1 Peter 3

¹⁸For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

 ¹⁹in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,

 ²⁰who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.

 ²¹Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

 ²²who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

I know... again, too inconvenient for some folks around here.

Your explanation of 1 Peter 3 is a joke, it's got to be a joke.

The explanation is quite simply this.  Noah was obedient by building the ark and was brought safely through the water.  CORRESPONDING TO THAT, our obedience to the command to be baptized in water saves us, not as a physical cleansing, but as an appeal to God.

So, to draw the completely SIMPLE analogy here.  Was Noah saved by his work of building the ark?  No.  He was saved for his faith in God by believing AND obeying.  Are we saved by the water of baptism?  No.  We are saved by faith through believing AND obeying God.  And I have gajillions of verses I can quote to prove that point.

But marco would rather read some commentary or have a website tell him what to believe.  I guess it's too difficult to actually just read the words that the Bible says.

One is "made clean" by the removal of the law that was against us.  Since 2000 years ago God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting their [the entire world's] sin against them.

He blotted out the handwriting that was against us, so all mankind can walk in absolute confidence that they are okay with God because of Jesus. 

Now that's GOOD NEWS!!

Wow! thanks for clearing that up for me one faith.

All this time I thought Noah was "inside" the ark (picturing our being in Christ), but now you have helped me to see that he rode out the storm on the outside of the boat - so that he could get wet.

You see, a Noah being IN the ark would have made him stay dry - and that way he could never have been able to fit into CofC teachings.

Wow! thanks for clearing that up for me one faith.

All this time I thought Noah was "inside" the ark (picturing our being in Christ), but now you have helped me to see that he rode out the storm on the outside of the boat - so that he could get wet.

You see, a Noah being IN the ark would have made him stay dry - and that way he could never have been able to fit into CofC teachings.

Did you even bother reading the reasoning behind what I said or did you just decide to post this because you were already in opposition to the Lord's command to be baptized?

Interesting how you say picture our being in Christ.  How does one get put into Christ?  I'll give you a hint, it's the title of this forum.

1.  baptism now saves you : it doesn't state water baptism. this is your unproven as.sumption which you cannot support.

Okay, please explain to me why Spirit inspired men had a different understanding than you.  Why, when Philip preaches Jesus to the Eunuch, did the Eunuch have the reaction to be WATER baptized?  Keep in mind Philip was guided by the Spirit.  Who knows what or who you're guided by...

And how is my a**umption unproven?  I've used several Bible verses to show that Spirit baptism has already been fulfilled and completed, that water baptism was being practiced and preached AFTER Spirit baptism took place, and that Paul preached there is one baptism in Ephesians 4.  Archaeologists have uncovered several ancient baptistries that were used during and after the first century (watch a show called Lost Worlds where they go into Cappadocia in Turkey and they physically show you where people were water baptized).  We know several historical figures who acknowledged water baptism.  That's 10 times the evidence that you've posted to prove your point.  In fact, it's more evidence than you've ever provided for any of your beliefs.

In fact his own reference to Noah shows that Noah is saved by his faith, not by his obedience ....

LOL!  Really?  So if Noah doesn't obey to build the ark, what happens?  Wow marco, you're real smart.

Oh, and just a few verses about how one gets put into Christ... since you apparently don't know any of them.

Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Romans 6:3-4 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?  Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Now, of course you and I disagree on the mode.  You say baptism into Christ is Spirit baptism, where the Bible says water is to be used.

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:47-48 Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"  And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

You see, marco, it's called consistency and just reading what the Bible has to say about the topic.  It doesn't involve any of your silly beliefs.

Hebrews 11:7 -By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Uhh, that doesn't go against my argument whatsoever.  Did you miss the part that says "in reverence prepared an ark" in there?

Why did Noah build the ark?  Because he had faith.  Yes.  Noah was "saved" AFTER he obeyed by building the ark.

Why should someone be baptized in the name of Jesus?  Because the person should have faith.  We are saved AFTER we obey by being baptized.

You have a real hard time understanding Biblical patterns, don't you?

I think perhaps you don't have a strong grasp on Romans.  I find this to be fairly common when people like marco make such erroneous statements.

A very large portion of Romans centers on the relationship between law, the Law of Moses and the "law" which Gentiles subjected themselves to.  Paul is very clearly making a point when talking about Abraham.  Unfortunately, the marcos of the world only focus on a few verses, take them out of context, and ignore the rest.

Paul's point is that we are justified by faith apart from works of the Law of Moses.  It's a little more clarified in the latter part of Romans 3.

²⁷Where then is boasting? It is excluded By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.  ²⁸For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.  ²⁹Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,  ³⁰since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.  ³¹Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Ya know, context is kind of important.  You see there that Paul sets the tone for his argument.  The tone is that God is not the God of the Jews only, but of all creation.  Therefore, the Law of Moses was not the measuring stick of righteousness.  God was the measuring stick, and since there was no way we could fully obey that Law, we had to have something to bridge the gap, that being the blood of Christ.  We cannot possibly earn or merit our salvation through works, we must have faith and obey the Father for our salvation.

You see, people like marco HATE being challenged by scripture which exposes the meaning of other scripture.  Instead of marco humbling himself to the Lord's word, he arrogantly brushes it aside and continues to believe in false doctrine.

James 2:21-23 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?  You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;  and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.