1 Peter 3 is quite fascinating, in it is an intriguing reference to some of what Christ was doing after death and with reference to the flood. Have you ever tried reading the Amplified Bible? It doesn’t flow (and Psalms wouldn’t be much fun), but it does offer clarity.
“21 And baptism, which is a figure [of their deliverance], does now also save you [from inward questioning and fears], not by the removing of outward body filth [bathing], but by [providing you with] the answer of a good and clear conscience (inward cleanliness and peace) before God [because you are demonstrating what you believe to be yours] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
We are under new management, so yes, we obey God, but it is important to understand that our salvation rests not on this but on the redemption offered by God. A “figure” is a representation of something else, and that is vitally important to remember.
When reading the Amplified Bible, it’s important to remember that the stuff in [brackets] and (parentheses) is not part of the Bible. It’s not what the inspired writers wrote, but has been inserted by uninspired men to explain what they THINK the inspired writers meant.
I’m not opposed to hearing what men think the Bible means. But let them explain why, and make their case. If it fits what the Bible says, and helps me understand what the Bible writers wrote, then it’s benficial. The Amplified Bible skips over this important step, so I skip over the Amplified Bible. :-)
The Amplified Bible does a good job of addressing the more difficult verses of the Bible. Difficult in the manner of a ‘clean’ translation from Greek to English. The word order in most English Bibles for the 1 Peter 3 quote seem to be awkward. Especially dealing with parenthetical phrases from one language to the other.