What? Where? Who? How? Why? When?
What is baptism? Immersion. Baptize comes from the
Greek baptizo, which means to dip or plunge. The word was
frequently used in secular settings referring to, for example,
submerging cloth in dye to change its color. Such action
necessitates immersion of the cloth in the dye, and so this
word, which means dip or plunge, was used. The text
specifically being baptized in water (Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:5;
Acts 8:38), and also says John chose a baptismal spot because
"there was plenty of water" (John 3:23).
Where are people to be baptized? Wherever enough water
is for true baptism, that is, immersion. John the Baptist,
baptized people in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:6 and Mark 1:5,
again). Jesus' disciples probably also did at first, since
Jesus started his ministry at Jordan. Later, Jesus spent much
of his ministry near the Sea of Galilee. Cornelius (Acts 10)
lived in Caesarea, which is on the Mediterranean Sea coast.
Ephesus (Acts 19) is a sea port which Paul, however,
approached from the land road through the interior--the text
does not say where in that big city Paul baptized.
Some people say a baptism MUST be conducted in an ocean
or river, but the Ethiopian (Acts 8) was baptized somewhere
along the road between Jerusalem and Gaza, not necessarily in
a river. The Philippian jailer and his family (Acts 16:33)
were baptized where the Paul's and Silas' wounds were washed,
very probably not the sea, since salt water would have pained
the wounds.
The text doesn't mention in exactly what water 3,000 people
were baptized on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), nor the
Samaritans (Acts 8). However, we see variety in places of
baptism, as long as enough water was there for immersion,
since that's what baptism is.
Who is to be baptized, and who baptizes them?
Everyone who believes and repents. John baptized people from
the whole surrounding area who came to him and confessed their
sins (Matthew 3:5-6; Mark 1:5). He demanded that they change
their lifestyle afterwards (Luke 3:10-14). Jesus' disciples
baptized people who had been following John (John 3:26) and
baptized many more than John did (4:1-2). Jesus told us to
baptize everyone (Matthew 28:19), and Peter told everyone to
repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). In New Testament times,
everyone who believed was baptized (Acts 2:41; 8:12,37; 10:2
and 47; 16:31-33; 18:8; 19:2-5). When we see WHY people
are baptized, we understand why everyone needs to be.
And who should conduct baptism? Disciples did, apostles
did, deacons evangelizing (Acts 8) did. The main point is how
it's done, not who does it.
How is this to be done? In Jesus name. The
disciples had been baptizing by Jesus' authority already (John
4:1-2) even before John the Baptist died. After they had been
with him for three years, Jesus, just before his passion, told
them that, although they couldn't remember for the moment all
He was telling them, when the Holy Spirit came, He would
remind them of everything and also lead and guide them into
all truth (John 14:26; 16:13). After He rose again, He told
them to baptize everyone in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), that they should
preach repentance and remission of sins in His name (Luke
24:48), that they were witnesses (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8) and
repeated the promise of the Holy Spirit and power (Luke 24:49;
Acts 1:4).
On the Day of Pentecost, as soon as they received the Holy
Spirit and power (Acts 2:4), they preached that (Acts
2:14-21), preached Jesus (Acts 2:22-36) and preached
repentance and remission of sins (Acts 2:37-38) closing again
with the promise (Acts 2:39) and the importance of salvation
(Acts 2:40). They baptized in Jesus name (Acts 8:16; 10:48;
19:5), healed in Jesus name (Acts 3:6;9:17-18,34), proclaimed
this healing as being in Jesus name (Acts 3:16; 4:9-10); cast
out devils in Jesus name (Acts 16:18); preached Jesus (Acts
3:13-15, 17-26; 4:2,11-12,33; 5:30-32; 7:52-53,56; 8:5,12,
30-35; 9:17,20-22,28; 10:36-43; 11:16-17,20; 13:23-39; 15:11;
16:31; 17:2-3,18,31; 18:5,25,28; 19:4,13; 20:21,35;
22:8-10,14-16; 24:24; 25:19; 26:8-9,14-18,23; 28:23,31),
prayed in reference to Jesus (Acts 4:27,30; 7:59), rejoiced
that they could suffer for Jesus name's sake (Acts 5:32;
15:26; 20:24; 21:13; ) and the whole assembly highly honored
Jesus name (Acts 19:17). They were Jesus Christ's
representatives on earth--earthly ambassadors of a heavenly
kingdom. They were called Christians (Acts 11:26; 26:28). The
Sanhedrin and other enemies of the gospel acknowledged that
the great importance and power lay in the name of Jesus (Acts
4:17-18; 5:28,40; 6:14) and saw that these people had been
with Him (Acts 4:13). (I use texts here only specifically
mentioning Jesus name, not ones mentioning no name or title at
all, or say simply "the Lord," since my purpose is to show all
the texts showing explicit reference in various ways to Jesus
name directly.)
