1. I. What? Water Saved Noah

2. God’s longsuffering once waited: held out long under provocation In days of Noah...  God did not passively wait, but warned sinners through: Noah’s preparation 20; Hb.11:7 Noah’s preaching 2 Pt.2:5 Noah’s practice Gn.6:9

3. Few (eight) souls (people) were saved through water Ambiguous: Local: passing through the water, Gn.7:17-18 Instrumental: by means of water (cf. v.21, His resurrection)

4. Water... then and now Water saved eight (a remnant) but washed away the sinners Water saves “us” (a remnant) but washes away our sins

5. I. What? Water Saved Noah II. So What? Baptism Saves Now

6. There is also an antitype The comparison: escaping thru water Water that saved Noah from evil men and brought him to a new world corres- ponds... To water of baptism that saves sinners and brings them into a new relation- ship

7. Ep.5:26, water w. the word Mk.16:16, water w. faith (Ro.10:17) We experience salvation as Noah did: pass thru water to safety Type: eight souls saved by water Antitype: saved by water of baptism

8. Not the removal of filth of flesh Not bodily cleansing  Hb.9:9-10, 13-14  Hb.10:22 “…having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water”

9. The answer (part 1) “As an appeal to God for a good conscience” (ESV; NASB; NRSV; BDAG, 362) “The craving for a clear conscience” (Williams; Goodspeed) Verb: Mt.16:1; Ro.10:20, make a request, ask “The request for a good conscience is to be construed as a prayer for the remission of sins” (TDNT II, 688)

10. The answer (part 2) “A pledge to God proceeding from a good conscience” (BDAG; ASV; (N)KJV; NIV) Baptism pledges a commitment (Ro.6) (thus NKJV: answer)

11. Of a good conscience toward God Conscience: 3:16  Baptism brings into covenant w. God Through resurrection of Jesus Christ  Baptism derives its saving effect from His resurrection Without resurrection, Christ would be an imposter who could not save anyone, and baptism would be an empty form

12. Mt.28:19, baptized into relationship Mk.16:15-16, for salvation Jn.3:3-5, born of water & Spirit Ac.2:38, for forgiveness Ac.22:16, baptized to wash away sins Ro.6:3-4, baptized into Christ 1 Pt.3 agrees with other passages on purpose of baptism

13. Mt.28:19, baptized into relationship Mk.16:15-16, for salvation Jn.3:3-5, born of water & Spirit Ac.2:38, for forgiveness Ac.22:16, baptized to wash away sins Ro.6:3-4, baptized into Christ 1 Co.1:12-13, to belong to Christ Tit.3:5, washing of regeneration

14. “By the washing of regeneration I have no doubt that he alludes, at least, to baptism, and even I will not object to have this passage expounded as relating to baptism; not that salvation is contained in the outward symbol of water, but because baptism tells to us the salvation obtained by Christ” (John Calvin)

15. “In this remarkable passage it is positively asserted that, in some sense, baptism saves us; and in that same sense it must, of course, be related to the Remission of our sins” – Wilmarth, Baptism and Remission, Baptist Quarterly, July, 1877

16. I. What? Water Saved Noah II. So What? Baptism Saves Now III. Two Salvations

17. The flood and baptism Still scornedPlan scorned Voluntary plan Exclusive plan: one Baptism: God’s ideaArk: God’s idea God’s element, action, purpose God’s standard (righteous; wood) Global baptismGlobal flood

18. Christians, 3:13-14Noah, a minority God’s grace savesGod’s grace saved Watery graveNoah left watery ark Only instructed obeyOnly adults entered Baptism brings death to sin (Ro.6) Flood waters brought death So were we in baptism Ark covered w. water

19. Few saved, 2 Pt.2:9Few saved, 3:20 Water necessary Longsuffering God, 2 Pt.3:9 Longsuffering God, 1 Pt.3:20 Preaches through apostles, Ep.2:17 Jesus preached through Noah, 1:11 Judgment coming, 1 Pt.4:5, 7 Judgment was coming Peter warns (Ac.2:41) Noah warned sinners, 2 Pt.2:5