1 Peter 3:21 says, "Baptism saves you." And Ephesians 2:8,9 says that you "are saved by grace through faith, not of your own doing." But those two passages do not contradict each other because Baptism is one of the means by which God acts to bring His grace and saving faith to people.

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Baptism functions as a divinely instituted means (instrument) by which God bestows saving grace, not as a human work that earns salvation.

1. Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Ephesians 2:8–9 teaches salvation is by grace through faith and not by human works—salvation is a gift from God, not merited by our deeds.
- 1 Peter 3:21 says, “Baptism... now saves you,” but in context Peter contrasts external cleansing with the inward appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus. The New Testament often presents sacraments (baptism, the Lord’s Supper) as means God uses to communicate grace.

2. Step-by-step reasoning
- Step 1: Read Ephesians: “by grace through faith” establishes the source (grace) and instrument (faith) of salvation and rejects human merit as the cause.
- Step 2: Read 1 Peter: baptism is said to “save” not because the water has power in itself, but because God uses baptism as the visible sign and means by which he applies the saving work of Christ to a person.
- Step 3: Combine: If God grants faith and grace, he can and does use ordained means (Word and sacraments) to bring those gifts. Thus baptism can be an occasion/instrument of God’s saving action without contradicting that salvation is from grace and not human achievement.

3. Intermediate “steps” (textual nuance)
- Peter’s wording links baptism to an “appeal to God for a good conscience” and to Christ’s resurrection—pointing to God’s saving action, not ritual magic.
- Paul’s emphasis on “not of works” excludes human merit; it does not exclude God’s use of means.

4. Why the correct answer is correct
- The reconciliation is that baptism is a means instituted by God to convey grace and often accompanies faith; it is not a human work that earns salvation.

5. Why the other option (False) is incorrect
- Choosing False would assert a contradiction, but careful exegesis shows harmony: one passage emphasizes God’s grace and the other indicates an ordained means through which God applies that grace.

6. Conclusion
- Therefore the statement is True, matching the provided answer.

1 Peter 3:21 says, "Baptism saves you." And Ephesians 2:8,9 says that you "are saved by grace through faith, not of your own doing." But those two passages do not contradict each other because Baptism is one of the means by which God acts to bring His grace and saving faith to people. 判断题

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