8. 1 Peter and Hebrews

Peter’s first epistle describes a baptism of salvation which owes nothing to the Jewish ritual concept of putting away the filth of the flesh. On the other hand, the book of Hebrews urges Jewish disciples to have had their bodies washed with pure water, clearly reflecting Jewish ritual practices. When a large, first century remnant of Jewish believers in Yeshua is kept in view the apparent contradiction between these two epistles vanishes. We look first at 1 Peter 3:21.

“Which also an antitype now saves us, baptism. Not of flesh, a putting away of filth, but of a good conscience, an ‘eperotema’ (ἐπερώτημα) into God through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah.” (rendered from the Greek)

²¹ὃ καὶ ὑμα̃ς ἀντίτυπον νυ̃ν σώ̨ζει βάπτισμα οὐ σαρκòς ἀπόθεσις ῥύπου ἀλλὰ συνειδήσεως ἀγαθη̃ς ἐπερώτημα εἰς θεόν δι' ἀναστάσεως ’Ιησου̃ Χριστου̃

This verse emphasizes that the baptism of salvation is not a Jewish baptism “of flesh” for “putting away of filth.” Since Peter had been an observant second Temple Jew we must realize he is using the word “baptisma” in a way that shifts its meaning far from ritual purification of the flesh, including John’s end-time baptism for Israel. This verse might easily be seen as Peter’s clarification of New Covenant baptism, i.e. that R. John had baptized repentant Jews (who were certainly seeking a good conscience) with water for the purification of the flesh (John 3:25), but now Messiah baptizes all humble, repentant disciples with His Spirit, all who will appeal to Him, to set their minds at eternal rest.

One may glean from this verse the fact that Jews of second Temple days attributed different effects to various baptisms, taking us far beyond a naked act of immersion. Moreover, not just any baptism for ritual cleansing of flesh would save, only a special baptism of the conscience would save. As an observant Jew Peter ritually purified himself, that was his obligation. But now with Messiah’s resurrection he knew of a different baptism of conscience, the character of which becomes clear when we review the opening lines of his epistle;

“...According to the foreknowledge of God the Father in sanctification of the Spirit, to the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Yeshua the Messiah.”

And we then compare with Hebrews 9:14,

“How much more will the blood of Messiah...cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

According to the Jewish imagery of both Hebrews and Peter’s letter the sprinkling of the blood of Messiah is vital for believers, just as the blood of holy animal sacrifices was crucial before the New Covenant was established. Hebrews informs us the sprinkling “cleanses the conscience” and this parallels Peter’s remark that the baptism that saves involves a “good conscience.” So just how are disciples “sprinkled with the blood of Messiah?” Obviously not physically, but by operation of the Holy Spirit.

All who receive the Holy Spirit have been made holy, sanctified. And for every believer the “Spirit of Messiah” is the tangible inner reality of Messiah Himself. Consider how Joseph was reassured of his wife, “that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Years later it was the Spirit who led Messiah to R. John to be baptized. The Spirit as a dove came to abide with Messiah in the sacred drama, and led Him to His temptations, and gave Him the power to overcome. The Spirit was the “Finger of God” in Messiah’s miraculous service. The Spirit led Yeshua to Passover in Jerusalem, led Him to the garden of Gethsemane, led Him to confess, “My Kingdom is not of this world,” led Him to declare, “It is finished...Father into thy hands I commit My spirit.” The Spirit raised Him from the dead. There is no detail about Messiah which the Spirit does not fully know, even the depths of suffering and death. Because of this complete knowledge the Holy Spirit is able to impart all the eternal power of Messiah’s Sacrifice, which in short is called His “blood.” How can anyone be “sprinkled with the blood of Messiah”? By receiving the out-poured Spirit.

A good conscience believes the Good News of forgiveness of sins and humbly sees the need of eternal purification, seeking God through Yeshua. The moment a disciple receives the Spirit the true purification through Yeshua’s blood is made real in the inner man. The change of nature wrought by the Spirit is the antitype of the event that saved Noah and his family. Just as the poured out water from Heaven saved faithful Noah from the wicked world, so the Spirit, poured out from Heaven, now saves the believer from the same kind of perishing world. Peter’s “baptism that saves” is not a water ritual but is of the Holy Spirit.

