Lesson 3343

 (Lesson 3343)(02-27-21) Mark 16:14-16

    “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

   Today’s quote is the Mark account of the events that are related in Matthew 28:19-20. The Mark account is slightly different to that of Matthew in that it relates that after Jesus had berated His apostles for not having believed that He had indeed risen from the dead, He  then gave them final instructions as to what they were to do after He was ascended.

    Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

    Let’s parse this commandment. As we have already established in earlier lessons, the word “baptize” and it’s grammatical variations, simply mean to immerse into or overwhelm, one item by some particular substance, (in this instance, the amazing, saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ,) leaving the item inside the substance (in this instance, Spirit) permanently so as to accomplish a predetermined end (Rebirth). 

    In the quote, Jesus made it very clear that if a person does not “believeth”, that person WILL be “damned”. Notice that Jesus DID NOT say that a person who IS NOT baptized, will be damned.

    That is very important to remember because, as the two terms are applied in today’s quote, “baptized” and “believeth” are a reference to the exact same occurrence. When one “believes”, that one is reborn into the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ; And, when one is “baptized” into Christ (Reference Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”) , that one is equally reborn in the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. Therefore, if one believes in Jesus Christ, he/she is also “baptized” into the embodiment of Jesus Christ.

    The usage of the word “baptized” that appeared in today’s quote, is NOT a reverence to water immersion. But rather, it is a reference to the soul saving baptism into Jesus Christ as referenced in Galatians 3:27.~