Lesson 3604

 (Lesson 3604)(11-15-21) Acts 1:1-5

    “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.”

    Today’s lesson begins our study into the book of Acts. The book of Acts was written in Greek, presumable, by Luke and is an account the early Christian churches, ad well as the actions of a few of the apostles of Christ, after Jesus had arisen from the dead and had ascended back to heaven.

    From the introduction to the book of Acts, we should make a note of the remark that Luke made concerning baptisms, both physical and spiritual . Luke related that John the Baptist had baptized or, better said, immersed, his followers in water, which he, indeed, did. We should remember that every Jew, before Christ died, was required by the old law, to undergo a physically cleansing water immersion ritual before they could be allowed to lawfully repent their sins, or take part in any religious ritual. 

    The baptism “with water”, that is referred to in today’s lesson, is a totally different baptism from the baptism into the Holy Spirit that saves one’s eternal soul and provides an eternal spiritual rebirth. That fact is again verified in the final part of today’s quote wherein Luke said, “BUT YE shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. Luke was stressing the point that water baptism had NO power over sin or the condition of one’s soul, and that the baptism of, or into, the Holy Ghost which would soon occur, was ALL powerful against ANY sin, and is, indeed, the baptism that saved their eternal souls.~