All this fulfilled Jesus own command that "in his name" they
would heal the sick, cast out demons, speak with new tongues,
and so on (Mark 16:17-18) and preach (Luke 24:47).
Some people, wanting to preserve their old, tradition-based
baptismal practice, have said that "in Jesus name" means only
"by Jesus authority," whereas "in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Ghost" indicates liturgy formula.
This is an arbitrary distinction--one could as easily say that
"in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost" means "by the authority," and that "in the name of
Jesus," indicates baptismal formula, and the texts in Acts
indicate that the apostles baptized-every time a liturgy is
mentioned--in Jesus name.
Why would the apostles interpret Jesus command of Matthew
28:19 this way? Because they had heard Him say that He had
come in His Father's name (John 5:43), whom the Father had
given Jesus (John 17:11), and that Holy Spirit would come in
Jesus name (John 14:26). Since there is only one God
(Deuteronomy 6:4), whom Jesus had said is Spirit (John 4:24),
it followed that this Holy Spirit Jesus spoke of was God
Himself, whom Jesus had said was also in Him (John 5) and
would be in them. Jesus said He, Himself, would be in them
(John 14:17). Since, again, there is only one God, it was
clear that the Spirit Who created the world (Genesis 1:2), the
Holy Spirit, and the Spirit in Jesus was all the same Spirit.
Therefore, the apostles could use the terms "Spirit of Jesus"
and "Holy Spirit" interchangeably (Acts 16:6-7). The same God
was showing Himself in different ways, and the name applicable
was the name of Jesus.
Someone might ask, "How about the name Jehovah?" Moses had
heard God identify Himself as "I AM" at the burning bush." "I
AM" what? I AM THAT I AM. Moses thereafter referred to God as
"YHWH," which is variously translated as "The Eternal," "The
Self-Existent One," "The Self-Revealing One"--it's the third
person equivalent of I AM, I.e. HE IS. The Jews would have
probably pronounced YHWH as "Yahweh," if they had been willing
to pronounce it at all. Instead they considered it too holy to
speak, so would substitute the word, "Adonai" for it in public
reading. The juxtaposition of Adonai's vowels into YHWH's
consonants led to the hybrid term, "Jehovah," which is not in
Hebrew text.
Again, the question comes, "HE IS what?" The Jews added titles
indicating God's various attributes: YHWH-Jireh (HE IS my
provider), and so on, including "YHWH-Shua" (HE IS my Savior).
This shortened to Yah-shua, or with an English J, Joshua, and
in the New Testament, influenced by Greek and by English
pronunciation, Jesus. So the name Jesus connects to the
ancient name, YHWH, and refers to God saving us, bringing us
to baptism's purpose.
Why should people be baptized? What is it for?
For forgiveness (=remission) of sins, for salvation, to
identify with Jesus' death and burial, as part of our new
birth, and as part of putting on Christ.
-
The same Greek word is variously translated in the King
James Version as remission and forgiveness, therefore English
language distinctions of meaning between these two words are
irrelevant to our purpose. The same Greek words is used
throughout, and the NIV translates it forgiveness each time.
Jesus said that "repentance and remission [forgiveness] of
sins were to be preached" in His name in all nations,
beginning in Jerusalem, and Peter did this on the Day of
Pentecost by telling them, "Repent and be baptized everyone
of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins." Peter Paul said in his own testimony that Ananias had
told him to immediately get baptized, washing away his sins
(Acts 22:16).
-
Jesus (Mark 16:16), Peter (1 Peter 3:21) and Paul (Titus
3:5) all say this washing is part of our salvation.
-
Paul once says that we are baptized into Jesus death
(Romans 6:3) and twice that we are buried with Him in baptism
(Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12).
