As to your question you have received several answers, my understanding in the Bible baptism is done only by immersion as the word means. As Jesse said sprinkling did not start until the 1300s and it was for the reason it was so inconvenient. So, this was done just because of convenience's sake, nothing Biblical about it. I agree with Giannis, and we must believe as Jesus said in Mark 16:16.
All we do is to be done in our Lord Jesus's name, Colossians 3:16-17. Many use Matthew 28:19 but we also see in the rest of Scripture that a person who is baptized in Jesus' name is someone who believes in Jesus as Savior, the Messiah, the Son of God who for us died, was buried, and was resurrected we acknowledge this by being baptized in His name, Acts 2:38Acts 8:12Acts 8:16Acts 10:48Acts 19:5Acts 22:16Romans 6:3Galatians 3:27Colossians 2:12Ephesians 4:5.
Paul shows the importance of being baptized in the name of Jesus, Acts 19:1-6. God has placed Jesus and His name above all that is in heaven and earth, Matthew 28:18Philippians 2:9-11. Salvation only comes in His name Acts 4:12Romans 10:13. The name of Jesus is the source of power and authority for healing, miracles, and deliverance, Mark 16:17Luke 10:17Acts 4:7Acts 4:30Acts 16:18.
We are to give thanks in Jesus's name, Ephesians 5:20. Our faith is through Him and in His name, Acts 3:16. We must believe in Jesus, John 3:16John 6:47Acts 16:311 John 3:231 John 5:13. Whatever we ask for we are to ask in His name, John 14:13-14. We are to pray to the Father in His name, James 5:14. Jesus is our priest and the only mediator between God and men, 1 Timothy 2:5.
God set the sign in the everlasting covenant. "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs,". The light as signs should be read in the context of the separation of light from darkness.In v.3-4 God expresses His will, 'Let there be light' and the Son fulfills it, and it is made clear by the latter part of the verse. There was light."And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." In v.4 we read that both parties approved. "It was good." So God divided light from darkness. This provision in the everlasting covenant therefore shall never change. So the Spirit in organising the Scripture uses 'forever' in the direct frame of reference to the Son. Creation of sun, moon and the stars came further in the covenant. It is thus we have God as the Father of light while the Son is qualified as the true light. "And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness". Significance and relevance of any sign can only be derivative from this covenant. The difference between the covenant and the Law of Moses can be explained from the following passage. Jesus explains what is the work of God. "They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?"( John 6:30)
The first part of this post was establishing where our heart ought to be set. " Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.". (Col.3:2) For this reason we die to the world and sin so we may deal with the world set in our heart by God. God formed all hearts alike and tries their works. So we shall attend to what the Preacher is instructing us. "also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." From the beginning to the end for our intent and purpose is Jesus Christ, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end."(Re.21:6). So our heart is to be elevated as Jerusalem was. This new Jerusalem and new creation match. In the same manner the Parable of Jesus teaches us.(Matt.9:16) We are made new by our faith in his Son. "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time." This is the work of God."This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."( John 6:29) .
This being the case what we have to do with idols or for mammon? " Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings." Wrath of theLamb is one way of proving it. "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake." (Re.6:12) Prophet Zechariah refers to it as his feet. Compare it with finger of God. Egyptian sooth sayers named what Moses could do was by the finger of God.(Ex.8:19) The Angel of His presence made Jerusalem move up so who are holy who are unholy was made clear. in their fear we know those (Re.6:15) "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains" were same as in Is.2:21
Only the one who is worthy to break open the seals is the heart of God which explains Jesus Christ having a position on the right hand of the most high God. Heart of God is also a spiritual place 'heavenly places" So St Paul refers to it,"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."(Ep.1:3) This, to continue with the analogy of the GPS tracker, is the GNSS network where we have the body soul and spirit as memorial for our accuracy. The 24 elders are not merely for your amusement so one day you give them names to prove your cleverness but our own safety. By setting your position elsewhere as the misguided sects teach Sabbath as one day to be observed are you setting it in Christ by faith? It is a day settled by man who has no stomach for truth. What is soteriology for him? It is like casting pearls before swine. He is risen and "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Col3:1-3). St Paul says he has no excuse to persist in a lie by his literalism. "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Ro.1:20)
So Christ is our soul so our tracking system follows the mystery of God, " Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:/ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him./In whom also we have obtained an inheritance."(Ep.1:9-11)
The day decreed for the Son is tagged 'unto this day' is the same as 'in that day" a tag for the Father. So Jesus said," My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."( John 5:17) What is the work of God? John 6:28 Ec.3:11) It is set in the heart of man.
