Lake Geneva Bible Conference 1984-07 1 Peter — William MacDonald

Difficult Passages in Mark and John

The wonder that will be occupying us for all eternity, isn't it? We've been taking up some difficult passages of Scripture. The Bible has many verses and passages that really are difficult before we get to tonight.

I'd like to share a couple with you. Just for you to be thinking about, see if you can come up with the answers to these. Mark chapter 9 and verses 49 and 50. I have never heard what I considered to be a satisfactory explanation of these two verses.

It reads in the King James, and it might be slightly different if you have a more modern translation, but in the King James it reads, Mark 9, 49, for everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Salt is good, but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. Isn't that a great one? Does anybody know what that means? You know, the trouble is that we think, well, everybody else knows what that means, and I just won't ask, because if I ask, then they'll know how ignorant I am.

I always come to the Word of God with that type of a questioning at it. What does that mean? And search for the answer. Another one I'd like to give you, John chapter 13. I'd like to give a prize to the first one that will come to me with an explanation of this.

Not the salt passage, but this one, John 13, verses 31 and 32. It reads, Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

I'll give a Bible by an obscure author worth about five dollars to the first one that comes to me and explains what those two verses mean. It's good, isn't it? Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

If God be glorified in him, God shall glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. You say, well, that's just a holy jumble of words. Well, it is, but it's meaningful. That is beautiful, but you have to understand what it means, don't you?

Baptism and Salvation in First Peter

OK, for our study tonight, let's turn to first Peter, first Peter, chapter three, and the verse that I want to deal with particularly is verse 21. First Peter, chapter three, verse 21. The light figure were run to even baptism does also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We have always been taught that baptism does not save. We have always been warned against the teaching of baptismal regeneration. We've been told that salvation is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and baptism is not necessary for salvation, but this verse says the light figure were unto baptism does also now save us, not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What does it mean? Now let's read the whole passage. Let's go back to verse 13. And who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good, but then if you suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear, having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as evil doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

For it is better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well-doing than for evil doing. Just let me summarize that by saying that those verses up till now, Peter is dealing with the subject of Christian suffering at the hands of ungodly men and they're not suffering because they've done anything wrong.

They're suffering for the testimony of the Lord Jesus, and that's good. That's pleasing in the sight of God. They're not being persecuted because they've done wrong, but they're being persecuted because of their connection with Calvary.

Now he's going to give the Lord Jesus as an illustration of that one who suffered for well-doing, and then he's going to give Noah as an illustration of it, too. And he's going to show that present suffering for well-doing eventuates in future glory.

Christ's Substitutionary Suffering and Resurrection

Okay, let's begin now with verse 18. For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

The life figure were unto 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, who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

The Lord Jesus is now set before us as an example of one who suffered, but he didn't suffer for sins that he had committed. He suffered for sins that we had committed. When it says for Christ also has once suffered for sins, suffered there means died.

If you have a modern translation of the Bible, it probably says died in that particular passage. I know it does in the New International Version and it does in the New American Standard Bible. Christ died for sins.

And then it says here that he died for sins once, but it really means once for all. The word once is used in two different ways in the New Testament. It can mean once upon a time, or it can mean once for all.

Praise God. It means here once for all. That's the word, a finished work, the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary. He died for sins once for all the just for the unjust. My that touches my heart.

Doesn't it touch yours? The sinless son of God, bearing our sins in his body on the tree, the righteous one dying for the unrighteous. Heaven's best dying for earth's worst. The shepherd dying for the sheep.

The Creator dying for his creatures. It passes human understanding and should be punctuated with a gasp, a holy gasp. Christ died for sins once for all the just for the unjust. What? That he might bring us to God.

We had wandered from God. We had become alienated from God. We needed to be reconciled to God. And through his wonderful death, through his wonderful work at the cross of Calvary, he provided a righteous basis upon which we could be reconciled with God.

God can receive us into his presence now as believers in the Lord Jesus without condoning our sin, without overlooking our sin, without approving our sin, but on the basis of the fact that those sins have been atoned for.

Being put to death in the flesh. When it says being put to death in the flesh, it means being put to death as far as his body was concerned. And of course, that's exactly what happened. Isn't it amazing that the mighty God should come down into this world and take upon him a human body?

Why? So that as man, he might die for men. Amazing. It passes understanding. As far as we know, angels can't die. He didn't come as an angel. He came as a man so that he might be put to death in the flesh.