-
We are to be "born of water and Spirit" (John 3:5) just
as Israel was "baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the
sea (1 Corinthians 10:2), yet not fall away as they did (1
Corinthians 10:6). These are the "baptisms" mentioned in
Hebrews 6:2. There are two baptisms--water and Spirit; the
singular "one baptism" of Ephesians 4:5, read in the context
of 4:2-7, speaks of the one baptism the entire Early Church
practiced--which was Jesus name immersion, as we have seen:
one baptism, just as they all worshipped one God, Lord of
them all, and had one faith and belonged to one Body--hence
the command to bear with each other in love and keep unity of
the Spirit through the bond of peace (v. 2-3). Some people
ask about rebaptism in water. This takes place, as in
Ephesus, when believers (Acts 19:1-2), already baptized, but
not in Jesus name (Acts 19:3), are rebaptized, this time in
Jesus name (Acts 19:5). There is no Biblical record of people
previously baptized with the words "in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost" being repeated over
them, and then later baptized in Jesus name, for the simple
reason that baptism in the titular formula was not used in
Bible days, but was rather a post-apostolic interpretation
and practice.
-
We put on Christ in both water baptism in Jesus name (Galations
3:27) and Spirit baptism speaking in other tongues as the
Spirit enables (Luke 24:49; Acts 2:4).
When are we to be immersed in Jesus name in water? As
soon as we believe in Jesus and repent of our sins. On the Day
of Pentecost, the 3,000 were baptized that same day (Acts
2:41). The Samaritans were baptized as soon as they believed
(Acts 8:12), and the Ethiopian interrupted Philip's sermon to
ask for baptism, which he received immediately (Acts 8:36-38).
Paul was baptized without delay (Acts 9:18; 22:16). Cornelius'
household, who had already received the Holy Spirit, were
ordered to be baptized in Jesus name, which happened within a
few days at the most (Acts 10:48). The Philippian believers
(Acts 16:13-15) and jailor (Acts 16:31-33) were baptized
immediately, the jailor without even waiting for the sun to
rise. The Ephesian elders, like the Samaritans and everyone
else mentioned in this paragraph, were baptized as soon as
they believed (Acts 19:5). Immediately.
Summary: baptism is immersion in any large enough body
of water, upon belief in Jesus as Son of God and as Savior
from sin and upon repentance, in Jesus name for the
forgiveness of sins, to be buried with Jesus, to put on
Christ, to be saved. It is for everyone-- now. This is the way
Jesus' apostles, who had lived with him for three years, who
had seen him on earth in ministry and after his resurrection,
obeyed His command and wrote it down for us to follow. Now if
we have true wisdom, we must do it (Matthew 7:24; James
1:22-25).
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Marshall MacLuhan years ago contrasted print and electronic
media as being "warm" and "cool" media respectively. (Now even
music recorded by analog and digitally has divided into "warm"
and "cool" sound camps.) MacLuhan called the medium the
message and the massage, so perhaps Britain's and America's
differing movie industries offer a look at different cultures.
England's and America's movies differ in several respects. For
instance, British scriptwriters still frequently take
inspiration from literature, resulting in scripts stronger in
characterization and in theme. This gives British actresses a
chance to portray fuller, more complex characters (Jane
Austen's protagonists have more to them psychologically than
American action movie girlfriend sidekicks).
America's scriptwriters have tended to cut straight to visual
effects, resulting in strong camera work, but little actual
thought. Perhaps this tendency is to play to the strong point
of camera work--expressing emotion, in contrast to the
camera's weakness--as Orson Welles once said, "the camera is
still unable to photograph thought, and as such remains a
blunt instrument." Some novelists, such as Gore Vidal, now
talk of "cine-literacy," but the camera does not engage in
literacy so much as in the direct portrayal of images
appealing more to direct senses than to good sense.
America's tradition of separation between church and state,
and Hollywood's strong stance against Christianity in general,
have resulted in scripts, except for the occasional
documentary, almost obligated to slam Christian belief.
Britain's possession of a state church has allowed its writers
to speak of Christian faith, even to use of words, like
"gospel," frequently associated in America only with the
religious right in the political spectrum. This comes,
ironically, at a time when Britain's church attendance on any
given Sunday is about 2% of the population, and America's is
much higher than that.
