1Peter 3:20-22
Twice Removed
I started a message two weeks ago entitled “Like Our Jesus.” It had
three points to it. Tonight, I want to finish that message by
preaching the third thought.
As a reminder, Peter was encouraging the believers to respond
Correctly to suffering \\#18\\. He will pick that same thought up
In \\#1Peter 4:1\\. But he adds two thoughts which are not directly
related to his topic.
I. Christ went to prison to preach.
II. \\#20-22\\ The Ark Is a Figure of Salvation
A. Peter moved even a bit further from his primary topic,
responding to suffering to tell us that God provided a
picture in the Old Testament of Christ’s salvation.
B. Baptism
1. \\#21\\ Look at what Peter said.
a. He called it a "like figure."
b. Peter did not say that baptism saves or even helps in
salvation.
c. He used two terms to say it is a similar picture of
salvation.
(1) FIGURE - A figure is a representation, an image
of an object, or a incomplete copy of an object.
(a) We are photography crazy today.
(b) AnnaClaire had her first birthday and 6
people took pictures. Everyone with a
picture took home a figure of AC, but only
Joy and Adam took AnnaClaire home.
(c) If someone falls off a cliff and you throw
them a picture of a rope, you did not help
them.
(2) LIKE - Like means the figure is close to the
original but it is not exact.
(a) Peter was saying that baptism is not even an
exact representation of the salvation. It
is just close.
(b) Apparently Joy and Andrea look some alike.
On more than one occasion, someone came up
to one and began talking thinking they were
speaking to the other. It got so bad, Adam
will not walk in a room near Andrea unless
JoyAnna is there too. One of them turned
facial recognition on their phone, the
other one picked up the phone and it
released the lock out.
(c) But no matter how much they look alike, they
are two completely different ladies.
d. So Peter did not say baptism is salvation. He said it
is like of like a picture of salvation.
2. \\#20\\ Look at what Peter said and what happened.
1Peter 3:20 "eight souls were saved by water."
a. I call this a difficult passage to understand? Why?
(1) Not because I disagree with those who say baptism
is part of salvation.
(2) Because I do not understand how the water saved
Noah and the people.
(3) As I understand the event, the water did not
save the people. It killed the people.
i. I am not trying to correct the Bible. I am
trying to understand what Peter said.
ii. I don’t think I am the only one that does
not understand this passage. I have never
heard anyone explain it.
iii. The best I have heard was one fellow said
it was the water that lifted the ark up.
aa. I agree with that and I understand
that.
bb. But if there was no water, there would
have been no need for the ark.
b. I do not think I am pushing the text to say that it
was the ark that saved the people and the water that
killed them.
(1) If you had the opportunity to go back in time and
stand in the water or in the ark, which would
you choose?
(2) I think Peter is telling us that the ark saved.
i. Notice \\#20\\ without a few of the words.
1Peter 3:20 …the ark was a preparing where
few, that is, eight souls were saved…."
ii. It is a dangerous thing to leave out words
and those who are advocating for baptism
has part of salvation could do the same
thing to prove their point of view.
iii. However, for other reasons, I believe that
Peter was saying that the ark did the
saving.
iv. Yet, I cannot prove what I believe here and
will not try.
v. All I can say is that this is a difficult
Bible passage to understand and move on.
3. \\#20\\ Notice that Peter de-emphasized baptism’s role in
salvation.
1Peter 3:21 …(not the putting away of the filth
of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
toward God,)
a. Peter was saying that baptism did not wash away the
filth of the flesh (neither physical or spiritual
dirt), but it gives us a good conscience toward God.
b. That is, I believe, what baptism does.
(1) Baptism gives us a physical and public moment in
time when we buried the old man and started our
new lives.
(2) People need that singular point in time.
(a) Why?
(b) It helps us accept the fact that there was a
point in time when they ceased to be who we
were and began to be a new creature in
Christ.
(3) I have said salvation occurs at a specific point
in time but it is a process to get to that
point.
(4) Some people do not know the exact moment their
salvation occurred because they are not sure when
they actually came to the realization that they
believed AND repented.
(5) However, they can pinpoint to the minute when
they were baptized.
(6) Peter is telling us that baptism settles our
minds and hearts. It clears our conscience.
4. What do I think? Several thoughts:
a. On some things, people are just not going to agree,
but we can still be kind.
b. I think it is dangerous to build a major doctrine on
Bible verses you do not understand. "If you can’t
explain to me how the flood waters saved Noah and his
family, maybe you shouldn’t argue with me that
baptism saves a soul."
c. I think there is plenty of clear Scripture to teach
us:
(1) Salvation is by grace and not of our works.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(2) That IF baptism is mentioned with salvation, it
is AFTER salvation.
(a) Not mentioned:
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say
unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in
paradise.
(b) Mentioned after salvation:
Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words,
the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the
word.
45 And they of the circumcision which believed
were astonished, as many as came with Peter,
because that on the Gentiles also was poured out
the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and
magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should
not be baptized, which have received the Holy
Ghost as well as we?
Neither of these last two truths are Peter’s main point. His main
point is that if Jesus suffered, we can suffer. I understand that it
is not desirable, but sin is here and suffering is part of our
lives. Let’s ask God to give us the strength to bear it like Jesus.
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