1 Peter 3

1 Peter 3:1

D. As a Wife in Relation to Her Husband (3:1-6) 3:1 Peter has stressed the obligation of Christians to submit to human government and to earthly masters. He now takes up the submission of wives to their husbands. Every wife is to be submissive to her husband, whether he is a believer or not. God has given to the man the place of headship, and it is His will that the woman should acknowledge the authority of the man. The relationship between husband and wife is a picture of that between Christ and the church. The woman should obey her husband just as the church should obey Christ. This is considered passe9 in our society. Women are rising to places of authority over man, and our society is becoming increasingly matriarchal. In many churches, women seem to be more active and gifted than the men. But God’s word stands. The headship of man is the divine order. No matter how reasonable the arguments may sound, nothing but trouble and chaos can ultimately result when woman usurps authority over the man. Even when a woman’s husband is an unbeliever, she should still respect him as her head. This will be a testimony to him of her faith in Christ. Her conduct as an obedient, loving, devoted wife may be used to win him to the Savior. And she may win him without a word. This means that the wife need not be preaching to her husband constantly. Possibly great harm has been done by wives who nagged their husbands concerning the gospel, cramming it down their throats. The emphasis here is on the wife’s winning her husband by living Christ daily before him. But suppose a husband interferes with his wife in her Christian life. What should she do then? If he requires her to disobey a plain command of Scripture, then she must disobey her husband and be true to the Lord. If, however, the matter involves a Christian privilege rather than a clear duty, she should be subject to her husband and forego the privilege. When Peter speaks about a Christian wife having a pagan husband, he does not thereby condone a believer’s marrying an unbeliever. This is never God’s will. The apostle is dealing primarily with cases where the wife was saved after marriage. Her obligation is to be submissive even to an unbelieving husband. 3:2 The unsaved husband may be impressed by the reverent and chaste conduct of his wife. The Spirit of God may use this to convict him of his own sinfulness, and he may come to faith in Christ. George Mfcller told of a wealthy German whose wife was a devout believer. This man was a heavy drinker, spending late nights in the tavern. She would send the servants to bed, stay up till he returned, receive him kindly, and never scold him or complain. At times she would even have to undress him and put him to bed. One night in the tavern he said to his cronies, I bet if we go to my house, my wife will be sitting up, waiting for me. She’ll come to the door, give us a royal welcome, and even make supper for us, if I ask her.They were skeptical at first, but decided to go along and see. Sure enough, she came to the door, received them courteously, and willingly agreed to make supper for them without the slightest trace of resentment. After serving them, she went off to her room. As soon as she had left, one of the men began to condemn the husband. What kind of a man are you to treat such a good woman so miserably? The accuser got up without finishing his supper and left the house. Another did the same and another till they had all departed without eating the meal. Within a half hour, the husband became deeply convicted of his wickedness, and especially of his heartless treatment of his wife. He went to his wife’s room, asked her to pray for him, repented of his sins, and surrendered to Christ. From that time on, he became a devoted disciple of the Lord Jesus. Won without a word! George Mfcller advised: Don’t be discouraged if you have to suffer from unconverted relatives. Perhaps very shortly the Lord may give you the desire of your heart, and answer your prayer for them. But in the meantime, seek to commend the truth, not by reproaching them on account of their behavior toward you, but by manifesting toward them the meekness, gentleness and kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ. 3:3 The subject here seems to change to women’s apparel, but actually the apostle is dealing primarily with the best ways for a wife to please and serve her husband. It is not her outward appearance that will influence him as much as her inner life of holiness and submission. Various types of outward adornment are to be avoided:

1. Arranging the hair. Some think that this excludes even modest braids. It is more likely that Peter is speaking against the excess of mountainous coiffures with terraces of braids, which were popular in ancient Rome.
2. Wearing gold. Some interpret this as an absolute prohibition against any gold jewelry. Others see it as forbidding showy and extravagant displays.
3. Putting on fine apparel. Obviously, it is not the wearing of clothing that is forbidden, but the wearing of ostentatious dress. Read Isa_3:16-25 to see what God thinks about all forms of extravagant adornment. EXCURSUS ON CHRISTIAN DRESS In the matter of clothing and jewelry, there are guidelines that apply to all believers, men as well as women. A first principle is expense. How much do we spend on clothes? Is it all necessary? Could the money be spent in better ways? 1Ti_2:9 forbids expensive clothes: not with … costly clothing. It is not a matter of whether or not we can afford them. It is sin for a Christian to spend money on expensive clothes, because God’s word forbids it. Compassion forbids it too. The desperate plight of our neighbors in other lands, their enormous spiritual and physical needs, point up the callousness of spending money unnecessarily on clothing. This applies not only to the quality of the clothes we buy but to the quantity as well. The closets of some Christians look like branch clothing stores. Often as they travel on vacation, a rod stretched over the back seat of the car holds an array of dresses, shirts, and suits that rivals the samples of a traveling clothing salesman. Why do we do it? Is it not a matter of pride? We love to be complimented on our good taste, our fine appearance. The expense involved in buying clothes is only one principle that should guide us in its choice. Another is modesty. Paul says with propriety and moderation. One meaning of the word propriety is decent. One of the functions of clothing is to hide man’s nakedness. At least, that’s the way it was in the beginning. But now clothing seems to be designed to reveal increasingly large areas of the anatomy. Man is thus glorying in his shame. It is not surprising to find ungodly men doing this, but it is rather shocking when Christians imitate them. But modest can also mean attractive. This suggests that the Christian should dress neatly. There is no virtue in shabbiness, in untidiness. Oswald Chambers said that slovenliness is an insult to the Holy Spirit. The believer’s clothes should be clean, pressed, in good repair, and well-fitting. In general, the Christian must avoid fashions that attract attention to himself. That is not his function in life. He is not on earth as an ornament, but as a fruit-bearing branch of the Vine. We can attract attention to ourselves in many ways. Wearing clothes that are old-fashioned will do it. The Christian should also avoid wearing clothes that are uncommonly plain, or loud, or odd. Finally, the Christianand this may be a special problem for the young believershould avoid clothes that are suggestive or provocative. We have already referred to fashions that are revealing. But clothes can cover the whole body and still arouse unholy lust in others. Modern fashions are not designed to encourage spirituality. On the contrary, they reflect the obsession with sex in our age. The believer should never wear clothes that incite passions or make it hard for others to live a Christian life. The great problem, of course, is the enormous social pressure to conform. This always has been true and always will be. Christians need plenty of spine to resist the extremes in fashion, to swim against the tide of public opinion, and to dress in a manner that befits the gospel. If we make Christ the Lord of our wardrobe, all will be well.

3:4 The clothing which makes a believer genuinely attractive is the beauty of the hidden person. Fashionable coiffures, costly jewelry, and fine clothing are perishable. In presenting this vivid contrast, Peter challenges us to make a choice. F. B. Meyer notes: Plenty are there whose outward body is richly decked, but whose inner being is clothed in rags; whilst others, whose garments are worn and threadbare, are all glorious within.Men think jewels are precious; God considers precious the jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit. 3:5 Godly women of the OT adorned themselves by cultivating the moral and spiritual beauty of the inner life. One aspect of this beauty was a dutiful submission to their own husbands. These holy women trusted in God. They lived God-centered lives. Desiring to please Him in all things, they recognized His order in the home and were submissive to their own husbands. 3:6 Sarah is cited as an example. She obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. This takes us back to Gen_18:12 where we read that Sarah said this within herself. She did not go around and make a loud profession of submission to Abraham by publicly calling him lord. Rather, in her inward life, she recognized him as her head, and this recognition was displayed by her actions. Those women who follow Sarah’s example are her children. Jewish women are descendants of Sarah by natural birth. But to be her daughters in the best sense, they must imitate her personal character. Children should carry the family likeness. They should do good and let nothing terrify them. This means that a Christian wife should fill her God-appointed role as an obedient helpmate, and not be terrified even if she must suffer the unreasonable conduct of an unbelieving husband, except, of course, when it be comes violent or life-threatening.

