How Does a Catholic Read: 1Peter 3:20

Recently I had the idea to canvas some of my non-Catholic Christian friends and ask, "What verses of the New Testament do you think Catholics simply don't get?  You look at it and think, 'Are Catholics unaware of this verse?  What do they do with this?'"

One passage suggested to me was 1Peter 3:18-21 – a passage which concerns the role of Baptism in one’s salvation.  So today we're going to examine the passage, apply it to the controversy... and answer the question:

"What the heck does a Catholic do with 1 Peter 3:18-21?"

The Passage in Question:

This passage is – (as one would gather) – from Saint Peter’s first letter.  In the section of the letter we’re focusing on, he is talking about how Christians ought to respond to persecution.  (1 Peter 3:8-17)

Saint Peter says we should not be afraid or ashamed as long as we are suffering for our good behavior.  Likewise, he instructs his readers to reply to the abuse with respect, humility, and gentleness.

Then he makes the following comparison:

“(18) For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; (19) in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, (20) who formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 

(21) Baptism, which (corresponds to this / is symbolized by this / is figured by this / which is an antitype of this), now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an (appeal/demand) to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” – 1Peter 3:18-21

Breaking it Down:

Now let’s dissect this carefully.


Verse 18:

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”

Peter starts off saying Christ died for everyone.  This is part of his motivation for saying Christians need to treat their persecutors with respect and gentleness.  After all, the man who hates and persecutes the Church is still a man for whom Christ died.  If Jesus was willing to show that much kindness to him, how can we refuse to do likewise? 

The Catholic Church likewise teaches that Christ died for everyone.  The Catechism states:

“The Church, following the apostles, teaches that Christ died for all men without exception. There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer." – CCC 605

Verse 19-20:

“...in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.”

This passage seems to describe what happened to Jesus after His death on the cross.  It is commonly believed His human soul went to the abode of the dead to proclaim victory over sin and death.  We see this in the ancient Apostles Creed, which states:

“[Jesus] suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended into (hell / hades / the dead).  On the third day he rose again.”

Now… who are these people who formerly did not obey during the days of Noah?  Why is Peter saying Jesus preached specifically to them?  ...  I haven’t the foggiest idea.

In any event, Peter is making a comparison between the time of Noah and his time (60’s AD).  The Christian community was a small group amidst a large and hostile world of Romans, Greeks, Jews, and others.  He compares this to Noah’s family floating on the ark.  Specifically, he says the Christians – like Noah’s family - were “saved through water”.

Verse 21 – Part 1:

“Baptism, which (corresponds to this / is symbolized by this / is figured by this / which is an antitype of this), now saves you…”

Now for the verse in question.  I have tried to combine multiple translations so you can see what is going on here.

He begins by saying the waters of the Great Flood prefigured / foreshadowed / symbolized … Christian Baptism.  And then he says with no ambiguity; Baptism now saves you. 


Verse 21 – Part 2:

“…not as a removal of dirt from the body…”

Today we think of Baptism exclusively as a Christian ritual.  But this has not always been the case.
During Peter’s time there would have been multiple people doing ritual washings – or “baptisms”.  This would have included the ceremonial washings performed by the Jews – of which there were several varieties.  Then there was the baptism of John the Baptist.  And then there was Christian baptism. 

But they all shared two essential elements in common.  First, they were rituals which one person did to another person.  Second, they involved the application of liquid water to the one being baptized. 
In the case of Christian baptism you can see this in a couple of spots.  One is the incident with Philip and the Ethiopian:

“Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.  And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water!  What prevents me from being baptized?’  And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.”  - Acts 8:35-36

Back to the passage in question. 

Peter has just said that Baptism saves you.  And we know that Christian Baptism is a ceremonial washing with liquid water.  However, Peter says it is not the removal of dirt which saves you.  That is to say, there is something more to Christian Baptism than getting wet. 

Verse 21 – Part 3:

“…but as an (appeal/demand) to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…”

Now Peter points us to the other aspect of Baptism.  Christian Baptism is not just a removal of dirt from the body.  It is distinct from Jewish baptism, which was about removing dirt and becoming ritually purified for Temple worship.  It is also distinct from the baptism of John, which was a sign of one’s repentance.

Rather, Christian Baptism is the way we appeal to God for the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Spirit.  We see this elsewhere in the preaching of Peter:

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” - Acts 2:37-39

... and in plenty of other places, but I'll spare you.


A Universal Witness:

The bottom line is that Baptism is not just a ritual washing.  It is a physical sign through which God gives us the gift of forgiveness, adoption, and eternal life.  The technical word for this is a "sacrament."

Thus, the Catholic Catechism states:

“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God.  We become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission. Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.” – CCC 1213

This is also the doctrine of the earliest Christians.   The first extra-Biblical writing we have regarding the theology of Christian Baptism comes from a man called Justin Martyr, who wrote a letter to the Roman emperor explaining Christian practices in 151AD.  He wrote the following about Baptism:

"Whoever are convinced and believe that what they are taught and told by us is the truth, and professes to be able to live accordingly, are instructed to pray and to beseech God in fasting for the remission of their former sins, while we pray and fast with them. Then they are led by us to a place where there is water, and they are reborn in the same kind of rebirth in which we ourselves were reborn: ‘In the name of God, the Lord and Father of all, and of our Savior Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit,’ they receive the washing of water. For Christ said, ‘Unless you be reborn, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.’"  - First Apology 61, 151 AD

Plus, this isn’t just a Catholic thing. This same teaching can be found among the Orthodox and the Lutherans as well.  Luther’s Small Catechism states:

“Baptism is not simple water only, but it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's Word. It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.” – Luther’s Small Catechism, 4

There are more recent strains of Christian philosophy which say Baptism is a rote ritual, devoid of any intrinsic spiritual power. They say it is done to simply signal one’s conversion to the Christian community.  But this idea would be completely foreign to the understanding of all Christians prior to the 17th century – including the earliest Christians.

To Conclude:

It is tempting to do a rundown of everything found in the New Testament concerning Baptism with exhaustive references to the early church writers… but I’ll draw this to a close.  If you really want to see a detailed rundown, click [HERE] for some work I did for my students.

In any event, this passage is the clearest Biblical text about the nature of Baptism.  It tells us that God, who made the physical world, uses physical signs to save us.  The greatest example of which … is the incarnation Jesus Christ.