Lesson 1722

(Lesson 1722)(06-29-16) Luke 7:30

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him."

Today's quote is a short one but should be studied intently to discern what is actually being said therein.

This quote further establishes that "the baptism of John" was much more than just the process of a ceremonial water immersion. "The council of God" was also a very important part of "the baptism of John".

An good example of why this distinction is so important is found in Acts 19:1-5; "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."

Paul asked those Ephesian disciples "Unto whom were you baptized?" they replied, "Unto John's baptism". Paul then explained that the baptism (message) John taught was merely a preparatory message meant to inspire God's chosen people to repent and prepare themselves for the coming of the Jesus, the true and ONLY remitter of sin. Paul told those disciples that "they should believe on him which should come after him (John), that is, on Christ Jesus." After hearing Paul preach that if they would believe on Jesus Christ, they would be saved and worthy to receive the Holy Ghost. In simpler terms, Paul told those disciples that "the baptism of John" was simply preparatory for the redemption that would come by grace through faith in the saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ.~

NOTE: There will be much more discussion of this topic as these lessons progress. Again, if anyone has any questions or would like more in depth explanation, please feel free to ask here on the post, or you can message me privately. All comments and questions are welcome so long as they pertain to the daily lesson.