← Necessity of Baptism
1 Peter 3:21
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Catholic Perspective
In this passage, Peter describes how in God’s patience “a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water” when Noah built the ark (3:20). Peter clarifies that just as the waters of the Flood saved the ark’s occupants from a wicked generation, the waters of baptism save us. They don’t do this by removing external dirt but as a means for God to give a clear conscience, or the removal of interior sin. This verse clearly ascribes salvation to the act of baptism.
Common Objections
| + | ST. PETER IS SAYING THAT AN APPEAL MADE THROUGH FAITH SAVES US, NOT BAPTISM. |