We should also keep in mind 1 Peter was most likely written around thirty years after the resurrection, and quite possibly was meant to correct the idea that Israel’s Messianic water baptism was crucial to God for salvation. Most exegetes today take this passage to speak of water baptism. Many scholars have called 1 Peter a “Baptismal Treatise.”¹ But viewed in light of an experiential Spirit Baptism it is difficult to believe Peter describes water baptism. Indeed, long before this letter was written Peter had come to see true purification in terms of being baptized with the Spirit in the episode of gentile salvation.

13 "And [Cornelius] reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, 'Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here;

14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'

15 "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.

16 "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' Acts 11:13-16 (NASB)

According to Acts, from Peter’s own mouth the baptism which explicitly saves is explicitly Spirit baptism! Certainly he did not change his mind in his epistle years later, which, in fact, is thought to have been written about the time Acts was being composed which recorded his earlier words. In other words, Luke may possibly have heard the story of Cornelius’ salvation directly from Peter.

The unusual Greek word eperotema (ἐπερώτημα) has added confusion. It has been translated variously as;

1. “Answer,” KJV;

2. “Pledge,” NIV;

3. “Interrogation,” ASV;

4. “Appeal,” NASB.

The ideas in these translations range from “answer or pledge” to the opposite side of the conscience with “interrogation or appeal.” So, on the one side it is believed water baptism is an act performed as an answer or pledge of a good conscience. On the other side, it is an interrogation or appeal for a good conscience. Both sides have the disciple performing the water baptism, either to “get” a good conscience or to say that he “has” a good conscience. This act by the disciple is supposed to be the baptism that saves. We ought to admit there is not much resemblance to Noah’s divinely out-poured water from Heaven.

Yet another idea associated with the word eperotema moves the baptism out of the hands of the disciples back into the hands of God, and not water but Spirit. It falls between the two sides, namely, “the answer to an inquiry put to a higher authority.”² In such a case a disciple who has heard the Good News, repented and, with a good conscience, turned to God through the resurrection of Messiah will then receive the “answer to his inquiry into God,” the Gift of the Spirit, out-poured from Heaven like the water of the Flood, now the unforgettable baptism that saves. This teaching is specifically meant to locate Israel’s end-time rite which puts away filth of the flesh in its proper place as a Messianic Jewish ritual, not universal Christian baptism for all believers. The book of Hebrews adds to this.

HEBREWS

Hebrews 6:2 and 9:10 use the plural of baptismos, the less common form for baptism, and are the only two verses in Hebrews which speak of baptism in the book. Many English versions translate baptismos in Hebrews 6:2 as baptism, but questions arise about what is meant by the plural “teachings of baptisms,” especially since this is foundational knowledge of Messiah. Some take it to mean the water baptism supposedly commanded by Messiah, together with Spirit baptism. Others add R. John’s baptism, and still others add all the Jewish baptisms of the Torah, cf. Hebrews 9:10.

On the other hand, some English versions render baptismos as “washing” or “ablution” or some similar word. In fact, F.F. Bruce remarks on Hebrews 6:2,

“Doubtful whether Christian baptism is directly in view here at all. (They are) instructions about cleansing rites (as found in the NEB). The prophet Ezekiel in earlier days had used the terminology of old ceremonial ablutions to describe God’s inward cleansing of His people in the age of restoration: ‘I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you’ (Ezekiel 36:25).”³

Now if Messiah never commanded a new water baptism, and since R. John’s baptism was Israel’s only, then the best understanding of “teachings of baptisms” is that there are nothing but Jewish baptisms in mind, there simply are no others. The author, writing to Jews, described Jewish purifications commanded to Israel. Through them readers might learn of true purification accomplished by Messiah in His New Covenant, cf. Hebrews 9:11-23, comparing it with all previous rituals, including R. John’s baptism promised by Ezekiel.

Immediately after “instructions about baptisms” is the “laying on of hands.” The Greek word te between the two ideas indicates a close connection. Many commentaries mention that laying on of hands here refers to the distribution of the Spirit, such as seen in Acts. Not every person must have hands laid on them to receive the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:1-4 and 10:44 make this clear, still, receiving the Spirit was widely accomplished with laying on of hands. Yet the practice was not a “religious ordinance,” it was a means of assisting a person to receive the Holy Spirit. Then the truth of all the types of purification, including the sprinkling of blood commanded to Israel in the Torah, becomes real and alive to the Jewish disciple, i.e. he is enlightened.

“But Messiah came as High Priest of the good things to come,...with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all having obtained eternal redemption...How much more will the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason His is Mediator of the New Covenant...” Hebrews 9:11-15.