1 Peter 3:7

E. As a Husband in Relation to His Wife (3:7) Now the apostle turns to husbands and shows the corresponding duties they must fulfill. They should live considerately with their wives, showing love, courtesy, and understanding. They should bestow the tender regard on their wives that is appropriate for members of the weaker sex. In this day of the women’s liberation movement, the Bible might seem out of step with the times in speaking of women as the weaker vessels. But it is a simple fact of life that the average woman is weaker than the man physically. Also, generally speaking, she does not have the same power to control her emotions and is more frequently guided by emotional reactions than by rational, logical thought. The handling of deep theological problems is not characteristically her forte. And, in general, she is more dependent than the man. But the fact that a woman is weaker in some ways does not mean that she is inferior to man; the Bible never suggests this. Neither does it mean that she might not actually be stronger, or more competent in some areas. As a matter of fact, women are generally more devoted to Christ than men. And they usually are better able to bear prolonged pain and adversity. A man’s attitude toward his wife should recognize the fact that she is a fellow heir of the grace of life. This refers to a marriage in which both are believers. Though weaker than the man in some ways, the woman enjoys equal standing before God and shares equally the gift of everlasting life. Also she is more than her husband’s equal in bringing new physical life into the world. When there is discord, prayers are hindered. Bigg says: The sighs of the injured wife come between the husband’s prayers and God’s hearing. Also it is very difficult for a couple to pray together when something is disrupting their fellowship. For the peace and welfare of the home it is important for the husband and wife to observe a few basic rules:

1. Maintain absolute honesty in order to have a basis of mutual confidence.
2. Keep lines of communication open. There must be a constant readiness to talk things out. When steam is allowed to build up in the boiler, an explosion is inevitable. Talking things out includes the willingness for each to say, I am sorry and to forgiveperhaps indefinitely.
3. Overlook minor faults and idiosyncrasies. Love covers a multitude of sins. Don’t demand perfection in others when you are unable to produce it in yourself.
4. Strive for unity in finances. Avoid overspending, installment buying, and the lust to keep up with the Joneses.
5. Remember that love is a commandment, not an uncontrollable emotion. Love means all that is included in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is courteous, for instance; it will keep you from criticizing or contradicting your partner in front of others. Love will keep you from quarreling in front of your children, which could undermine their security. In these and a hundred other ways, love creates a happy atmosphere in the home and rules out strife and separations.

1 Peter 3:8

F. As a Brother in Relation to the Fellowship (3:8) That this verse deals primarily with the Christian and his relation to the fellowship seems evident from the exhortations to unity and brotherly love. The other three exhortations could have a wider application. The word Finally does not mean that Peter is about to close his Epistle. He has been speaking to various classes of individuals such as servants, wives, and husbands. Now, as a finale, he has a word for all of you. Let all of you be of one mind. It is not expected that Christians will see eye-to-eye on everything. That would be uniformity, not unity. The best formula is contained in the well-known expression: In fundamentals, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in everything, love. We are to have compassion for one another. Literally, this means to suffer with, and the admonition is especially appropriate when given to those undergoing persecution. The advice is for all times because no age is exempt from suffering. Love as brothers. An unknown author writes: Providence does not ask us whom we would like to be our brethrenthat is settled for us; but we are bidden to love them, irrespective of our natural predilections and tastes. You say, That is impossible! But remember that true love does not necessarily originate in the emotions, but in the will; it consists not in feeling but in doing; not in sentiment, but in action; not in soft words, but in noble and unselfish deeds. Tenderhearted means having a heart sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. It refuses to turn cold, callous, or cynical in spite of abuse. Courteous It seems so proper that courtesy should be taught as one of the Christian virtues. Essentially it means humbly thinking of others, putting others first, and saying and doing the gracious thing. Courtesy serves others before self, jumps at opportunities to assist, and expresses prompt appreciation for kindnesses received. It is never coarse, vulgar, or rude.