But it says quickened by the Spirit, and that has to do with his resurrection, doesn't it? Wicked men took him and put him to death, not for evil doing, but for well-doing. They put him to death, but the Spirit of God raised him from the dead.

You know, all the righteous attributes of God demanded that the Lord Jesus rise from the dead. God could not leave him in the tomb. That's what it means when we read he was raised by the glory of the Father.

All the moral excellence of God the Father demanded that Jesus Christ be raised from the dead. And here you have it. You know, these verses of scripture are wonderful because the Spirit of God says so much in so few words.

You have a real compendium of Christian theology just in the little passage we've gone over already tonight. I love the word of God. Quickened by the Spirit. Now it says by which also. That word which refers back to the word spirit, which is a relative pronoun and the antecedent of that relative pronoun is spirit.

By the Holy Spirit. Peter is going to tell us about something that the Lord Jesus did by the Holy Spirit. What did he do? It says he went and preached to the spirits in prison. That word preached really means made proclamation.

Christ's Proclamation to the Spirits in Prison

And the question of course arises, when did he make this proclamation? The Apostles Creed says he descended into hell. I utterly reject that part of the Apostles Creed. I don't believe the Lord Jesus descended into hell.

He said to the dying thief, today thou shalt be with me. Where? In paradise. And where is paradise? Well, if you turn to 2 Corinthians 12, you'll find that paradise is the same as the third heaven. In the New Testament, there are three heavens.

There's the atmosphere above us, the blue. There's the stellar heaven, and then there's the third heaven, the dwelling place of God. Paradise. And Jesus said to the dying thief, today thou shalt be with me in paradise.

He went and preached to the spirits in prison. Some people think that he went to Hades and preached and gave a second chance to the people of Noah's day, to the people who lived before the flood. Other people believe that Jesus went and preached, proclaimed his glorious victory in Hades and emptied the saved compartment of Hades and took those saved people of the Old Testament back to heaven with him.

Is that what the passage is really saying? He went and preached to the spirits in prison. Well, I don't believe it is. In the New American Standard Bible, it says to the spirits now in prison. Actually, that word now isn't in the original of the New Testament.

They added that word, and yet I think that's what it means, to the spirits now in prison. Who are the spirits who are now in prison? I believe that they are the unbelieving people of Noah's day who rejected the message of Noah and are now in prison, awaiting the final judgment.

Noah is spoken of in 2 Peter 2, verse 5, as a preacher of righteousness. And what this passage of scripture is saying, I believe, is that by the spirit of God, the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ went and preached through Noah to the men of Noah's day.

They rejected the message. They would have nothing to do with it, and they are now in prison. They are now in Hades, awaiting the final judgment of the great white throne, which we talked about the other day.

How do you know that? Because that's really what it goes on to say in verse 20. Notice verse 20, which sometimes were disobedient. Spirits now in prison, which sometimes were disobedient. When were they disobedient?

When once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was to prepare it. In other words, these are men who lived during the 120 years when the ark was being built. All that time Noah was preaching.

All that time Noah was suffering for well-doing. He was being ridiculed. He was being put to shame, but he faithfully proclaimed the message, look friend, a flood is coming. There's only one place of safety.

That place of safety is the ark that I'm building. Come into the ark and be saved. And they laughed. They scoffed. They scorned him. Poor old man. A landlocked bark in a world that had never seen a flood.

You know, there is that about that makes it look ridiculous to the people of the world, isn't it? If you're a Christian young person here tonight, there is that about faith in the Lord Jesus, faith in the word of God that might make you look ridiculous to the people of the world.

Noah did. I'll tell you, God will vindicate you every time. A lot of young people have this question. If we're right, if Christians are right, that means all the rest of the world is wrong. And what a minority we are, we really are, those who accept the Lord Jesus as Lord and Savior from a very small minority in this world.

You mean to tell me that you people are right and all the rest of the people aren't? Yes, that's just what I mean to tell you. You say, is that arrogance? No, that's not arrogance. There was a time in the history of the world when only 8 people were right and all the rest were wrong.

Are you with me? Only 8 people went into the ark. Only 8 people were right and all the rest were wrong. I don't have to hang my head in shame to say that believers in the Lord Jesus are the ones who are right.

That's what the verse goes on to say. While the ark was a preparing brain, few, that is, 8 souls were saved by water. And then it goes on to say, the like figure were unto even baptism that now save us.

