Daily Bread

1 Peter 4:21 - “Which also corresponds now to our salvation; baptism not the putting away of a filthy flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

The Greek word used here for 'corresponds' is 'antitupon' which may be understood to literally mean 'anti-type.' However, its usage in Classical Greek is defined as 'echoing, representing, prototype.' This Greek word is only found here and in Hebrews 9:24, "For Christ has not entered into the holy places made with hands, corresponding to the true, but into heaven..." The Greek word 'tupos' from which the second part of this compound word is derived is found about 16 times in the New Testament. One example of its usage is in Hebrew 8:5, where it may be translated “image or pattern”. The first occurrence of this word in the New Testament is in John 20:25 where it is translated 'print;' “...unless I see in his hands the print of the nails...” The disobedient during the time of Noah were all destroyed through water baptism, whereas, now the anti-type or the anti-pattern of water baptism saves us. Paul causes us to understand that we were buried with Christ by baptism into His death - a miracle event of salvation wherein we are crucified with Christ. The blood of Jesus and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, “puts away the filth of the flesh” not baptism in water. However, Peter equates this anti-type of baptism to the inquiry of a good conscience towards God. In that water baptism is symbolic of resurrection as brought out by Paul in Romans 6:2-6, we are able to discern that Peter is bringing together several types. However, he is definitely denying remission of sins (filth of the flesh) by water baptism.

Blessings,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen