1 Peter 3:15-22 Flesh, Spirit, Baptism

1 Peter 3.15-22, Sanctify Christ as Lord, His death and proclamation, believer water baptism

1. Sanctify Christ in your hearts (1 Peter 3.15). Choose to live under Christ’s lordship and be prepared and always ready to explain from the Bible why you are a Christian and why you think and act they way you do when circumstances are against you. This kind of living is Lordship Christian living.
2. Keep your conscience clear so when you are slandered, others will know the accusation is untrue (1 Peter 3.16).
3. Better to suffer for doing right (1 Peter 3.17). The way that we live is valuable to God, to ourselves, and to others.
4. Christ also suffered unjustly when he died once for our sins (1 Peter 3.18).
5. He reconciled us to God (1 Peter 3.18).
6. Death in the flesh means he died as a man in the human realm (1 Peter 3.18).
7. Made alive in the spirit means that he arose in the spiritual realm (1 Peter 3.18). Some take spirit as Holy Spirit.
8. He proclaimed his victory to the fallen angels who were imprisoned because of the Genesis 6 incident during Noah’s time (1 Peter 3.19).
9. Noah and his family were delivered through the flood water by the ark ((1 Peter 3.20).
10. That deliverance was a type of something future. A type is an event, person, or thing that pictures something in the future. In a sense, it is a prophecy. Baptism is the antitype (αντιτυπος), that was illustrated. It is translated “corresponding to” in this passage (1 Peter 3.21).
11. Baptism (water baptism here) in a broad sense, delivers (σωζω) the people from giving up the faith or compromising the faith (1 Peter 3.21).
12. How? Not by washing dirt or sin off. But by an appeal to God from a good conscience. Appeal is επερωτημα, a question, appeal, or a pledge to stand firm. When slandered or otherwise persecuted for their faith, their baptism dramatically reminds them of their faith in Jesus Christ and their stand for him; and that their suffering is a small demonstration of Christ’s suffering (1 Peter 3.21).
13. What about the good conscience (συνειδησεως αγαθης)? Conscience (genitive of source or subjective genitive) provides their understanding of their own water baptism, that it (water baptism) signifies their new life, and that they will stand firm in the faith for Jesus Christ when they are persecuted (1 Peter 3.21).
14. The resurrection of Jesus Christ made their faith and their loyalty possible and real (1 Peter 3.21).
15. Jesus Christ is now at the right hand of God. This is proof that the faith is based on historical fact and is true and worth suffering for (1 Peter 3.22).
16. So what is the importance?
    1. Persecution will come.
    2. Our water baptism reminds us of our faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. He is Christian life Lord.
    3. Water baptism has a like result that the water of the flood had for Noah and his family. It got them through a dangerous event.
    4. Remember that Paul said that water baptism was not a part of the gospel (1 Corinthians 1.17).
    5. Remember that Peter said that water baptism comes after faith and after the Holy Spirit indwells (Acts 10.43-48).