1 Peter 3:9

G. As a Sufferer in Relation to Persecutors (3:9-4:6) 3:9 This whole Epistle is written against a backdrop of persecution and suffering. From this verse to 4:6 the subject is the Christian and his relation to persecutors. Repeatedly, believers are urged to suffer for righteousness’ sake without retaliating. We are not to repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling. Instead we are to bless those who mistreat us, and to repay insult with kindness. As Christians, we are not called to harm others but to do them good, not to curse but to bless. Then God rewards this type of behavior with a blessing. 3:10 In verses 10-12, Peter quotes Psa_34:12-16 a to confirm that God’s blessing rests on the one who refrains from evil deeds and evil speech, and practices righteousness. The force of the first verse is this: The one who wishes to enjoy life to the hilt and experience good days should refrain from speaking evil or deceit. He should not repay insult and lies in kind. To love life is condemned in Joh_12:25, but there it means to live for self and disregard the true purpose of life. Here it means to live in the way God intended. 3:11 Not only evil speech, but evil deeds are forbidden. To retaliate only intensifies the conflict. It is stooping to use the world’s weapons. The believer should repay evil with good, and promote peace by meekly enduring abuse. Fire cannot be fought with fire. The only way to overcome evil is to let it run its course, so that it does not find the resistance it is looking for. Resistance merely creates further evil and adds fuel to the flames. But when evil meets no opposition and encounters no obstacle but only patient endurance, its sting is drawn, and at last it meets an opponent which is more than its match. Of course, this can only happen when the last ounce of resistance is abandoned, and the renunciation of revenge is complete. Then evil cannot find its mark, it can breed no further evil, and is left barren (Selected). 3:12 The Lord looks with approval on those who act righteously. He is attentive to their prayers. Of course, the Lord hears the prayers of all His people. But He undertakes in a special sense the cause of those who suffer for Christ’s sake without returning evil for evil. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil. This primarily refers to the persecutors of His people. But it may also include the believer who fights back against his foes with physical violence and intemperate language. Evil is evil, and God opposes it wherever He finds itwhether in the saved or in the lost. In quoting Psa_34:16, Peter left out the closing words: … to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. This omission was not an oversight. We are living in the dispensation of the grace of God; it is the acceptable year of the Lord. The day of vengeance of our God has not come as yet. When the Lord Jesus returns as King of kings and Lord of lords, He will punish evildoers and cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 3:13 Peter resumes his argument with a question: And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? The answer implied is No one. And yet the history of the martyrs seems to prove that enemies of the gospel do harm faithful disciples. There are at least two possible explanations of this paradox:

1. Generally speaking, those who follow a path of righteousness are not harmed. A policy of nonresistance disarms the opposition. There may be exceptions, but as a rule, the one who is eager for the right is protected from harm by his very goodness.
2. The worst that the foe can do to a Christian does not give eternal harm. The enemy can injure his body but he cannot damage his soul. During World War II a Christian boy of twelve refused to join a certain movement in Europe. Don’t you know that we have power to kill you? they said. Don’t you know, he replied quietly, that I have power to die for Christ! He had the conviction that no one was able to harm him. 3:14 But suppose a Christian should suffer persecution because of his loyalty to the Savior. What then? Three results follow:
3. God overrules the suffering for His own glory.
4. He uses the suffering to bring blessing to others.
5. He blesses the one who suffers for His name. Don’t be afraid of men, or terrified by their threats. How well the martyrs lived out this policy! When Polycarp was promised release if he would blaspheme Christ, he said, Eighty six years I have served Christ and He has never done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior? When the proconsul threatened to expose him to the wild beasts, he replied, It is well for me to be speedily released from this life of misery. Finally the ruler threatened to burn him alive.

