There are lots of theological arguments people want to make (usually on Social Media) about baptism. These are usually coming from folks who want to justify their baptizing infants.
My church practices what is known as “Believers’ Baptism” because, just like all the instances in the New Testament, the people who are baptized are those who express faith in Jesus Christ first. There are no instances of infant baptism in the New Testament.
So, does the act of baptism “save you”? Some say yes and appeal to a verse by the Apostle Peter for support… so what does that verse say:
1Peter 3:21 “Baptism… now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Noah and his family were not saved by the waters of the flood, but by God. God destroyed all those who did not believe and thus acted apart from a relationship with Him.
Noah was a righteous man who trusted God. Because of this, God saved Noah and his family.
Baptism, Peter says in the broader context of this verse, corresponds to this.
While Noah was saved by God through the agency of (δια) water, now you are saved by God through the agency of (δια) the resurrection of Jesus which you associate yourself with through (δια) baptism (see: Romans 6:4).
This is why Peter says it’s not the physical act of baptism that saves you, like it’s a regular process of cleaning you by removing dirt from your flesh, no… it’s a “pledge” or “appeal” to God.
It’s what the baptism means from you to God which saves you. It is your expression of faith by which you receive God’s grace.
Noah expressed his faith by building a boat and getting his whole family onboard before the rain started, so God showed him grace while the water destroyed all the unbelievers.
Now you express your faith through being baptized and you receive God’s grace through your faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This word for “pledge” (ἐπερώτημα) only occurs this one time in the New Testament. It is, however, found outside the Bible in papyri (Koine Greek documents written around the same time, specifically P.Cair.Preis. 1.16 – which is cited in “The First Epistle of St. Peter” by Selwyn).
It is used in the sealing a legal contract to refer both to a formal question of willingness from one party and a positive response from the other (France 1977: 275; Hill 1982: 59; Hillyer 1992: 116; Kistemaker 1987: 148; G. Richards 1930: 77).
In other words… God has offered you salvation, and by expressing your faith in Jesus’ resurrection through baptism you are giving a formal answer to God’s question: “Yes I believe” and so you are saved by God’s grace through your faith in the resurrection of Jesus.
This is how I see it. It’s a straightforward reading of the Greek text to ask “what does this mean.” I’m not asking “how can I make this mean what I believe.” You be the judge how others treat it. Does the act of baptism save you irrespective of your faith, like for a baby… or is your baptism an appeal to God that you have faith and thus you are saved as God promises all who believe.
