THEME:
PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST, 
OF NOAH,
AND OF THE CHRISTIAN 

Read 1Pet. 3:8-4:6 
 

   Reading 1Peter 3:8 through 4:2,
will give us a clearer understanding,
of the meaning of Noah and the flood,
and what Jesus did in relation to our water baptism. 
 
 
 

    Some teach that this verse (v. 21) shows that baptism saves you. 

    Noah was not saved by the water itself. 

Noah and his family were saved, because they were in the Ark,
which is a picture of being in Christ. 

The others were drowned by the water, as they were not in the Ark. 
Noah was above the water or out of the water. 

The unbelievers (old man) went down into the water,
and Noah (new man) was above the water.

This is the picture of baptism.
The death of the old man.
 

    Baptism itself cannot save you. 
It does not put away the filth of the of the flesh;
(1Pet. 3:21),

Christ's death on the cross,
is the only thing that can cleanse us from our sins.. 
 

The Apostle Paul said; 
I thank God that I baptized none of you, 
but Crispus and Gaius;
For Christ sent me not to baptise,
but to preach the Gospel; 
(1CO 1:14; 17)
If baptism is necessary for salvation, 
The Apostle Paul would not say that Christ sent him
not to baptise,
but to preach the Gospel.
 
 

The meaning of what Jesus, and
Noah did; and our baptism: 
 

Noah and his family was saved,
because they were in the Ark (a picture of Christ).
They going through the water is liken unto our baptism.

Jesus going down and coming up is also a picture of our baptism.
Jesus went down and brought up the believers is a proclamation
to those that were down there held in prison, 
that there is life after death, 
of what Noah was preaching in his time to the unbeleivers.
 

Our baptism is also a proclamation today,
to those that are spiritual dead, the unbelievers,
that we believe in life after death.

We believe in what Noah did and what Christ did by our living.

Peter admonished all belivers,
to live a life of goodness,
with a good conscience as an answer to those that physicall alive, 
but spiritual dead, the unbelivers.
 
 

Peter says“the like figure.”
He is telling us, that Christ’s death and resurrection,
and Noah being saved by the ark and the water,
have the same meaning to baptism,
and it is related to us. 
 

     So it is important, to read and understand,
the whole context of what Peter is saying to the Christians. 

In 1Peter3: 8-14
he says, finally, last of all, 

"Christians be ye all of one mind, 
love, be merciful, courteous, etc."
3:8.

"Do not pay back evil for evil, 
knowing we have a blessing,"
v. 9.

"Speak not guile, hate evil,"
V. 10.

"Follow that which is good,"
V. 13.
. 
"If you suffer, be happy, be not afraid of their terror, 
nor be troubled,"
v.14. 

"Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, 
be ready always to give and answer to every man that asketh you,
a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear,"
v. 15.

"Having a good conscience, whereas they speak evil of you,
as evildoers, they may be ashamed,
that falsely accuse your good manner of living in Christ," 
v. 16.

"For it is better, if the will of God be so,
that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing."
v. 17

    Peter is speaking to Christians; he is saying,
when you behave and live your life in the manner stated in
1Peter3: 8-17,

and being baptized, you are preaching;
proclaiming not with words verbally, but by your life,
to those unbelievers that are dead spiritually.
(1Pet. 4:1-6).
 

You did physically, baptism a picture of death of the old man,
and spiritual new man is living  the resurrected life.
 

We bring together the testimony of Noah,
and Christ, 
and the picture of Baptism, 
by the life that we live. 
 
 

 "Forasmuch, (or because or accordingly then,)
as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves, 
likewise, with the same mind;
for he that hath suffered in the flesh,
hath ceased from sin. 
 that he (believer) no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh,
to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." 
1PETER 4:1,2

 This then, is the spiritual application,
of what Peter is speaking of, in what Christ did,
and what Noah did in relationship to baptism. 
 

Our baptism is proclaiming to those that are alive physically,
but dead spiritually, 
that Christ died for our sins,
and was buried and rose from the dead.
He says in 1Peter 3:21; “the like figure.” 
The Greek word for “like figure” is antitupon,
which means corresponding, an antitype. 
What Jesus and Noah did,
 is  representative of or counterpart to baptism. 
He is teaching us two things by these two different incidents. 

    This is why Peter says finally, 
know this, do this, do not do this, etc. from
1Peter 3:8...

We also preach to those that are spiritually dead, (the unbelievers),
by our manner of living, by not retaliating, 
but showing mercy, love and patience, etc. 

    Peter put in the incident of Noah,
not to teach us whether baptism saves or not, 
but because Noah’s incident is a vivid picture of baptism. 
 

    Peter is careful to add
“not the putting away of the filth of the flesh”
for baptism is only a picture and does not cleanse us from our sins.
It is the answer of a good conscience toward God,
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 
 

       When the reality of the new man is evident, 
and living the life that Peter is admonishing us to do, 
we are proclaiming with our living,
what Jesus did and what Noah did. 

"Being baptized is not to put away the filth of the flesh,
but the asking of you, to have a good understanding,
towards the things of God and of God Himself,
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 
refer to---1Peter 3:21.
 

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