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,
Parallel translations
- WEB This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you — not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- 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:
- BSB And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- 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,
- 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Baptism, which the flood-waters prefigured, saves not by washing the body but as the pledge of a good conscience toward God, grounded in Christ's resurrection. It matters because it points away from ritual to the saving work of Christ.
Overview
Peter links the previous reference to Noah's flood with baptism, calling water salvation a 'symbol' or antitype. He carefully denies any merely physical or magical efficacy ('not the putting away of the filth of the flesh') and locates baptism's meaning in a conscience cleansed before God. Faithful Christians differ over how directly baptism conveys grace, but all agree its power rests entirely on Christ's resurrection, not the water itself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 23
- Mark 16:16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.
- Ezek 36:25–26I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
- Gal 3:27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
- Acts 2:38Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 22:16Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
- Eph 5:26that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
- Rom 10:9–10that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
- 1 Pet 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
- 1 Cor 12:13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.
- Matt 28:19Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
- Col 2:12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
- Rom 6:3–6Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
- Titus 3:5–7not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
- 1 Tim 6:12Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.
- Acts 8:36As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?”
- Heb 9:24For Christ hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
- Acts 16:33He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.
- 1 Cor 4:6Now these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to think beyond the things which are written, that none of you be puffed up against one another.
- 2 Cor 7:1Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Zech 13:1“In that day there will be a spring opened to David’s house and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
- Rom 5:14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.
- Heb 11:19concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.
- 2 Cor 1:12For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.
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Christ at the center
The lamb without blemish foreknown before the world, who bore our sins in his body on the tree, by whose wounds we are healed — the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.
How 1 Peter 3:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.
How traditions read this
Sign-and-seal or the means of the new birth?
Baptism does not itself save; it is the sign and seal of what saves — faith, repentance, regeneration, union with Christ. Scripture can still say baptism "saves" by sacramental union: sign and thing-signified are so joined that the name of one is given to the other.
Key points · Sign and seal, not the cause; sacramental union (WCF 27.2); "the answer of a good conscience."
Derek Thomas; the Westminster divines · Westminster Confession 27.2; Ligonier
Baptism is the ordinary instrument through which God gives the new birth, so Peter can say it "saves." Traditions nuance this: Catholic teaching holds it effective in itself (ex opere operato), while Lutherans insist it works only with faith.
Key points · Baptism the means of regeneration; Catholic ex opere operato; Lutheran faith-conditioned.
Catholic and Lutheran traditions · Catechism of the Catholic Church; Augsburg Confession
Each view is stated as that tradition would put it, with representative sources. Limitless Word presents them side by side and endorses none — see the methodology.