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20 Those were the spirits of people who had refused to obey God long ago. At that time God waited patiently for them to turn to him while Noah was building a large ship. But only a few people agreed to go into that ship. God saved only eight people when the ship sailed on the deep water.[a] 21 That shows how God now saves you. It is like a picture of baptism. The water of baptism does not wash dirt from a person's body. Instead, it shows that a person has decided to obey God. He is choosing to do what is right. That saves you, because Jesus Christ became alive again after his death. 22 After that, Jesus went into heaven. Now he is sitting at God's right side. He rules over angels and over everything that has authority and power.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 3:20 The story about Noah and the large ship starts in Genesis 6. The ‘spirits who were in prison’ may mean all the people who drowned in the water. Or it may mean the angels who did not obey God.
  2. 3:22 The right side means the most important place. It shows that Jesus has the same authority as his Father.