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Q: Should Jews who believe in Jesus as Messiah attend
churches organized only for Jewish Christians (commonly called
“Messianic” churches) or should they mainstream into churches
with Gentile believers?
A: (by various people).
Charles McGrath, a Gentile who attends a Messianic
congregation, says many outside observers “simply dislike the
fundamental message, Christianity is Jewish,” Many Christians
don’t like the implication that the church is closer to
Judaism than it would care to admit. And unbelieving Jews do
not like the message that Christianity is in essence a Jewish
olive tree growing to fruition in Messiah (with an
accommodation of the Gentiles)....As a Gentile believer, I
always appreciate the niche being filled in Messianic Judaism
by providing a place for Jews to worship their Messiah without
forsaking their cultural traditions and ethnic heritage. In
fact, their Jewish heritage becomes more fulfilling and
meaningful in Messiah....the real recipient of accommodation
is the “wild olive branch” of the believing Gentiles. It was
ten chapters into the Book of Acts before the major grafting
of Gentiles was initiated, and not until the Jerusalem council
that the Nazarene Jews met to decide how to accommodate the
Gentiles into this new (renewed) covenant of promise with
Israel. Over the course of history, the roles have become
reversed as the Gentile-dominated church has, in effect,
erased its Jewish roots. The net effect of church history has
been to accomplish implicitly what the heretic Marcion tried
to do explicitly in the second century as he tried to
eliminate anything Jewish from the Scriptures....Messianic
Judaism, by its very existence, points to the need
for...growth of the body of Messiah throughout history in
which the Gentiles are demoted to a single branch grafted into
an olive tree that continues to be Jewish....such a
theological framework has great potential for unifying the
church and ultimately ushering in the time Paul talks about in
Romans 11 when “all Israel will be saved.”
Mitch Glaser, president of Chosen People Ministries, points
out that Messianic congregations existed in Warsaw, Odessa,
Kiev, Budapest and Romania for decades back into the 1920s or
earlier.
Arnold Fruchtenbaum, director of Ariel Ministries, says that a
“very small minority” of Messianic congregations are “not
interested in any of the cultural trappings of Gentile
Christianity, unless those cultural practices reflect a
specific, biblically prescribed practice,” but that for the
rest of them “much of the theology and practice is directly
borrowed from traditional Pentecostal theology, and other
elements have been incorporated from the more recent
charismatic movements of a variety of kinds.”
Jerome Tracy mentions “Elias Friedman, a convert from Judaism,
now a Carmelite monk living in Israel,” who founded the
Association of Hebrew Catholics.
Richard Ellison says, “We who have been born again are
believers in the Lord Jesus, and hyphenating ourselves is
spiritual immaturity....God has declared, there is no
distinction between Jew and Greek”....There are Jewish or
Hebrew believers, whichever term you may prefer, but from a
New Testament point of view, there are no such things as
Messianic Jews, or Hebrew Christians, spiritually speaking.
God is no longer offering a Messiah to the world but the
Savior....I oppose any attempt to make the Lord’s redemptive
work somehow incomplete for Jewish people if it does not
incorporate Jewish tradition as a spiritual part. The offense
of the cross is no less today than in Paul’s day.” [Ed:
Ellison goes overboard in the opposite direction that McGrath
did. Messianic Jews are not, for the most part, saying that
fulfilling the law is required for their salvation; they are
just trying to worship in a way true to their cultural
heritage, as do people all over the world.]
Vincent Gustafson says, “Whether Jew of Gentile, those who
profess Messiah as Lord are baptized by the Holy Spirit into
one body (1 Corinthians 12:13). First used in Antioch (Acts
11:26), the name Christian was given to professing believers
signifying a new life under grace. That name has remained in
use to this present day. Do we really need another division
within the body?” [Ed: Gustafson apparently doesn’t know how
Spirit baptism takes place, but he’s right that the word
Christian is Biblically based. Since it specifically refers to
followers of Jesus as being confessors that Jesus is the
Messiah--Christ is simply Greek for the Hebrew word
Messiah--Jewish Christians should find Christian an ideal
designation.]
