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Leader Guide for Lesson 9

  1. If Christ died for sins (3:18), what does that say about how sin is inappropriate in our lives?

    2. Sin is inappropriate because Christ paid the penalty for it, we are to have died to sin, and we are to be grateful for our forgiveness.

  2. Why was Christ's physical death not the end of him (3:18)?

    3. Because Christ is eternal. We also have an eternal nature, the soul. We must all face judgment and eternity.

  3. Which of the interpretations of this passage discussed above (or what other interpretation) seems best to you, and why?

    4. People might have various ideas. Encourage them to be consistent with the text and context and with other passages in the Bible.

  4. The point of Peter's discussion about Noah is that eight people were "saved through water" (3:20), and that this is a symbol of baptism. How does baptism save?

    5. Baptism saves by the working of God, by what God has done in Jesus for us and our coming into contact with it. It saves because God says it does and in the way he says it does.

  5. This passage does not so much attempt to prove the necessity of baptism as much as it explains the meaning of the baptism that Peter assumes his readers had undergone. What is the proper balance in teaching baptism, emphasizing its importance and necessity while also pointing out that merely going through the motions without faith does not save?

    6. The proper balance is achieved by teaching just what the Bible says, not downplaying baptism to try to make it more acceptable to people nor overemphasizing it in reaction to common religious ideas.

  6. Who is the main actor in baptism: the person being baptized, or God?

    7. God is the main actor in baptism, and he will do it right even though we might not have thought of every sin or had a complete understanding of the cross.

  7. How is baptism related to grace?

It is grace that we are given the opportunity to obey the gospel and find forgiveness. It embodies grace in that it shows our trust of God to act on our behalf as we are helplessly buried into Christ.

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