Lesson 1695

(Lesson 1695)(05-31-16) Luke 1:26-56

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house."

Today's quote relates the angel's appearance to Mary and the immaculate conception of our Lord Jesus Christ. The quote also relates how an unborn John the Baptist leapt in Elisabeth's womb when he came into the presence of, an also unborn, Jesus.

The immaculate conception of Jesus is a very important part of the plan God for the redemption of a lost world. That immaculate conception allowed Jesus to be born free from the inborn sin that was inflicted on all mankind by the disobedience of Adam. That conception also allowed the "only begotten" Son of God to be born into the earth as a human man who would be forced to face down and overcome the same trials and temptations that face all of a condemned mankind. By Jesus overcoming those temptations of sin, He qualified Himself as worthy to be a perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

Thank God for His plan of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. For, it is that grace that allows a poor wretched soul like me to be cleansed of all sin by the righteousness of a virgin borne Jesus Christ. And, to be "justified" for my continuous sinful ways by the sacrifice that He made for all of those who will believe.~

Lesson 1694

(Lesson 1694)(05-30-16) Luke 1:5-25

"There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men."

Today's quote relates the immaculate conception of John the Baptist. It also relates that the divine mission God had prepared for John was to prepare the Jews for the coming of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ.~

Lesson 1693

(Lesson 1693)(05-29-16) Luke 1:1-4

"Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed."

In these first four verses of Luke, the author advises Theophilus that what he is about to write is the truth of the events concerning the ministry of Jesus Christ as was witnessed by, and related him personally, those who were also witnesses of those events.

Like Matthew and Mark, Luke offers a slightly different account of Jesus words and actions. However, all three agree on the basic principals of the gospel of Jesus Christ as that gospel was related by Jesus Himself.

In the final verse of today's quote Luke said, "It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, THAT THOU MIGHTEST KNKOW THE CERTAINITY OF THOSE THINGS, WHEREIN THOU HAST BEEN INSTRUCTED."

Luke went to great lengths to assure Theophilus that what he was about to write was a true and factual account of the entire ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.~

Lesson 1692

(Lesson 1692)(05-28-16) Mark 16:14-20

Today's lesson is another continuance of my attempt to clarify the final instructions Jesus gave to His apostles as those instructions are documented in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15-16.

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus, in essence, said that His apostles were to go and educate everyone who would listen about the concept of the Holy Triune, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, (The method by which God allowed, by His grace, the eternal salvation of all those who will believe.)

Like the Matthew account, Mark also related that the apostles were to go and preach the gospel, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Again, "the gospel" that was to be preached is the concept of the Holy Triune, God the Father, the Creator and Master of the universe, God the Son, Jesus, God in the form of a human man, the virgin born sacrificial lamb that was slain as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and finally God the Holy Ghost, God in the Spirit, the Keeper and justifier of souls who remains on the earth today to serve the needs of the children of God. The apostles were to teach how all the parts of the Holy Triune functioned to provide eternal salvation for the lost.

Unlike the Matthew account, Mark also relates the consequences that await both those who choose to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and those who choose to reject it. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

What this text would say in properly translated modern English is; Those who believe in God and have immersed their spiritual selves into the sacrifice of Jesus Christ being sanctified by the grace of God provided through the Holy Triune, are saved. However, those who fail to believe in God are damned.

NOTE: The word "baptized" as it appears in the above text is not meant to imply that water immersion or sprinkling has anything to do with the salvation of the eternal soul. "Baptized" as it applied in the above context, implies a spiritual unity with the sacrificial body of Jesus Christ. It has the same meaning therein as it does in Galatians 3:26-27; "For ye are all the children of God BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

This text clearly demonstrates that one is saved by faith in Christ Jesus and that that faith is counted as a baptism into or a putting on Christ Jesus.~

Lesson 1691

(Lesson 1691)(05-27-16) Mark 16:14-20
Yesterday we established that the word baptizo or baptidzo, the ancient Greek word from which our English word baptize, and its grammatical variations, was transliterated, does not imply a dipping or sprinkling, as commonly occurs in today's water baptisms, but rather they imply a placing of one item into another to be left there permanently in order to provide a desired permanent affect.
Now, to apply this informantion to the in...structions that Jesus left with His apostles. When in Matthew 28:19, Jesus said, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost", He was not implying that His apostles (or we) were to go and dip the lost world into water under the authority of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Instead, Jesus was telling His apostles that they should, by teaching His gospel, totally immerse "all nations" into the knowledge and concept of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, the Holy Triune.
By teaching what Jesus had taught them about the Holy Triune, the apostles would be providing those who would accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, a means of obtaining eternal salvation through the grace of God the Father, the sacrifice of God the Son, and the soul sealing power of God the Holy Ghost.
By applying the intended meaning of the ancient Greek and translating it as it should be translated, Matthew 28:19 would read; Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, immersing them permanently into the soul saving power of the Holy Triune of God.

