1 Peter 3 21

1 Peter 3:21 kjv

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 3:21 nkjv

There is also an antitype which now saves us?baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

1 Peter 3:21 niv

and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also?not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

1 Peter 3:21 esv

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 good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

1 Peter 3:21 nlt

And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 3 verses

1 Peter 3 21 Meaning

This verse clarifies the saving nature of baptism as a "corresponding reality" (antitype) to Noah's salvation through water. It emphatically states that this saving power does not lie in a mere physical washing or outward cleansing of the body's dirt. Instead, its efficacy resides in it being "the appeal (or pledge) of a good conscience toward God," made possible and effective solely "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." It signifies an inner spiritual turning and commitment, testifying to an internal transformation wrought by God, based on Christ's triumph over sin and death.

1 Peter 3 21 Context

First Peter 3:21 is embedded within a broader discussion about suffering for righteousness and the redemptive work of Christ. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on Christian conduct amidst hostility, drawing parallels between Christ's suffering and the believer's experience. Peter has just spoken of Christ suffering once for sins, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit, and proclaiming to the spirits in prison, linking this to the disobedient from the days of Noah (1 Pet 3:18-20). The flood serves as a divine judgment upon the wicked and a means of salvation for Noah and his family through the water. This leads into verse 21, where Peter uses the flood as a "type" or shadow, with Christian baptism as the "antitype" or the spiritual reality that corresponds to it, bringing actual salvation. The emphasis is on the spiritual transformation and commitment signified by baptism, made real by Christ's resurrection, which ultimately underpins Christian endurance in suffering.

1 Peter 3 21 Word analysis

• There is also an antitype: (ἀντίτυπον - antitypon). This term signifies a "corresponding type," not a mere copy or a lesser reality, but a reality that corresponds to and fulfills a previous pattern. The salvation of Noah and his family through water is the "type" or foreshadowing, and Christian baptism, saving us through water (as a symbolic act), is the "antitype." It reveals a deeper spiritual truth to which the former pointed.
• which now saves us—baptism: (σώζει ἡμᾶς - sōzei hēmas, βάπτισμα - baptisma). "Saves us" indicates a present reality of deliverance from sin, death, and God's wrath, bringing one into a state of salvation. The focus is on the spiritual essence and outcome. "Baptism" (from baptein, to immerse) refers to the Christian rite. Peter immediately qualifies how it saves, ensuring it's not misconstrued as a magical or automatic external act.
• not the removal of the filth of the flesh,: (οὐ σαρκὸς ἀπόθεσις ῥύπου - ou sarkos apothesis rhypou). This is a crucial clarification. "Not the removal" (apothesis) emphasizes a putting away or stripping off. "Filth of the flesh" (rhypou sarkos) refers to physical dirt or defilement. Peter explicitly differentiates Christian baptism from ceremonial washings (like ritual baths in Judaism or pagan rites) that merely cleanse the exterior body. He directs the reader's understanding from the physical to the spiritual, much like circumcision of the heart in Rom 2:28-29.
• but the answer of a good conscience toward God),: (ἀλλὰ συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς ἐπερώτημα εἰς θεόν - alla syneidēseōs agathēs eperōtēma eis theon).
  • "but the answer/pledge" (eperōtēma): This key Greek term can mean "enquiry," "appeal," "demand," "pledge," or "response." In this context, it generally conveys the idea of an earnest appeal to God or a solemn pledge made to God. It represents an internal, conscious, and volitional commitment, a genuine turning of the heart to God. It is the human side of the covenant response.
  • "of a good conscience": (syniedēseōs agathēs): A "good conscience" is one purified from guilt and sin through Christ's work, enabling the believer to approach God without condemnation. This "good conscience" is the result of repentance and faith, already granted by God, and it makes this "appeal" or "pledge" possible.
  • "toward God": (eis theon): This clarifies the direction and recipient of this spiritual appeal/pledge – it is God-ward. The entirety of this phrase points to the spiritual reality and ethical commitment central to Christian life, contrasting sharply with mere outward ritual.
• through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,: (δι’ ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ - di’ anastaseōs Iēsou Christou). This final phrase is paramount, identifying the sole ultimate source of baptism's saving power. Christ's resurrection validates His atoning sacrifice (1 Pet 3:18) and provides victory over death and sin (Rom 6:4). It is the ground of our justification, our hope, and the new life received in spiritual regeneration. Without the resurrection, baptism (or any Christian act) would be empty of power (1 Cor 15:17). The new life symbolized in baptism flows from the new life that Christ Himself secured by His resurrection.

1 Peter 3 21 Bonus section

The understanding of "type" and "antitype" is crucial. A "type" in biblical typology is a historical person, event, or institution in the Old Testament that God divinely ordained to foreshadow a corresponding reality (the "antitype") in the New Testament. Here, Noah's ark saving through water points to Christ's salvation, which we enter into through the Spirit-empowered spiritual reality represented by baptism. The flood represents God's judgment leading to salvation, and baptism symbolizes the believer's participation in Christ's victory over judgment.

The Greek term eperōtēma has been subject to varied interpretations by scholars, ranging from a "request for a good conscience" (looking backward to the purification from sin) to an "oath" or "pledge of a good conscience" (looking forward to future obedience). Many modern interpretations lean towards the latter, seeing it as the believer's commitment and allegiance to God from a Spirit-cleansed conscience, a personal covenant vow made in faith. This nuance reinforces the idea that baptism is not merely passive receipt but active, conscious participation.

This verse helps to define the spiritual essence of Christian baptism, guarding against both a superficial ceremonialism and a reductionist view that sees baptism as just a symbol with no divine significance. It asserts that baptism, understood correctly as a response from a transformed conscience made possible by Christ's resurrection, is indeed linked to salvation.

1 Peter 3 21 Commentary

1 Peter 3:21 concisely unpacks the profound spiritual reality behind the act of Christian baptism. Peter uses the analogy of Noah's flood to bridge the Old and New Covenant ideas of salvation through a "watery" event, but immediately clarifies that Christian baptism's saving power is not found in the physical element of water itself, nor in merely washing off bodily defilement. This guards against a superficial, sacramentalist view where the rite itself confers salvation irrespective of one's spiritual state.

Instead, the verse emphatically shifts the focus inward, stating that true saving baptism is "the appeal of a good conscience toward God." This signifies a spiritual transaction: a person, having been granted a conscience cleansed by the work of Christ (Heb 9:14, 10:22), responds to God in faith and repentance, making a sincere appeal or pledge to Him. This is a covenantal moment of commitment from the believer's heart, facilitated by God's grace.

Critically, Peter attributes the efficacy of this spiritual reality to its true source: "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Christ's triumph over death is the basis for forgiveness, justification, and new life for believers. Baptism symbolizes union with Christ in His death and resurrection (Rom 6:3-4), and it is Christ's resurrection power that empowers the believer's inner cleansing and enables the conscience to be truly good and to approach God. Thus, while baptism is an obedient and outward testimony, its saving nature is inherently tied to an inward spiritual reality and the salvific work of Christ. It's a testament to the fact that God alone saves, and He does so by bringing people to a point of humble, conscience-driven commitment to Him, founded on His Son's victorious resurrection.