Jeremy approaches Bible teaching with a passion for getting the basic doctrines explained so that the individual can understand them and then apply them to circumstances in their life. These basic and important lessons are nestled in a framework of history and progression of revelation from the Bible so the whole of Scripture can be applied to your physical and spiritual life.
Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner.
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament framework. Today, a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy
It's Noah's, and I do want you to recall forever and ever and ever that the very first baptism ever mentioned in the Bible is mentioned by Peter, and it's associated with the flood. And it's called Noah's baptism, and it refers to the eight people who were on the ark, and they stayed dry, didn't they? They did not get wet. It was, in fact, you don't want to be in the side that got wet, right? Um, that would not be desirable.
So let's look at 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3. This is considered a very difficult text. I remember when I was getting ready to come up here to be the pastor, and I was at uh Dr. Kennedy's home. We were down in his basement studying and looking at some of the text. I remember that we looked at this, Dr. Kennedy, and I think we discussed, and I don't think we ever I don't know if we came to any kind of resolution at the time, but it was mostly just to spend some time in the text and how we think about the text and how we try to understand the text. Um you'll notice that a lot of things that are spiritual are being discussed in verse in the previous verses. So, you know, context is king, right? The first three rules of interpreting the Bible are context, context, and context. Um, but you also notice like in verse 13 and 14 that there's the context of suffering. Believers who are suffering for the sake of righteousness, and he says, if you do, you're blessed, and that you shouldn't fear their intimidation, you shouldn't be troubled. But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts and set him apart, right? Always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. So that's how we we talk to unbelievers. We have to speak to them with gentleness and reverence, but our our lives have to be different so that in the first place they ask a question and we're in a per a position to make a defense. Verse 16, and he says, And keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are being slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. So even if people attack you as a Christian, you you are supposed to keep a good conscience, and you do that by keeping up good behavior in Christ. That way you won't be put to shame, right? And then he gives an explanation, verse 17. See the word for? That means I'm
now going to explain why, give a reason. And then verse 18 is also another explanation for why. So verse 17, the first reason, for it is better if God should will it so that you suffer for doing good, um, doing, I'm sorry, what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. So, God, God's, what's God's will for your life? Well, here it is. God would will it that you would suffer for doing what is right rather than suffer for doing what is wrong. So God wants us to suffer for doing what is right. That's the first reason, and as we do that, we keep a good conscience. The second reason we should keep a good conscience is because, verse 18, Christ also died for our sins once for all. Like he's already paid for all of our sins, the just one, Christ, for the unjust ones, us. Why? Purpose, so that he might bring us to God. So this is, of course, referring to the gospel and what Christ has done for us. Having put to death in the flesh, but made alive, we would say, by the Spirit. Spirit, capital Spirit, Spirit of God. So Christ was put to death, but he was made alive by the Spirit in the resurrection. And verse 19, in which also he went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison. Now that's a whole sermon on in itself. Uh who these spirits are. Well, that's not the point right now. Verse 20, who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah during the construction of the ark, that was during the 120 years, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. And we know that to be Noah, his wife, uh, their three sons, and their three wives,
eight persons in all. And then he says, corresponding to that, or the Greek word is antitype, antitupas, for we get antitype from that. So there's a type-antitype relationship going on here, and he's referring back to the water, corresponding to that, that is back to the water that was at the flood. Okay. He says, baptism now saves you. Not the removal of dirt from the flesh, not that, not getting wet. Uh, he's not talking about that. I think he's talking about a real uh baptism, a spiritual baptism. And he's saying you need to look back to the fact that what? Christ died for you and he paid your penalty in full, right? So when we believe that, in that sense, we are baptized into him. And so this would mean then that we keep a good conscience by doing what? Going back to the fact that Christ was crucified for us. He's paid for our sins. So we're not going to live in them any longer.
We may be getting persecuted, but that doesn't give us the right to go and now live a sinful life and not a different life that makes our lives more visible to the unbelieving world. See, the tendency when you're persecuted is to blend in, blend in with the culture so you don't get persecuted. But he's saying, No, no, that's first of all, you need to suffer for doing what is right. That's God's will for your life. But secondly, what? Secondly, Christ has paid for all your sins, so we shouldn't go on living in them. We need to live a different life. And remember that Noah and his family did the same thing. They could have tried to blend in with the rest of the world before the flood, but instead they decided to identify with God and build an ark on dry land in Noah's front yard. Separating themselves from the culture, opening themselves up to being mocked and persecuted, right? And Paul's saying, hey, corresponding to that, hey, we need to live like believers. So the baptism here isn't water baptism, I don't think. He's talking about spiritual truths and the importance of wrecking ourselves saved and living really as saved individuals. So this is the first image we have, or first baptism we have, it's Noah's. And um, the people who were saved, of course, in this occasion all stayed dry. And, you know, when you were saved physic uh spiritually, the moment you believed in Christ, presumably you were dry, and unless I guess you were taking a shower or you were swimming or something. Um but the point is you don't you don't get wet necessarily to get spiritually saved. Um you stay dry. Only one way of salvation. So um that's what's going on here. It's a real baptism, it's a dry baptism, and it's speaking of our salvation.
We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app. And until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.
