“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”
There is also an antitype
The word “antitype” comes from two words anti (against) and type. An antitype is that which is set over against the type. The antitype is reality (He 9:24). The eight people in the ark were the type but now we have the reality. The reality is the point of this passage.
The type here is the ark and baptism into Christ’s death is the antitype. Baptism of the flood answers to the baptism of Christ’s death. The baptism of the flood foreshadows symbolically the death of Christ for our sins. This is the picture of identification with Christ in his death.
TYPE:
ARK – type of Christ
WATER – type of Christ’s suffering
ANTITYPE:
Baptism of Christ’s death at Calvary
which now saves us—baptism
The antitype goes back to “water.” “Water” is the antecedent here (gender). The water represents judgment and symbolizes baptism in the death of Christ. As the flood wiped out the old world so baptism represents a break with our past life.
This baptism is not water baptism for believers. Those who were wet were unbelievers and they drowned. Baptism in water does not save us because those immersed in water died in Noah’s day!!
The waters of the flood saves but saves only as a counterpart, not actually. Old Testament sacrifices were counterparts of the reality of Christ’s death on the cross. Those sacrifices did not save them but only in type. Waters of the flood only saved the inmates of the ark only in type.
The ark suffered the judgment of the storm of the flood. The ark was baptized by the flood. Believers were sheltered in the refuge the ark. In it they came out of the flood to a new earth. By analogy, today God saves us by the death of Christ from our sin. At Calvary, Christ was baptized into the wrath of God. In that baptism, believers are saved. God saves us by the death and resurrection of Christ.
(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God),
This is not referring to the washing away of our sin. Baptismal regeneration states that you become a Christian by water baptism. The waters of baptism cannot put away sins. Peter makes it clear that he is not dealing with H-2/0. Therefore, this is not dealing with the external rite of baptism. Water baptism does not save for it is simply a counterpart or picture of salvation. To prove this, the Holy Spirit adds this parenthesis.
“Answer” is literally a pledge, the pledge of a good conscience toward God. This word is a business term. In business contracts there are commitments that make the commitment binding. God says to Christians, “Do you accept the terms of salvation?” Our position of death in Christ gives us a good conscience toward God.
From what does baptism save us? From a bad conscience. Baptism does not save from sin but from a bad conscience. Baptism is a testimony that we have been saved from sin.
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the pledge of our position before God. The resurrection of Christ saves us eternally. The resurrection is the factual indication that the death of Christ was adequate to save us.
At the resurrection and ascension, God accepts the death of Christ to save us. Here lays the basis for our salvation. If the ark were not buoyed up by the flood, Noah and his family would have been lost. If Jesus did not rise from the dead we could not be saved. Our hope rests on the resurrection of Christ.
PRINCIPLE:
The resurrection of Jesus brings confidence in God accepting us into his presence.
APPLICATION:
Today, like Noah’s day, we escape through the baptism of Christ’s death. In Christ, God gives us a new status quo. This gives us a “good conscience toward God.” When we enter the true ark (the death of Christ for our sins), God will save our souls. The resurrection stamps a guarantee that God will bring us into his presence in eternity.
God shut the door of the ark and those inside are safe eternally. God saves us in the same sense that the water saved those in the ark. The water lifted the ark and the death of Christ saves our souls.
This commentary on the subject of “DOES BAPTISM SAVES YOU? is one of the best. Thank you.
Thank you Herbert.
Your anti-baptism bias is REALLY showing in the way you commented on this verse. This verse is SO plain that only a misapplied understanding of grace or the obedience of faith would cause you to answer as you did. Water baptism IS the subject of this verse as is plain from the comparison to the ark being saved on water. After all, there is only one normative baptism for all Christians (Ephesians 4:5). Christian baptism is that absolutely necessary act which SAVES(not because of water “regeneration”) but because it is the point at which God forgives the sins of a penitent person and gives them the indwelling of His Holy Spirit(Acts 2:38). Sins ARE “washed away” (Acts 22:16) because God has determined for baptism to be the point at which grace is applied for salvation (naturally this must be preceeded by faith, repentance and confession). Please do not warp God’s precious word nor His marvelous gift of salvation by interjecting your unbalanced theology.
I appreciate your contextual sensativity and scriptually sound approach to the text. We know that one of the first principles of sound biblical hermaneutics is that scripture is it’s own interpreter. You’ve allowed scripture to interpret scripture, for that alone you are well appreciated.
Thank you Lionel, that is exactly what I try to do.