Polycarp said, I fear not the fire that burns for a moment: You do not know that which burns forever and ever.3:15 In the last part of verse 14 and in this verse, Peter quotes from Isa_8:12-13, which says: Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. Someone has said, We fear God so little because we fear man so much.The Isaiah passage speaks of The Lord of hosts as the One to be reverenced. Quoting it, Peter by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says, sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. To reverence the Lord means to make Him the Sovereign of our lives. All we do and say should be in His will, for His pleasure, and for His glory. The lordship of Christ should dominate every area of our livesour possessions, our occupation, our library, our marriage, our spare timenothing can be excluded. Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. This applies primarily to times when Christians are being persecuted because of their faith. The consciousness of the presence of the Lord Christ should impart a holy boldness and inspire the believer to witness a good confession. The verse is also applicable to everyday life. People often ask us questions which quite naturally open the door to speak to them about the Lord. We should be ready to tell them what great things the Lord has done for us. This witnessing should be done in either case with gentleness and reverence. There should be no trace of harshness, bitterness or flippancy when we speak of our Savior and Lord. 3:16 The believer must have a good conscience. If he knows he is innocent of any crime, he can go through persecution with the boldness of a lion. If he has a bad conscience, he will be plagued with feelings of guilt and will not be able to stand against the foe. Even if a believer’s life is blameless, the enemies of the gospel will still find fault with him and bring false charges against him. But when the case comes to trial, and the charges are found to be empty, the accusers will be ashamed. 3:17 If a Christian must suffer, which might sometimes be God’s will for him, it should be for doing good. But he should not bring suffering on himself for his own misdeeds; there is no virtue in that. 3:18 The rest of chapter 3 presents Christ as the classic example of One who suffered for righteousness’ sake, and reminds us that for Him, suffering was the pathway to glory. Notice the six features of His sufferings: (1) They were expiatory, that is, they freed believing sinners from the punishment of their sins. (2) They were eternally effectual. He died once for all and settled the sin question. The work of redemption was completed. (3) They were substitutionary. The just died for the unjust. The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isa_53:6 b). (4) They were reconciling. Through His death we have been brought to God. The sin which caused alienation has been removed. (5) They were violent. His death was by execution. (6) Finally, they were climaxed by resurrection. He was raised from the dead on the third day. The expression made alive by the Spirit means that His resurrection was through the power of the Holy Spirit. 3:19 Verses 19, 20 constitute one of the most puzzling and intriguing texts in the NT. It has been made the pretext for such unbiblical doctrines as purgatory on the one hand and universal salvation on the other. However, among evangelical Christians, there are two commonly accepted interpretations. According to the first, Christ went to Hades in spirit between His death and resurrection, and proclaimed the triumph of His mighty work on the cross. There is disagreement among proponents of this view as to whether the spirits in prison were believers, unbelievers, or both. But there is fairly general agreement that the Lord Jesus did not preach the gospel to them. That would involve the doctrine of a second chance which is nowhere taught in the Bible. Those who hold this view often link this passage with Eph_4:9 where the Lord is described as descending into the lower parts of the earth. They cite this as added proof that He went to Hades in the disembodied state and heralded His victory at Calvary.

They also cite the words of the Apostles’ Creed descended into hell.The second interpretation is that Peter is describing what happened in the days of Noah. It was the spirit of Christ who preached through Noah to the unbelieving generation before the flood. They were not disembodied spirits at that time, but living men and women who rejected the warnings of Noah and were destroyed by the flood. So now they are spirits in the prison of Hades. This second view best fits the context and has the least difficulties connected with it. Let us examine the passage phrase by phrase. By whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison. The relative pronoun whom obviously refers back to Spirit at the end of verse 18. We understand this to mean the Holy Spirit. In 1Pe_1:11 of this Letter the Spirit of Christ, that is, the Holy Spirit, is described as speaking through the prophets of the OT. And in Gen_6:3, God speaks of His Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, as nearing the limit of endurance with the antediluvians. He went and preached. As already mentioned, it was Christ who preached, but he preached through Noah. In 2Pe_2:5, Noah is described as a preacher of righteousness. It is the same root word used here of Christ’s preaching. To the spirits now in prison. These were the people to whom Noah preachedliving men and women who heard the warning of an impending flood and the promise of salvation in the ark. They rejected the message and were drowned in the deluge. They are now disembodied spirits in prison, awaiting the final judgment. So the verse may be amplified as follows: by whom (the Holy Spirit) He (Christ) went and preached (through Noah) to the spirits now in prison (Hades).But what right do we have to assume that the spirits in prison were the living men in Noah’s day? The answer is found in the following verse. 3:20 Here the spirits in prison are unmistakably identified. Who were they? Those who formerly were disobedient. When were they disobedient? When once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared. What was the final outcome? Only a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. It is well to pause here and remind ourselves of the general flow of thought in this Letter which was written against a general background of persecution. The Christians to whom Peter wrote were suffering because of their life and testimony. Perhaps they wondered why, if the Christian faith was right, they should be suffering rather than reigning. If Christianity was the true faith, why were there so few Christians? To answer the first question, Peter points to the Lord Jesus. Christ suffered for righteousness’ sake, even to the extent of being put to death. But God raised Him from the dead and glorified Him in heaven (see v. 22). The pathway to glory led through the valley of suffering. Next Peter refers to Noah. For 120 years this faithful preacher warned that God was going to destroy the world with water. His thanks was scorn and rejection. But God vindicated him by saving him and his family through the flood. Then there is the problem, If we are right, why are there so few of us? Peter answers: There was a time when only eight people in the world were right and all the rest were wrong! Characteristically in the world’s history the majority has not been right. True believers are usually a small remnant, so one’s faith should not falter because of the small number of the saved. There were only eight believers in Noah’s day; there are millions today. At the end of verse 20, we read that a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. It is not that they were saved by water; they were saved through the water. Water was not the savior, but the judgment through which God brought them safely. To properly understand this statement and the verse that follows, we must see the typical meaning of the ark and of the flood. The ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. The flood of water depicts the judgment of God. The ark was the only way of salvation. When the flood came, only those who were inside were saved; all those on the outside perished. So Christ is the only way of salvation; those who are in Christ are as saved as God Himself can make them. Those on the outside could not be more lost. The water was not the means of salvation, for all who were in the water drowned. The ark was the place of refuge. The ark went through the water of judgment; it took the full brunt of the storm. Not a drop of water reached those inside the ark. So Christ bore the fury of God’s judgment against our sins. For those who are in Him there is no judgment (Joh_5:24). The ark had water beneath it, and water coming down on top of it, and water all around it. But it bore its believing occupants through the water to safety in a renewed creation. So those who trust the Savior are brought safely through a scene of death and desolation to resurrection ground and a new life. 3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves usbaptism. Once again we are in difficult and controversial territory! This verse has been a battleground between those who teach baptismal regeneration and those who deny that baptism has any power to save.