At the same time the author of Hebrews encourages his Jewish audience to;

“Draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water,” Hebrews 10:22.

²²προσερχώμεθα μετὰ ἀληθινη̃ς καρδίας ἐν πληροφορία̨ πίστεως ῥεραντισμένοι τὰς καρδίας ἀπò συνειδήσεως πονηρα̃ς καὶ λελουσμένοι τò σω̃μα ὕδατι καθαρω̨̃

Many exegetes see this as a direct reference to water baptism, even if the Greek verb baptizo is not used expressly, but instead louo.⁵

Here a clear distinction is made between cleansing of conscience and cleansing of body. However instead of being contrasted as in 1 Peter 3 here they are combined. In fact on the face of it, the “pure water” in Hebrews appears to refer to the “pure water” in Ezekiel 36:25 which is also distinguished from the inner work of God’s Spirit.⁴ In Hebrews the end-time baptism with pure water to put away defilements is combined with the Spirit baptism which saves.⁶ In contrast Peter wrote a general epistle for all believers, Jewish and non-Jewish, and said the baptism that saves has nothing to do with putting away defilements. In other words he emphasized Spirit baptism. Thus the apparent confusion is resolved when we realize that for all believers Spirit baptism saves; for Jewish believers there is also a ritual washing of body with pure water. The author of Hebrews clearly has a “Jewish” baptism of the flesh in mind in Hebrews 10:22. Since he is writing to Jews, why not? In any event, the pinnacle of the instructions about baptisms, together with the laying on of hands, is that Messiah’s blood, now eternally mixed with the Living Water of the Holy Spirit, purifies, “enlightens,” the conscience to be able to serve the living God.

Chapter 8 Endnotes

^1SSee survey in Beasley-Murray, Baptism, pp 251-8.

²Liddel-Scott Lexicon, 1968.; Brown, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, vol. 2, p 881, “The answer by God to such a question i.e. the granting of a clear conscience towards God.”; Beasley-Murray, Baptism, p 261, “a formal question and consent of two parties making a contract...Pledge given in response to a demand.” (However, according to Beasley-Murray God makes the demand and new believers obey through a first step, water baptism.)

³F.F. Bruce, Hebrews, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Wm B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, reprint 1984, pp 114-5. See also A.M. Stibbs, ‘Hebrews,’ The New Bible Commentary: Revised, p 1201. Paul Ellingworth lists a number of ideas as to the meaning of "teaching of baptisms" and writes that "many scholars" say it means "Jewish ceremonial washings" without relating to John's baptism or Christian baptism. The Epistle to the Hebrews, A Commentary on the Greek Text. By Paul Ellingworth. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, MI, and Paternoster Press, Carlisle. p 315.

⁴Ezekiel 36:25 from the Greek Septuagint reads, “kai hrano ef humas hudor katharon, while Hebrews 10:22 reads, hrerantismenoi tas kardias apo suneideeseos poneeras kai lelousmenoi to soma hudati katharoi; Bruce, Hebrews, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, pp 249-52, Hebrews 10:22, “Behind this passage (of God sprinkling the repentant to cleanse from impurity) from the Qumran Rule of the Community, as indeed behind the thought of the writer to the Hebrews and other New Testament writers, we may discern such an Old Testament prophecy as that of Ezek. 36:25f., where the terminology of the ancient ritual ablutions is used to describe God’s inward cleansing of His people in the age of restoration.”; Beasley-Murray, Baptism, pp 247-250, (Hebrews 10:22-23 is related to Ezek 36:25.); Flusser, Judaism and the Origins of Christianity, p 52, “There still is an indirect connection between moral purity and the significance of baptism in Heb X. 22,” (similar to Josephus and Qumran). “By submission of his soul to all the statutes of God his flesh will be cleansed, that he may be sprinkled with water for impurity and sanctify himself with water of cleanness.”

⁵"Almost all commentators, with the notable exception of Calvin (cf. Lang), see here a reference to baptism..." The Epistle to the Hebrews, A Commentary on the Greek Text. By Paul Ellingworth. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, MI, and Paternoster Press, Carlisle. "The reference in v22b is almost certainly to Christian baptism, which replaces all previous cleansing rites..." Word Bible Commentary, Volume 47b, Hebrews 9-13. By William L. Lane. Word Books, Publishers. Dallas, Texas. 1991.

⁶cf. Hebrews 6:4-5, “who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.”