Dr. Grant I would like your thoughts on this addition to your exegesis of this passage:
It is obvious this passage is not referring to baptism of the “Spirit” (salvation) It’s interesting that those who use this passage as a support for baptismal regeneration ignore the very next phrase “not the putting away of the filth of the flesh”. I think the KJV interpretation of 3:20 has caused some confusion as well. It says that these souls were “saved BY water” which creates problems. The correct interpretation is “THROUGH the water”. (I have not read your commentary on 3:20 it’s very possible you pointed this out.)
The word anti-type gives us a look at what this “baptism” is pointing back to (Noah’s ark) or “corresponding to”.
Dr. Grant this view I am about to present, I do not hold to 100% but I do believe it is one to consider when talking about water baptism:
* We get our “symbol” or “anti-type” for water baptism from Romans 6 – (died with Christ, buried with Christ, rose with Christ) This is understandable and it definitely makes sense. My recent conflict with this is the fact that Romans 6 is not referring to water baptism (as the word baptism has nothing to do with water) since baptizo means “immersion” or the active and passive form (to dip or be dipped) Romans 6 is referring to our actual “immersion” into Christ through the Spirit.
My point is this: Romans 6 never mentions that water baptism is symbolic or an anti-type of this (dying, being buried and rising). The only place that I can find that tells us this symbolism is here: 1 peter 3:20
And when you look at John the Baptist’ message it was – “Repent for the Kingdom is at hand” Jesus was baptized and immediately went on with the same message. The people who were baptized by John the baptist would not have understood – dying with Christ, being buried with Christ and rising with Christ. “But they would have understood repenting for the kingdom is at hand” just like the people of Noah’s day had 120 years to repent before the judgment came. Noah was preaching essentially the same message. Either way you look at it water baptism is symbolizing Christ saving us but as far as the exact “type” water baptism is pointing to, could it be this. Also, what better way to symbolize “water” than with “water” the Romans 6 view is using “water” to symbolize “blood”.
Overall, what I’m saying is this: Is it possible that when we are saved and follow in believers baptism we are saying this: (just like Noah did and the people of John the Baptist day did – so do I) “I am identifying with Christ as my savior from the coming judgment just like the ark was the salvation of eight souls in God’s last judgment of the earth. Those under the water perished but we were brought safely “through” the water on top by the ark – the picture of water baptism????
I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for all you do.
Jasper, thanks again for your thoughtful exegesis.
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The word “corresponds to” or “figure” (antitype; the word “antitype” is a transliteration of the Greek word—literally, against the type) occurs in Hebrews 9:24 as well.
Re Ro 6:3-14. Baptism in this case is the baptism of the Spirit, a symbol of Christ’s death and resurrection, as you say. It is important to note that the Greek word BAPTIZW (to baptize) and BAPTISMA (baptism) are transliterations as well, not translations. If we were to translate BAPTIZW, it would mean to identify with. The Greek language used this term this way from the classical Greek period. “Immersion” is a picture of identification. Immersion in water is picture of our salvation by identification with Christ’s salvific work and is a testimony to that fact. Therefore, baptism in Ro 6 is our eternal identification with Christ’s death for payment for our sin and the resurrection to conquer death (He killed death!
In this passage, it was the “ark” that saved the souls inside from the raging waters outside. The baptism of the flood answers to, corresponds to, is the antitype to Christ’s death for our sin. The baptism here is a baptism of judgment. Therefore, by our identification with the ark (antitype-Christ) we express our faith in the finished work of Christ as matter of “conscience” or “pledge” toward God. Thus, I do not believe water baptism is in this passage. Having said that, this is a difficult passage and any interpretation from any position is difficult. We should never base core doctrine on difficult passages to interpret.
It is very important to distinguish between different kinds of baptism in the Bible. John’s baptism was a baptism that was to identify with the shortly coming Messiah. Jesus’s baptism had nothing to do with sin; it was a baptism into His right and office as Messiah and to establish His Messianic kingdom. There is a baptism of fire, which is a baptism of judgment. I believe there are 7 different kinds of baptism in the Bible, of which baptism by water is only one.
Very good point about the different kinds of Baptism. So many, I believe associate the word (baptism) automatically with water.
You said: “We should never base core doctrine on difficult passages to interpret.” This is an extremely sobering reminder – thank you. That’s why i can not dogmatically believe the view that I presented to you – this passage has too many questions along with it to put such surety. I do think it is clear in this passage that “water” does not save. So many times I’ve been brought to this passage by those who put their initial regeneration on the “immersion” in water and it’s sad see the neglect for the passage as a whole. Thank you again Dr. Grant for your insight – and for taking time to comment. God Bless