Baptism Saves?

Of the many hot-button topics in Christian theology, how salvation works is arguably the one that causes the most confusion and even, contention within Christian circles. One popular view on that subject is baptismal regeneration.

Baptismal regeneration, for those who might not be familiar with the term, is the title given to the belief that baptism is necessary for salvation. On this view, it is believed that in order for one to achieve true salvation. One of the most common prooftexts for this view is found in 1 Peter 3:21, which states in the New American Standard Bible, "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."

At face value, this verse seems pretty clear. "Baptism now saves you," seems like a pretty straightforward statement, right? Well, as can often be the case, things might not be what they seem in this passage, at face value. In fact, there have been multiple scholarly views brought forth on what Peter meant with this verse in recent years.

But if 1 Peter 3:21 isn't to be taken at face value, what is really being said here? Based on the remainder of his writings, we can say with a fair amount of certainty that Peter was not suggesting that the act of baptism itself is what moves a person from an unsaved condition to a saved condition. Instead, when we look at the verse in its entirety, it seems Peter was pointing to the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the true saving act. This can be illustrated by the rest of the sentence with which that phrase begins. Taken in the context of the remainder of the chapter, it becomes increasingly clear that Peter is referring to baptism as an expression of faith in the salvific power of that sacrifice, rather than the act of baptism itself being what saves.

Another possible reading for this verse presented in some scholarly works is that the word "saves" doesn't actually refer to eternal salvation, at all. Rather, this view posits that the act of baptism saves Christians from having to hide our faith to avoid persecution. This view can be established from the rest of Peter's writings, which were directed at Christians who were being heavily persecuted at the time of his ministry.

Regardless of which view a person chooses to take on the matter, it can be determined through the historical and literary context of the verse. In either case, water baptism is not about making a person clean in any sense. It's about asking God for a good conscience, or standing identified with the salvation provided by faith in Jesus Christ with a good conscience. As the final phrase in the verse states, this good conscience is only made possible through the resurrection of Jesus, which reveals the power of God to grant eternal life.

Though there are differing viewpoints on details of what this verse is really saying, thankfully, we really don't have to guess whether Peter meant that baptism was literally what brought about salvation or not. Immediately after the controversial phrase, "baptism now saves you," Peter goes on to elaborate on what he doesn't mean. While he is connecting baptism with salvation Peter is quick to clarify what that doesn't refer to with the words, "not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience," which simply shows his intent to connect baptism with belief. It's not the being dunked under water part that saves, but the appeal it represents.

While water baptism is clearly on Peter's mind here, it's simply being used as an illustration akin to the way in which the ark saved Noah and his family from the flood. In that case, it was God and Noah's obedience to/faith in Him that actually saved the family, but the building and boarding of the ark before the flood began was the demonstration of that.

This concept can also be compared to the sacrifices of the Old Testament. The sacrifices themselves had no power to save anyone from anything, but the offering of those sacrifices was the outward expression that the Old Testament Jew was placing faith in the Lamb of God of whom these sacrifices were a type. In the same way, baptism is simply the outward testimony of the faith that provides the reality of salvation for the modern Christian.

Part of the confusion that comes from this verse stems from the modern tendency to relegate baptism to something that is done later, after "making a decision for Christ, or "praying a sinner's prayer." To Peter or any other first-century Christian, the idea that a person would confess Christ as Lord and not be baptized as soon as possible was simply unheard of. Knowing this, it's not surprising that Peter would making such a seemingly equivocating statement about baptism and salvation as is made in this verse.

In other words, Peter is not only acknowledging that baptism isn't what actually saves anyone, but that Christians must be readily identified as being children of the King. No amount of water can wash away sin, but making an outward expression of the salvation provided by the resurrection of Jesus is something that must be done.