The Ark as a Picture of Christ's Judgment-Bearing Work

Now, I'd like you to look at this slowly, which is not my nature, but especially for those of you who are taking notes, I'd like you to write down some simple sentences that I think will clarify this difficult passage of scripture.

First of all, the ark was baptized in water. I don't have to labor that point to you. Here is the ark. The rain is coming down from above and the great fountains of the deep are opened up from the bottom.

And it's really not stretching a figure of speech to say that the ark was baptized in water. It was soaked on the outside. Two, number two, those inside the ark were saved. It's a wonderful thing. You know, I don't believe a drop of water went inside that ark.

It was pitched within and without. The tar blended. And I don't believe a drop of water ever got in to the people inside the ark. The people inside the ark were saved. Number three, those outside the ark, ABC, I know.

Number four, the ark pictures Christ and the water pictures the judgment of God. I hope you're getting this picture in your mind. There's the ark floating in the water. Water above it. Water below it.

Water on the sides of it. The ark pictures Christ. The water pictures the judgment of God. Christ was baptized unto death at the cross of Calvary. Just as the ark was baptized in water and the ark speaks of Christ, Christ was baptized in death at the cross of Calvary.

I'm not speaking about his baptism in the river Jordan. By John the Baptist, I'm speaking about what happened at the cross. You say, was that a baptism? Yes, that was a baptism. Psalm chapter 42 and verse 7.

Psalm 42 and verse 7. And these are the words of the Lord Jesus, that play deep, call us unto deep, that the noise of thy water spouts, all thy waves and thy billows have gone over me. Dear friends, that's Calvary.

Where all the waves and billows of the wrath of God went over the Lord Jesus Christ. And then again in Luke chapter 12 verse 50. The Lord Jesus actually uses the word to describe his approaching death.

But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened to let thee accomplish it? What was he referring to? He's referring to his death on the cross. He speaks of it as a baptism. I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened to let thee accomplish?

Baptized in death at the cross of Calvary. Okay, the next thing to write down. Those who are in Christ are saved. Remember those who were in the ark were saved. The ark pictures Christ. Christ has baptized them to death.

Those who are in Christ are saved. Not a drop of the judgment of God ever gets near the person who is in Christ. We read that the other night. Shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life.

Those who are outside of Christ, by the ark, perished. They perished in the judgment, and that judgment awaits those who reject the sinner's Savior. I read those words in 1 Peter, where unto baptism doth now save us.

I understand it to refer to Christ's baptism unto death at Calvary, and my identification with him. I have to be guided. Calvary doesn't save me. I have to receive him, and in water baptism, I witness to my identification with the Lord Jesus Christ in death, burial, and resurrection.

And in many places of the world today, where a person does that, he suffers for well-doing. Don't forget that's the context of the passage. In many countries of the world today, you can go home and tell your relatives that you trusted Christ and live a fairly normal life, but I want to tell you, when you go out and step down into the waters of baptism, the battle breaks forth.

And in many countries, you're put to death because of your testimony. You suffer for well-doing. Now, let me just go over that again. The ark and water. Those inside the ark were saved. Those outside the ark perished.

The ark pictures Christ. The water pictures the judgment of God. Christ was baptized unto death at the cross of Calvary. Those who are in Christ are saved. They're not saved by their own baptism, but they're saved by his baptism at the cross.

Those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ identify themselves with that work by being baptized in water. Now, the verse backfires on those who insist that water baptism is the way of salvation. You say, how does it backfire on them?

Because all those that were in the water died. The ones that were outside the water, free from the water, were the ones that lived. The very opposite. It does not teach baptismal regeneration. There are other reasons why we do not believe that water baptism saves us.

Biblical Reasons Baptism Does Not Save

For one, it would mean that the work of Christ was not sufficient. It would mean that the work of Christ at Calvary must have something added to it by baptism. Which would then be a meritorious way to reject that because the Lord Jesus finished the work at the cross of Calvary and you cannot add to a finished work.

Another reason why we believe that water baptism does not save us is that the Lord Jesus never baptized anybody. John chapter 4 verses 1 and 2. John chapter 4 verses 1 and 2. Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples.

Now that is a strange thing, isn't it? If baptism were essential to salvation, it is a strange thing that the Son of God coming down into this world never baptized anyone. And yet he came to seek and to save that which was lost.

Another reason we believe baptism does not save us is that the Apostle Paul thanked God that he had baptized very few people in his public ministry. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 14 through 16. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 14 through 16.

Thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius, lest any should say that I have baptized in my own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas. Besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

Now Paul is not saying that baptism isn't important. He's saying it isn't essential. And he thanks God that he didn't attract men to himself. Now it would be a strange thing if baptism were essential to salvation that Paul would thank God that he had baptized very few.

Another reason we believe baptism is not essential to salvation is that the faith on the cross got to paradise without being baptized. Jesus said to him today, thou shalt be with me in paradise. Then in Acts chapter 10 you have the salvation of Cornelius and his household.

Cornelius and his household believed in the Lord Jesus. They received the Holy Spirit. They were saved and then they were baptized. Communities that we fit in, Gentiles. You believe, you receive the Holy Spirit, and then you're baptized in water.

Another reason we believe it is because baptism is connected with death in the Bible, not with spiritual birth. People who believe in baptismal regeneration connect baptism with birth. But baptism uniformly, believers' baptism is connected with death.

We're buried with him by baptism into death. Like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we also should walk in newness of life. And then of course we believe that baptism doesn't save because as we mentioned the other night, 150 passages in the New Testament teach that salvation is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Salvation Is in Christ, Not in Baptism

Jesus said, come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He didn't say come to the baptismal tank. He said, come unto me. And if you examine that verse carefully, you'll find not one drop of water, but Jesus only.

And that's the way of salvation. Salvation is in the person and his name is Jesus. And those who have Jesus have salvation and nothing can improve on that. Now we want to be balanced in our handling of baptism too, because we're emphasizing that baptism is not the door to heaven that's true.

It's not the door to heaven and it's still important. I often remind myself that the Lord Jesus himself walked 60 miles to be baptized. I would be surprised if there were people here that had never crossed the street to be baptized.

Doesn't make sense, does it? The Lord Jesus was up around the Sea of Galilee and he walked down to where the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea. That's where John the Baptist baptized him. About 60 miles.

And he thought it was important to thus identify himself with the godly remnant of the nation of Israel. He said, thus it become of us to fulfill all righteousness. Baptism doesn't say, but it sure is essential to obedience.

A couple of Sundays ago I mentioned in Palos, you can go to heaven without being baptized, but if you do you'll be unbaptized for all eternity. That's not an enviable position. Baptism is one way in which we can obey the Lord Jesus down here that we'll never be able to obey him up there.

There are things like that, you know. Another one is the remembrance of the Lord and the breaking of bread. He said, well we won't have to do that when we get to heaven. No, it's one way in which we can show our love, our obedience to the Savior down here that we just won't be able to do it when we get to heaven.

I want to do it now while I have the opportunity. Baptism doesn't save you from the penalty of sin, but it saves you from a bad conscience. One of our interns this past year, a dear fellow from New Jersey, came to realize that when he professed to be a Christian, he wasn't really a Christian.

He had made a profession and he had been baptized, but there was no change in his life whatever. No change whatever. Subsequently he came into a living, vital relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and then it really began to burn in his heart that he had never been baptized as a believer.

It really took courage for that dear fellow to go down into the waters of baptism out there before all the people. He said, I wasn't really saved when I was baptized before. I'm saved now by the grace of God and I want to be baptized.

I saw him the next day and I said, George, do you have a good conscience? He said, I have a good conscience. The answer of a good conscience toward God is by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Maybe there is someone here in the meeting tonight and you don't have a good conscience.

Maybe you have always kidded yourself that you are allergic to water or something like that. Some other lame excuse. Well, give up your lame excuse and be obedient to the Lord and follow him in the waters of baptism.

I can honestly tell you, the night I was baptized was one of the happiest nights of my life. I had the sensation of leaving the place without my feet touching the floor. Of course they did. But it made me think of that verse, the Ethiopian eunuch said he went on his way rejoicing after he was baptized.

That's exactly what happened to me. I went on my way rejoicing. Maybe God is speaking to someone here tonight to follow the Lord in the waters of baptism. Now it says in verse 21 not to put away the filth of the flesh.

The flesh of course in the New Testament can mean the fallen nature of man or it can mean his body. And I think here it means the body because our identification with Christ does cleanse us from the filth of the fallen nature.

But the answer of a good conscience toward God or it could mean the demand or the appeal of a good conscience toward God. And I believe there is a real sense in which believers baptism, our identification with Christ in his baptism does give us that good conscience toward God.

