"Baptism Now Saves You"? I Peter 3:21

There are a number of passages in the New Testament that appear at first, or even second glance, to support the idea that water baptism is necessary for salvation. I Peter 3:21 is one of these.

"And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" I Peter 3:21

I Peter 3:21 is a verse that, first of all, has to be interpreted in light of the clear teaching of Scripture that we are not saved by any works of our own (see Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 2:8-9). If water baptism is required for salvation, then we are not saved by faith alone, but by faith plus a meritorious work, i.e., water baptism. According to Scripture this cannot be.

But in addition to this over arching biblical truth, if we look closely at this verse we can see that even though Peter explicitly says "baptism now saves you", he qualifies and explains what he means.

Baptism does not cleanse us of moral defilement. It has no power to wash away sins or improve our spiritual standing with God. Peter clears up that possible understanding immediately. Rather it is "the answer of a good conscience toward God" (KJV). It is the believer's response to God, having been saved, to demonstrate that he or she believes that we are saved "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ". Baptism is not what we do to be saved. It is what we do because we are saved.

Lest there be any doubt about this, in the context, notice that the water did not save the people on Noah's ark. It was the ark that was the instrument of God's physical salvation of the eight people. "Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you." In a similar way, water baptism cannot and does not save anyone from God's condemnation. But like the picture of people being physically saved by trusting God and entering the ark, baptism is a picture of us being saved by being baptized into Christ's death, and then as Christ was raised, being raised up to a new life in Him (Romans 6:4).

Like all the other"baptism saves" passages, on close inspection, this one does not teach what it appears to teach. Only Jesus saves. Jesus plus nothing. Thank you, Lord!