古代中國傳說故事描述一位大禹治水的故事。我們基督徒所研讀的《聖經》記載古代的確有全球性的洪水。一位名叫挪亞和他全家的人平安地度過那時的水災。
數百年後，耶穌基督十二位使徒當中的一位是彼得。彼得寫了一封書信給第一世紀的基督徒，提到洪水，挪亞及挪亞所建造的方舟。彼得寫道：“就是那從前在挪亞預備方舟、神容忍等待的時候，不信從的人。當時進入方舟，藉着水得救的不多，只有八個人。這水所表明的洗禮，現在藉着耶穌基督復活也拯救你們；這洗禮本不在乎除掉肉體的污穢，只求在神面前有無虧的良心”（彼得前書3:20-21）。
請問，在此，彼得告訴我們，挪亞藉着什麼得了救？毫無疑問地，挪亞藉着神的恩典及挪亞自己的信心得了救（創世記六章至八章）。挪亞也藉着方舟得了救。但是，在此經文里，彼得強調的是另外一點，那就是水。彼得說：“藉着水得救。”
什麼能力讓挪亞一家“藉着水得救?”當然是神。神早告訴挪亞要建造方舟。因此可以說神救了挪亞一家八口。挪亞順服了神，製作了方舟以及住在方舟里度過洪水，所以說挪亞拯救了自己，也沒有錯。但是，彼得並不強調這兩點。彼得的焦點是水。挪亞的方舟漂在水面上，使得彼得說，挪亞“藉着水得救。”
當時，如果神沒有施恩告訴挪亞要製造方舟，挪亞一家就會淹死；他們得不了救。神的恩典拯救了挪亞。如果挪亞沒有相信神的話，製造了方舟，同樣，等到洪水來時，他一家人會淹死。挪亞的信心和順服拯救了他們。雖然如此，彼得描述挪亞得救的情況，彼得把集中力擺在水上面，說挪亞“藉着水得救。”
誰加給水拯救挪亞的能力呢？當然是上帝。
下面，彼得把挪亞得救的情形應用在基督徒的身上，說：“這水所表明的洗禮，現在藉着耶穌基督復活也拯救你們；這洗禮本不在乎除掉肉體的污穢，只求在神面前有無虧的良心。”
在這裡，彼得仍然強調水。水怎麼樣讓挪亞獲得神的恩典和拯救，使得他保持自己及家人的生命，水也使得張三獲得神的恩典，“藉著水得救”。
難道，水有能力拯救人嗎？當然沒有！彼得說，“這水所表明的洗禮，現在藉著耶穌基督復活也拯救你們。”耶穌的寶血拯救我們；耶穌的復活拯救我們。但是，就如挪亞藉着水得到神的恩典，張三也藉着水獲得耶穌的復活。神藉着洪水施恩給予挪亞；神也藉着洗禮的水把耶穌復活所帶來的救恩加在張三，李四，您和我的身上及心理。
人不能拯救人。水也不能拯救人。神的恩典和耶穌的復活才會拯救人。但是，等到挪亞順服了神，神才讓洪水做成他得救的工具。同樣，等到張三李四，您我順服神時，神才讓耶穌的復活拯救我們。彼得前書三章21節強調，洗禮是我們順服神得救，必須作的一部分。在這個經文，最突出的一點是洗禮。彼得說：“這水所表明的洗禮，現在藉着耶穌基督復活也拯救你們。”“這水”所表明的就是洗禮。
朋友，如果您相信耶穌是上帝的兒子，如果您已經悔改了過犯轉向耶穌，請您快一點決定受洗接受上帝的恩典，因為，“這水所表明的洗禮，現在藉着耶穌基督復活也拯救你…。”
【洗禮】十：藉着水得救
Saved Through Water
作者：謝德華 ©By Edward Short
Saved Through Water
1 Peter 3:21
There is an old story in China, handed down from ancient times, about a person named Da Yu who brought a great flood under control. The Bible which is read by Christians records that indeed there was a world-wide flood in ancient times. A man named Noah and his family survived the flood in safety.
Centuries later, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ was Peter. Peter wrote a letter to some first-century Christians and in the letter he mentioned the flood and Noah and the boat that Noah built. Peter said, “…long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:20-21 NIV).
Consider now, what does Peter say saved Noah? That Noah was saved by the grace of God and by his faith in God is undeniable. Noah was also saved by the ark. In this particular Scripture, however, Peter emphasizes yet something else, and that is water. Peter says, “saved through water.”
What power enabled Noah to be “saved through water?” God, of course. God had already told Noah to build the ark, so we can say that God saved Noah and his family, a total of eight people. Noah obeyed God and built the ark, and so it is not inaccurate to say that Noah saved himself. Peter however does not place emphasis on these facts. Peter focuses on the water. Noah’s ark floated atop water, a fact which caused Peter to say that Noah was “saved through water.”
If God had not extended his grace to Noah and instructed him to build the ark, Noah and his family would have drowned in the flood; they would not have been saved. Noah was saved by God’s grace. If Noah had not believed God and built the ark, the same thing would have been true——Noah and his family would have perished in the flood. Noah and his family were saved by Noah’s faith and obedience. In spite of these facts, when Peter described the situation surrounding Noah’s salvation from the flood, Peter concentrated his attention on water and said that Noah was “saved through water.”
Who gave water the power to save Noah? God, of course.
Next, Peter takes the situation of Noah being saved and applies it to Christians. Peter says, “this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Here again, Peter continues to emphasize water. In the same way that water enabled Noah to receive the grace and salvation of God which protected him and his family, so too water enables a person to receive God’s grace and thus be “saved through water.”
Picture painted by C. Dillingham and given to Irene Huffard. Used here by gracious permission of her son, Henry Huffard.