EXCURSUS ON BAPTISM First let us see what it may mean, and then what it cannot mean. Actually, there is a baptism which saves usnot our baptism in water, but a baptism which took place at Calvary almost 2000 years ago. Christ’s death was a baptism. He was baptized in the waters of judgment. This is what He meant when He said, I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! (Luk_12:50). The psalmist described this baptism in the words, Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and billows have gone over me (Psa_42:7). In His death, Christ was baptized in the waves and billows of God’s wrath, and it is this baptism that is the basis for our salvation. But we must accept His death for ourselves. Just as Noah and his family had to enter the ark to be saved, so we must commit ourselves to the Lord as our only Savior. When we do this, we become identified with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. In a very real sense, we then have been crucified with Him (Gal_2:20), we have been buried with Him (Rom_6:4), and we have been brought from death to life with Him (Rom_6:4). All this is pictured in the believer’s baptism. The ceremony is an outward sign of what has taken place spiritually; we have been baptized into Christ’s death. As we go under the water, we acknowledge that we have been buried with Him. As we come up out of the water, we show that we have risen with Him and want to walk in newness of life. An antitype which now saves usbaptism refers to Christ’s baptism unto death on the cross and our identification with Him in it, which water baptism represents. The verse cannot mean that we are saved by ritual baptism in water for the following reasons:

1. That would make water the savior, instead of the Lord Jesus. But He said, I am the way (Joh_14:6).
2. It would imply that Christ died in vain. If people can be saved by water, then why did the Lord Jesus have to die?
3. It simply doesn’t work. Many who have been baptized have proved by their subsequent lives that they were never truly born again. Neither can this verse mean that we are saved by faith plus baptism.
4. This would mean that the Savior’s work on the cross was not sufficient. When He cried, It is finished, it wasn’t really so, according to this view, because baptism must be added to that work for salvation.
5. If baptism is necessary for salvation, it is strange that the Lord did not personally baptize anyone. Joh_4:1-2 states that Jesus did not do the actual baptizing of His followers; this was done by His disciples.
6. The Apostle Paul thanked God that he baptized very few of the Corinthians (1Co_1:14-16). This would be strange thanksgiving for an evangelist if baptism were essential for salvation! The fact that Paul did baptize some shows that he taught believer’s baptism, but the fact that he baptized only a few shows that he did not consider it a requirement for salvation.
7. The penitent thief on the cross was not baptized, yet he was assured of being in Paradise with Christ (Luk_23:43).
8. The Gentiles who were saved in Caesarea received the Holy Spirit when they believed (Act_10:44), showing that they then belonged to Christ (Rom_8:9 b). After receiving the Holy Spirit, that is, after being saved, they were baptized (vv. 47, 48). Therefore, baptism was not necessary for their salvation. They were saved first, then baptized in water.
9. In the NT, baptism is always connected with death and not with spiritual birth.
10. There are about 150 passages in the NT which teach that salvation is by faith alone. These cannot be contradicted by two or three verses that seem to teach that baptism is necessary for salvation. Therefore, when we read in verse 21, Baptism … which now saves us, it does not mean our baptism in literal water, but Christ’s baptism unto death and our identification with Him in it. Not the removal of the filth of the flesh. The ceremonial worship of the OT, with which Peter’s Jewish-Christian readers were familiar, provided a sort of external cleansing. But it was not able to give the priests or the people a clear conscience with regard to sin. The baptism of which Peter is speaking is not a question of physical or even of ritual cleansing from defilement. Water does have the effect of removing dirt from the body, but it cannot provide a good conscience toward God. Only personal association with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection can do that. But the answer of a good conscience toward God. The question inevitably arises, How can I have a righteous standing before God? How can I have a clear conscience before Him? The answer is found in the baptism of which Peter has been speakingChrist’s baptism unto death at Calvary and one’s personal acceptance of that work. By Christ’s death the sin question was settled once for all. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. How do I know that God is satisfied? I know because He raised Christ from the dead. A clear conscience is inseparably linked with the resurrection of Jesus Christ; they stand or fall together. The resurrection tells me that God is fully satisfied with the redemptive work of His Son. If Christ had not risen, we could never be sure that our sins had been put away. He would have died like any other man. But the risen Christ is our absolute assurance that the claims of God against our sins have been fully met. As the hymn writer, James G. Deck, put it, Our conscience has peace that can never fail: ’tis the Lamb on high, on the throne.So it now saves usbaptism … the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. My only claim for a good conscience is based on the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The order is as follows:
11. Christ was baptized unto death for me at Calvary.
12. When I trust Him as Lord and Savior, I am spiritually united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection.
13. Through the knowledge that He has risen, my request for a clear conscience is answered.
14. In water baptism, I give visible expression to the spiritual deliverance I have experienced.

3:22 Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. The Lord Jesus Christ not only arose from among the dead, but He ascended to heaven from where He had originally come. He is there today, not as an invisible, intangible spirit-being, but as a living Man in a glorified body of flesh and bones. In that body He bears eternally the wounds He received at Calvaryeloquent and everlasting tokens of His love for us. Our Lord is at the right hand of God, the place of: Power: Since the right hand is generally stronger than the left, it has come to be associated with power (Mat_26:64). Honor: Christ is exalted to the right hand of God (Act_2:33; Act_5:31). Rest: In virtue of His finished work Christ sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb_1:3; see also Heb_8:1; Heb_10:12). This rest is the rest of satisfaction and complacency, not the rest that conquers weariness. Intercession: Paul speaks of Christ being at the right hand of God where He intercedes for us (Rom_8:34). Preeminence: At His right hand in the heavenly places, (He is) far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come . . . (Eph_1:20-21). Dominion: In Heb_1:13, God the Father says to the Son, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Dominion is emphasized in 1Pe_3:22 : … at the right hand of God, with angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.Angels and authorities and powers are doubtless intended to cover all ranks of heavenly beings. They are all servants of the risen, glorified Christ. This then was our Lord’s experience in suffering for well-doing. Men rejected Him, both in His pre-incarnate testimony through Noah and in His First Advent as the Son of Man. He was baptized in death’s dark waters at Calvary. But God raised Him from the dead and glorified Him at His own right hand in heaven. In the eternal purposes of God, suffering had to precede glory. This was the lesson both for Peter’s original readers and also for us. We should not be upset if we experience opposition and even persecution for doing good, for we do not deserve better treatment than our Savior had when He was on earth. We should comfort ourselves with the promise that if we suffer with Him, we shall be glorified with Him (Rom_8:17). Furthermore, the sufferings now are not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits us (Rom_8:18). The afflictions are light and momentary; the glory is eternal and weighty beyond all comparison (2Co_4:17).