Why is it that the church of Christ teaches that one
must be baptized in order to be saved, when the Bible
teaches that baptism is a “figure” in I Pet. 3:21?
The passage under consideration reads as follows: “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” (I
Peter 3:21). The word “figure” is translated from the Greek
word antitupos. We get our English word “antitype” from it.
The original word literally means “a thing formed after some
pattern, a thing resembling another, its counterpart.” The
word “whereunto” would probably be better translated
“which.” The “figure” or the “antitype” is “water.” This is
made crystal clear in the previous verse, wherein Peter
declared that Noah and his family “were saved by water.”
The figure of “water” utilized in baptism “doth also now save
us.” Of course, Peter was obviously not speaking of the
water of the flood, but water generally speaking. The
meaning is very plain: Water utilized in baptism (immersion)
is a corresponding type or representation of the water
utilized in the flood. When one is immersed in water there
is a likeness, a corresponding to, a representation of how
Noah and his family were saved by (or through) water. It is
amazingly amazing how some can take the word “figure” and
conclude that baptism is not essential to salvation. Listen
again to the clear words of Peter: BAPTISM DOTH ALSO
NOW SAVE US. Friends, either baptism saves, or it does
not! Peter said it does! If you had to draw a circle around
one of these two statements, which would it be: (1) Baptism
doth also now save us, or (2) Baptism doth also not now save
us? One of the other is true. Both can’t be correct, for they
are directly contradictory one to the other. There is no
middle ground one can take. It is either or. The fact is, the
first statement is lifted straight from the text of I Pet. 3:21.
Why can’t we just stick with the Bible?!