greeker57married said:
Dear Thereselittleflower,
Yes I am saved and the blood of Jesus washed away my sins not water. I was saved ( Rom. !0:13) I am being saved (Rom. 4:6) And I shall be saved,( Rom. 4:8, 8:29-30). The Believer was saved from the penalty of sin, he is being saved from the power of sin(sanctification), he shall be saved from the presence of sin (glorification) What a glorious destiny for the saint!
Here is comments from A.T. Robertson A Greek Scholar:
1Pe 3:21 -
Which also (ho kai). Water just mentioned.
After a true likeness (antitupon). Water in baptism now as an anti-type of Noahs deliverance by water. For baptisma see note on Mat_3:7. For antitupon see note on Heb_9:24 (only other N.T. example) where the word is used of the earthly tabernacle corresponding (antitupa) to the heavenly, which is the pattern (tuponHeb_8:5) for the earthly. So here baptism is presented as corresponding to (prefigured by) the deliverance of Noahs family by water. It is only a vague parallel, but not over-fanciful.
Doth now save you (humas nun sōzei). Simplex verb (sōzō, not the compound diasōzō). The saving by baptism which Peter here mentions is only symbolic (a metaphor or picture as in Rom_6:2-6), not actual as Peter hastens to explain.
Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh (ou sarkos apothesis rupou). Apothesis is old word from apotithēmi (1Pe_2:1), in N.T. only here and 2Pe_1:14. Rupou (genitive of rupos) is old word (cf. ruparos, filthy, in Jam_2:2; Rev_22:11), here only in N.T. (cf. Isa_3:3; Isa_4:4). Baptism, Peter explains, does not wash away the filth of the flesh either in a literal sense, as a bath for the body, or in a metaphorical sense of the filth of the soul. No ceremonies really affect the conscience (Heb_9:13.). Peter here expressly denies baptismal remission of sin.
But the interrogation of a good conscience toward God (alla suneidēseōs agathēs eperōtēma eis theon). Old word from eperōtaō (to question as in Mar_9:32; Mat_16:1), here only in N.T. In ancient Greek it never means answer, but only inquiry. The inscriptions of the age of the Antonines use it of the Senates approval after inquiry. That may be the sense here, that is, avowal of consecration to God after inquiry, having repented and turned to God and now making this public proclamation of that fact by means of baptism (the symbol of the previous inward change of heart). Thus taken, it matters little whether eis theon (toward God) be taken with eperōtēma or suneidēseōs.
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (di' anastaseōs Iēsou Christou). For baptism is a symbolic picture of the resurrection of Christ as well as of our own spiritual renewal (Rom_6:2-6). See 1Pe_1:3 for regeneration made possible by the resurrection of Jesus.
Let me ask you this . .
Was Noah really saved when the great flood came? Or was he only symbolically saved?
We see a real physcial water attributed to a real, physical salvation . . and Peter begins to compare it to the real physical water of Baptism, but the filth and the flesh are not to be considered real, physical filth and flesh?
We are speaking of real,literal things, but suddenly the filth and flesh are now symbolic of sin and our sin nature?
The problem is that the Greek word translated "filth" is used only one time in the bible . . here in this verse . . it does not give us a lot to go on as far as biblical usage goes . .
It could be taken either way . . as can the word translated "flesh" . . but what we are faced with is how to interpret these two words?
I said in another thread, and will say it again here - we err greatly if we think that our theology comes from the bible . .
How we interpret the bible comes from our theology . . none of us can avoid this . . . and here is a perfect example in this verse . .
So, looking further at this verse in context . . it says that Baptism now saves us . . by the ressurection of Jesus . .
Baptism has to be coupled with the death and ressurection of Jesus or it is meaningless . . . if one just baptizes without Jesus, then baptism is no better than washing the skin with water . .
"by the ressurection of Jesus Chrsit "
the ressurection of Jesus becomes the Channel through which Baptism saves us . it becomes the channel of the act . . baptism apart from this 'channel' does nothing .. it merely cleans the filth from the flesh and does not save us . .
But when it saves us, thruogh the channel of the resurrection of Jesus, we have the answer of a good conscience toward God . .
If we are not saved by Baptism, then there is no good conscience towards God associated with it . .
If we are saved before hand, then why do we
need baptism? We already would have a good conscience before God . . .
So, lets look at what it says about our conscience . . it tells us that Baptism saves us because it gives us a clean conscience before God . .
But if we are to have a good conscience towards God, sin has to be washed away . . That Peter links a good conscience towards God tells us that something happens in Baptism to effect this good conscience towards God . . the only thing that effects this is the removal of sin . .
It has been the consistant teaching of the Church since the beginning that Baptism washes away sin . .
Peace in Him!
!