NOTE: The phrase "the name of", as it is applied in Matthew 28:19 implies something that can be taught, or preached which in itself denotes a baptism. This is evidenced by the what Philip said, and the results, in Acts 8:12: "But when they believed Philip PREACHING the things concerning the kingdom of God, and THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, they were baptized, both men and women." By hearing (believing) THE NAME OF Jesus christ preached, those people were "baptized". They were baptized by being taught, not by immersion of dipping into water.
As we can clearly see herein, the phrase "the name of" implies a message that can be, or is to be, taught.
Tomorrow we will make the connection between the two passages that describe Jesus' final instructions to His apostles, Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16.
If anyone has any questions about my foundation for this lesson, be sure to ask.

Lesson 1690

(Lesson 1690)(05-26-16) Mark 16:14-20

Today's lesson is a continuance of our study into the true meaning of the instructions in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16 and is an attempt to fully and accurately define the words "baptize" and most of it's grammatical variations as those variations are applied both in Matthew 28:19 and in Mark 16:16.

We ended yesterday's lesson by making reference to a recipe for pickling that was written down by an ancient Greek physician and poet named Nicander in about 200 BC.

This is a very relevant reference because in the recipe Nicander uses the ancient Greek words 'bapto' and 'baptizo', in common ancient Greek conversation and can be relied upon to determine the accurate meanings of those two words as they are applied in context.

Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped' (bapto) into boiling water and then 'baptized' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs, bapto and baptizo, concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first, bapto, is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change.

As we can see from the common Greek usage of those words, bapto means to simply dip an item into some substance then remove it. 'Baptizo', means to place an item into some substance permanently.

It would do well to make note that baptizo is the ancient Greek word from which our English word "baptize" was transliterated, NOT bapto.

I related all of this to demonstrate that the word most aptly fitting what we call water baptism today, is the ancient Greek word "bapto", NOT "baptizo" since bapto means to dip and remove whereas baptizo means to immerse and leave permanently.~

Tomorrow we will begin explain how applying the accurate definitions to those two words as they appear in the lesson text completely changes the most common understanding of the instructions that Jesus left with His apostles in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16.

Lesson 1689

(Lesson 1689)(05-25-16) Mark 16:14-20

"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. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."

In today's quote, Jesus rebuked His apostles for not having enough faith to believe He had returned from the dead.

Today's quote also contains one the most misunderstood and misinterpreted verses in the whole bible. Verse fourteen of this lesson says, "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."

Mark 16:16 and Matthew 28:19-20 are simply two different accounts of the same final instructions that Jesus gave to His apostles given before He ascended back to heaven. They are both grossly misunderstood by almost every known religious organization.

I say they are misunderstood and misinterpreted because in both instances variations of the transliterated word baptize: "baptizing" (Matthew 28:19) and "baptized" (Mark 16:16); are most always taken to describe a totally wrong action, that is an immersion, or sprinkling, exclusively in water. Beginning here, I will attempt to prove the validity of what I have asserted.

The English word "baptize", and it's grammatical variations (except for the word 'baptism' a noun which was transliterated from the Greek word "baptisma", also a noun) were all transliterated from the Greek word 'baptizo'. The word "baptize" was never intended to convey the medium into which a person, or thing, is to be 'baptized', that is meant to be established by the context within which the word is applied. The Greek word 'baptizo' (or 'baptidzo') is a 'one word fits all' term that can define anything having to do with placing one item into another AND LEAVING IT THERE for the purpose of altering the form or state of that item.

In simpler terms, to "baptize" simply means to permanently place an item (or person) into some substance or ideology, leaving it there to achieve a desired effect.

A great example of what the Greek word 'baptizo' (English 'baptize') actually means, and what its application implies in today's lesson as well as in Matthew 28:19-20, is given in the only application I've been able to find where the two words "bapto" (to dip) and "baptizo"(to permanently install) were used in common Greek conversation, is in a recipe for pickling vegetables that was written by the Greek poet and physician Nicander who lived around 200 BC.

NOTE:Tomorrow's lesson will take up here and go on in the explanation of what today's lesson and the passage from Matthew 28:19-20 actually are intended to tell us.~