Lesson 3245

 (Lesson 3254)(11-30-20) Mark 1:6-8

    “And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”

    Today’s quote relates the description of John the Baptist as he began to present himself to his fellow Jews and as he began to administer water bapisms as they were required under the laws of the Jews, and to preach the coming of the Messiah. 

    We should note that Mark’s account of those events bears the almost exact same phrasing that John the Baptist was recorded to have used in Matthew’s account, as that statement concerned the intent of the water baptisms he performed. 

    In Mark’s account the author cites John the Baptist as saying, “I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”

    Mark’s account reconfirms that water baptism IS NOT the baptism through which eternal life is obtained, but rather is ONLY a ritual, physical cleansing in preparation for repentance. The baptism that rejuvinates the spirit of a lost man/woman is that baptism with the Holy Ghost that was, and is still, administered by Jesus Christ Himself.~

Lesson 3253

 (Lesson 3253)(11-29-20) Mark 1:1-5

    “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.”

    Today’s quote is the beginning of Mark’s account of the life and purpose of both Jesus Christ and John the Baptist whom God selected to “prepare ye the way of the Lord” . 

    It is important to note that, as was stated in Matthew’s account, John the Baptist  preached ONLY “the baptism of repentance”. The “baptism of repentance” was an instructed ceremonial washing by which the Jews rutually cleansed their bodies of the “filth of the flesh” in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. 

    John the Baptist DID NOT preach God’s plan of salvation. He couldn’t, because that plan did not exist until after Jesus had completed His divine mission as the worthy sacrifice for all sin. Even Jesus’ own apostles did not understand Christianity until after Jesus Had ascended and sent the Holy Spirit to enlighten and empower them.

    It behooves us to make the important distinction between the traditional ritual water baptisms (baths), that were ONLY baptisms “unto (toward) repentance”, and the rebirth baptisms that are INTO the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost and provide eternal life to all who will believe in Jesus Christ. ~

Lesson 3252

 (Lesson 3252)(11-28-20) Matthew 28:18-20

    “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

   Yesterday we discussed the actual meaning and intent of the word “baptizing”, as that word was transliterated and applied in Matthew 28:19. We established that Jesus, in fact, instructed His apostles to immerse (by teaching) all willing souls into the “name of” or into the concept of, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. That was to be accomplished, as Jesus said, by “teach"ing the word to “all nations” and demonstrating that Jesus IS the Son of God and that, by the grace of God, through faith in His only begotten Son, the lost can receive everlasing life. Jesus DID NOT intend of imply that we are to dip ANYONE into, or sprinkle them with water. 

    There is ONLY ONE remitter of sins. That is the soul cleansing blood of Jesus Christ crucified. Water baptism has NOTHING to do with the remission of sins. When explaining His baptism to His followers, John the baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water UNTO (toward) REPENTANCE, but He that cometh after me is mighteir than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" 

    In that statement, John made it very clear that a baptism into the Holy Ghost is the baptism that provides a spiritual rebirth.  Water baptism was, for the Jews, only a prerequisite to REPENTANCE as was required by Hebrew law, it was NEVER intended to be a remitter of sins.~

Lesson 3251

 (Lesson 3251)(11-27-20) Matthew 28:18-20

    “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

   In my opinion, the total misunderstanding of the actual meaning, and intent, of today’s lesson has caused many a lost soul to condemn themselves to an eternal hell through misplaced faith.                    The misunderstanding stems from a widely accepted, although erroneous, definition of the word ‘baptize’ and it’s grammatical variations. I’ll try to explain this error as best I can.

    The word ‘baptize’ was transliterated from the Greek word ‘baptizo’. (To transliterate is to replace a word with a sound alike word in another language. A transliterated word DOES NOT necessarily carry with it into the new language, the meaning or intent of the original word.) 

    Baptizo, as that word is defined in ancient Greek, simply means to place one thing into another, leaving it there INDEFINITELY to achieve a desired transformation, purpose, or affect. The ancient Greek word baptizo DOES NOT define the act of dipping or sprinkling someone, or something, in water. The ancient Greek word for dip is an entirely different word, ‘bapto’. 

    In today’s quote, the word “baptizing” implies that the apostles of Christ, as well as ourselves today, are to ‘baptize’, or immerse, all willing souls INTO, the “NAME”, (identity , or persona), of The Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

NOTE: We will talk more about this very important lesson tomorrow.~

Lesson 3250

 (Lesson 3250)(11-26-20) Matthew 28:16-17

    “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.”

    Today’s lesson relates that, in a place already appointed, Jesus and His apostles met for the last time. 

    This short lesson is important because at the end of the quote, the author said, “some doubted”. Those words tie Matthews account to the account given by the author of the book of John wherein the story of doubting Thomas is told in full.

    We will again go over the significance of this in future lessons.~

Lesson 3249

 (Lesson 3249)(11-25-20) Matthew 28:11-15

    “Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.”

    Today’s quote relates how the Jews payed the Roman soldiers to lie to their superiors about the resurrection of Jesus. That lie, however, could not keep the truth from being spread abroad.~

Lesson 3248

(Lesson 3248)(11-24-20) Matthew 28:8-10

    “And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”

    Today’s quote relates that as Mary Magdalene and the other women ran to tell His apostles, Jesus appeared to them. 

    This Matthew account doesn’t exactly match with the other accounts of these events; However, as I have said before, the mismatches are small and have no bearing on the overall intent of the gospel of Jesus Christ to usward. ~