For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 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: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him."
As Paul did in his many letters to the churches, Peter, in the first part of today's quote, admonished the early Christian Jews to be vigilant in their efforts to live pure, Godly lives so as reflect their faith and to prevent the wrath of God through Jesus Christ. This lesson applies equally to all of us today.
In the last part of the quote, peter made reference to Noah and how, with his family, he was saved from the flood of water and physical death by the Ark; "God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 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: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him."
Today there are many who contend that Peter's statement, "baptism doth also now save us". affirms that water baptism is a pre-requisite to eternal salvation. In truth, nothing could be more wrong. That contention is promptly disavowed later in the same quote by the qualifier Peter provided for the original statement. "not by the putting away of the sins of the flesh", but rather "the answer of a good conscious toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ". Clearly it was the "resurrection of Jesus Christ" that remitted sin, water has nothing whatsoever to do with it. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)~
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