Stan Keller of Sheresh Ministries says, “The word Christian is
biblical. I do not refer to myself as a Jewish Christian, but
I do not shy away from that reference either....I find that
Gentile believers assume that if you are a “Messianic Jew” you
automatically attend a Messianic congregation. The fact is, a
large portion of Jewish believers attend mainline or
independent churches....the beauty of being in the “regular”
church all these years is that it has provided a natural
springboard to the rest of the body for teaching and
consulting, because other believers have felt that I am a part
of who they are.”
Rob Gray, on the other hand, is the only member of his Jewish
family who is now in a Messianic congregation. He says
extended family “would say that being Jewish is something
their ancestors were.” He asks, “Can it plausibly be God’s
will that each Jewish person who comes to faith melts into the
body as a whole, losing all identity? If so, why do Paul and
James take such trouble to disabuse fellow Jews--believers and
nonbelievers alike--that Paul did not encourage Jewish
believers to forsake the Torah?” [Ed: people on both sides of
this question quote Scripture. Perhaps the answer lies in
Paul’s life, practice and teaching. He personally followed
Jewish law when with the Jews to the extent of shaving his
head in consummation of a vow and also to circumcising
half-Jewish Timothy. But he did not circumcise Titus or other
Gentile and strongly resisted attempts to make Gentile
converts obey Jewish law. Conclusion: If Jewish Christians
don’t make observance of the Law a requirement for salvation,
adding to the work of Jesus Christ, they should be permitted,
if they choose, to belong to Messianic congregations.]
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Alcohol and Drug Use
Howard Pastorella in his article in Freedomline
(Volume 18, No. 3, page 4), encourages congregations to start
a CIP (Christian Intervention Program) and reach out to
prisoners in their area. Officers of the Courts and other
community leaders are introduced to the pastor, local church
CIP coordinator and congregation who want to be part of the
solution to the problems of alcohol and drug use in their
communities. The officials, happy that someone will volunteer
to become involved in their own communities, frequently thank
the churches for caring.
Smoking
Secondhand smoke caused 35,000 to 62,000 USA deaths from heart
disease, 3,000 from lung cancer, and 1,900 to 2,700 from
sudden infant death syndrome each year, reports The Orlando
Sentinel newspaper. Secondhand smoke also accounts for 9,700
to 18,600 low birth-weight babies, 8,000 to 26,000 new cases
of asthma in children, an increase in asthma symptoms among
400,000 to 1 million children and 150,000 to 300,000 cases of
bronchitis or pneumonia in children eighteen months or
younger--of which up to 15,000 require hospitalization.
The Environmental Protection Agency has classified secondhand
smoke as a Group A carcinogen, a rating used only for
substances proved to cause cancer.
Secondhand smoke exposes everyone to risk. The more exposure
you have to secondhand smoke, the more risk you nhave from one
of those diseases or acute respiratory problems.
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco,
recently interviewed and tested 53 bartenders in San Francisco
before and after a new statewide ban on smoking in bars and
taverns. Before the smoking ban went into effect, 39 of the
bartenders reported respiratory symptoms; less than two months
after the ban, the number had fallen to 16, according to the
study published 9 December 1998 in Journal of the American
Medical Association. Before the ban, 41 bartenders reported
having "sensory irritation': after the ban only nine still had
symptoms. Tests also show an overall improvement in lung
function among all those tested.
Airline flights and many public places, including most
enclosed shopping malls, now prohibit smoking.
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I. Introduction: The Purpose of Light
"For it is light that makes everything visible. This
is why it is said, '...Christ will shine on you'" (Ephesians
5:14).
II. The Sources of Light
A. God's Word
"And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and
you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining
in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star
rises in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:19).
B. Creation
"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has
made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2
Corinthians 4:6).
III. The Effect of Light in Our Lives
A. Inner Change
"He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the
justice of your cause like the noonday sun" (Psalm 37:6).
B. Outer Behavior
"You are the light of the world....let your light shine before
men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father
in heaven" (Matthew 5:14,16).
C. Witness
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the
LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick
darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and
his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your
light,and kings to the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah
60:1-3).
IV. The Reward of Light is Eternal Light
"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of
the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like
the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3). "Then the righteous
will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father"
(Matthew 13:43).
V. Conclusion: Encouragement because
"You shine like stars in the universe as you hold out
the word of life" (Philippians 2:15-16).
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