"The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
In the first part of today's quote the author of the book of Acts affirms the gospel of Jesus Christ as it was recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The author also quoted what John the Baptist and Jesus had said, in all four gospel accounts, concerning the coming of the Holy Ghost; "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence".
In the above quote Jesus made a very clear distinction between water baptism, or water immersion of the type John the Baptist had practiced, and the immersion into the Holy Ghost which Jesus would cause to occur upon His Church at Pentecost.
Both occurrences however, were defined in the bible transliteration by the same term, "baptize", which literally, and simply, means to place one object, within another in order to alter the original state of that object.
Most all of today's "Christian religions", because they erroneously misapply the intent of the term "baptize", by most always applying it to define a water immersion, mistakenly contend that in order to achieve eternal salvation one must be baptized in water. Nothing could be further from the truth.
As today's lesson very clearly demonstrates the baptism referenced by Jesus, almost every time He applied it, had nothing to do with water and everything to do with the granting of the Holy Spirit, His sacrificial ordeal, or the sanctification of the eternal soul through the authority of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
This very important subject will be revisited and confirmed several times as these lesson progress.
The latter part of today's quote confirms the ascension of Jesus as He rose to rejoin the Father in heaven and His promise to return and collect those of us whom have placed our trust in Him.~
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