can benefit from the sacrifice of Christ, where the
atonement was made for our sins.
In this lesson, we saw that the flood in Noah's day, by which he was
saved from the world of sin, is also a figure of the water baptism that
penitent believers are to submit to in order to be separated from
(forgiven of) their sins and become Christians. Baptism,
therefore, saves because it is the last step -- following belief in
Jesus, repentance, and confession of one's faith in the Lord -- that
puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26,27). For by submitting to
this gospel plan of salvation, which includes water baptism, one is
making his "appeal to God for a good conscience" (1 Pet.
3:21). This baptism has been made effectual through the
resurrection of Jesus (ibid.) who is now at God's right hand in heaven,
having authority and power over everything (with the one exception of
His Father, 1 Cor. 15:27). May we always teach and practice all
that God has said on a subject.
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-2-
News & Notes
For an update on Terry MacDonald, he was diagnosed last week with an
80% obstruction in one artery, which his doctor is now treating with
medication. Let those of us who are Christians continue to pray
that all will go well for him.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel,
for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the
deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins
(Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ
(Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water
for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4;
Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith;
for,
if
not,
salvation
can
be
lost
(Heb.
10:36-39;
Rev.
2:10;
2
Pet.
2:20-22).
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Park Forest
CHURCH OF CHRIST
9923 Sunny Cline Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70817
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 6 PM (worship)
Tuesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
tedwards@onemain.com
http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go (Gospel Observer website)
http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/audioser.html (audio sermons)