A Picture Of Salvation?
The question is sometimes asked: "Is baptism a `picture' of salvation in 1 Peter 3:21 ?" On the contrary, Noah's salvation in the ark by water is the picture or type of our salvation by baptism. Noah's salvation is the type, ours is the antitype. Noah's was the 'picture' of ours. Bloomfield states: "Baptism is, I apprehend, here compared, not as a second type to the first, but as the antitype, the true spiritual deliverance; for this is expressly said to be the effect of baptism." Greek Testament, on 1 Peter 3:21, Vol. II, page 719. John Calvin said: "On this account he says that our baptism is an antitype (antitupon) to the baptism of Noah, not that Noah's baptism was the first pattern, and ours an inferior figure." Commentary on 1 Peter 3:21. Moffatt's Translation of 1 Peter 3:21 reads: "Baptism, the counterpart of that, saves you to-day (not the mere washing of dirt from the flesh but the prayer for a clean conscience before God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Weymouth's Translation reads: "And, corresponding to that figure, baptism now saves you — not the washing off of material defilement, but the craving of a good conscience after God--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at God's right hand." The Revised Standard Version reads: "Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ . . . ." The American Standard reads: "Which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." To my knowledge, no scholar of any repute has ever said that baptism in 1 Peter 3:21 or anywhere else, for that matter, is a 'picture' of salvation. It is not a picture of salvation, but rather an instrument used by the Lord in bringing the sinner to the precious blood of Christ. For as the Bible plainly states: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ." (Gal. 3:27.)