But just let me let me remind you again tonight that there are places in the world where when people do step out and are baptized for the Lord Jesus in his name they suffer for it. And that's the context here.

Suffering for well doing instead of for evil doing. And then Peter brings in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's the resurrection that shows God's satisfaction with the work of Christ. And when I see Christ risen I have a good conscience toward God because I know that the sin question has been dealt with.

The Resurrection Assures Believers That Sin Is Paid For

Supposing I were sentenced to jail and let's say three months and a friend comes along and says Bill I don't want you to go to jail let me go to jail for you. And so I said fine and he goes to jail to serve my sentence.

And at the end of three months I'm walking down Lake Geneva one day and I look across and I see him walking. What do I know when I see him walking on the other side of the street. What do I know. I know my sentence has been served.

I know the penalty of my crime has been paid. And when I see the Lord Jesus risen I know that the sin problem has been settled once for all and God will never bring it up again. Then it goes on to speak of the glory of the Lord Jesus who's gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God.

You suffer for well doing down here. God will have the last word. God will vindicate you. He vindicated the Lord Jesus. He vindicated Noah and he'll vindicate you as well. Who has gone into heaven is on the right hand of God.

Angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him. Now there's one other passage dealing with baptism that I promised somebody that I would mention and so let's go to 1st Corinthians 15. Not that it's the same idea although it's linked somewhat.

Baptism for the Dead and the Resurrection

1st Corinthians 15 and verse 29. Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead? If the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for the dead? Why stand we in jeopardy every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I die daily. Now you have to examine it in the context. The Mormons have taken this verse out of the context. They've assembled vast geological tables and you can go and be baptized for Abraham Lincoln or anybody else who has ever died.

Notice the context. This chapter has to do with the resurrection. Paul is saying it's foolish. It's foolish to suffer. Lord if there's no resurrection, if this life is all. He says if this life is all the most sensible position would be drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.

People say I think I'd rather be a Christian even if this life were all. Well Paul doesn't agree with you. Paul doesn't agree with you at all. Read the chapter and you'll see what he said. But there is a resurrection and that's what makes it all worthwhile.

The context here has to do with persecution because of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. What was happening when Paul wrote this? People were getting baptized as believers in the Lord Jesus and the next day they were dead.

Literally dead. Did that stop it? No. Others would come forward and be baptized to take the place of those who had died. Baptism forbade it. Baptism could take the place of those who had died. And Paul said what a foolish thing it would be to fill up the ranks, to go down into the water, to take the place of those who had been martyred if there's no resurrection.

I'll fit it into the context and see if that's what it says. It foretells what shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all. Why are they then baptized and why do we stand in danger every hour?

They'd be foolish to do it and we're foolish to do it too. We're foolish to expose ourselves to danger every hour. I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus. I died daily. It was a living death.

Paul was hunted, chased, pursued all the time because of his testimony for the Savior. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts of Ephesus, what advantage is it to me if the dead rise not at all?

Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die. So I would suggest to you in this particular verse of scripture that Paul when he says else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, he's speaking about that the ranks, filling in the ranks.

Let me use the illustration of the army marching into battle. There's a man with a flag. The flag bearer takes a shot at him and down goes the flag bearer and the flag starts to go down. But does he go down?

No. Somebody steps forward and grabs that flag, grabs that flag and marches on with it. He steps forward to fill up the ranks of the one who had died. That's what was happening in Paul's day. People were stepping forward and being baptized, filling up the ranks of those who had been martyred for the name's sake of the Lord Jesus.

And he says the only reason why it's wise to do that is because there is a resurrection. Because God's going to write the last chapter and because we will be vindicated in that coming day. Now did you just turn back to 1 Peter?

Concluding the Meaning of Baptism in First Peter

Let me just go over it just once more and tie the threads together. Verse 18. For Christ also had once done for the unrighteous that he might bring us to God to effect his marvelous work of reconciliation.

Being put together in the Holy Spirit was a preparing for 120 years. For identification with him was not the putting away of the filth of the flesh. It was not. It was not. I take my place in being God, realizing that the Lord Jesus came from the glorified hymn of heaven.

I believe it's important to be baptized by immersion. I think immersion is the only mode of death of being. Buried with him in death is in from the dead to walk in him as a life. It's important. But you know there's something that's even more important and that's to do with not a ritualist.

And God isn't pleased just to see those people come up from the water and go up and should there be some new mirror thing. Are there defining questions, consistent questions yet that you never thought enough?