Jesus Christ is the high priest of our profession which is faith. (He.3:1) Read it in context, "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling," He is high priest after the order of Melchizedek . "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."(Ps.110:4). On this basis what are we? "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father."(Re.1:6)
The next line speaks " Behold, he cometh with clouds," which ties up with the testimony of two angels at the Ascension. So there is before and after priesthood for the Lamb slain. "stood a Lamb as it had been slain,."(Re.5:6). Now let us look at the two sets of tables of stone given to Moses at the mount. " The tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written/And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables." (Ex.32:15-16)
The work and the writing was of God, the author and finisher of our faith. When Jesus came as the word become flesh, he defined what was the work of God. " This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."( John 6:28-29) This is what Moses broke at the foot of the mount. "and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount."(32:19) The everlasting covenant was not for the stiff-necked and rebellious people. The second set was the work of Moses "And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel." The Law of Moses is for Israel since God has rejected them. There is also another covenant 'with thee,' in which Moses stands as a double for Jesus Christ. Consequently necessitating a vail Before God he took it off and put it on when he dealt with the Israelites.
Israel cannot find help by itself. "Also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."(Ec.3:11) Without faith in the Son it is nil
The Holy Spirit is God, a divine Person, not a force or power from God.
He is eternal as God is: Heb. 9:14. He gives eternal life: John 6:63, 2 Cor. 3:6 ( Rom. 6:23 says that God gives eternal life and Jn. 10:28 Jesus says He gives eternal life) Only God can give eternal life.
He was with the Father and the Son "in the beginning" and created all things with them ( Gen. 1:3; Ps. 104:30)
He knows all things: 1 Cor. 2:20. Therefore, he is omniscient and has an intellect (mind). He is able to control a believer's mind ( Rom. 8:6).
He sent the Son into the world with the Father (Is. 48:16)
He regenerates sinners to come to faith and be saved ( Jn. 3:3,8). He baptizes believers ( 1Cor. 12:13, Acts 11:16).
He can be blasphemed ( Mt. 12:31, Mk. 3:29) Only God can be blasphemed.
He vindicated Jesus in raising Him from the dead ( 1Tim 3:16). The Scriptures teach that God raised Jesus from the dead ( Acts 2:24; 10:40; that Jesus raised Himself from the dead ( Jn. 2:19), and that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead (2Cr. 4:14).
He is a person just as the Father and the Son are Persons. Not as we think of person in that each human is an individual being, but that He is a divine person unified in the One God.
As a person, He has emotions. He can be resisted ( Acts 7:51), can be pleased ( Gal. 6:8), quenched, grieved ( Eph. 4:30; Is 63:10), insulted ( Heb. 10:29).
As a person, He acts. He speaks ( Rev. 2:7; Acts. 13:2). He inspired Scriptures to be written ( 2Pet. 1:21). He teaches ( Jn. 14:26). He guides ( Jn. 16:13). He convicts of sin ( Jn. 16:8). He contends with man (Gen, 6:3).
In Acts 5 he is called God in the account of Ananias and Sephora, saying they lied to the Holy Spirit in vs. 3 and then reframes the statement by declaring that they have lied to God in vs. 4. Here the Holy Spirit is called God by God's inspiration to Luke.
The Holy Spirit is not a force, nor an emanation from God, not something God created-but a divine Person who united in the Being of God.
I would like to expound a little more on your statement saying, "you know how to get saved and it's hard for you because you're scared and nervous about it"
Here's why I asked you for clarity on that statement..
There's some hold to a legalistic viewpoint when coming to God for salvation.
In the Old testament Israel was given the Law and commandments the showed them and the world "Including us" we all have a fallen nature and is need of a savior.
As did the Israelites in the old testament they feared approaching God under that ministry of condemnation.
However, to them and us God provided a savior, our Lord Jesus Christ!
There is no need to fear, we have found mercy in Christ.
Ephesians 2:4-9.
We can now approach the throne of grace and there is no need of fear!
Hebrews 10:19-23 states, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
And having an high priest over the house of God;
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Romans 10:9 states "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
We confess that are a sinner, turn our hearts to God for his grace and mercy and he is faithful to forgive us.
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out"
Be careful with AI , it links only in one edge of the Sword, I mean in the letter of the Holy Scripture, this one edge of the Sword of GOD only kills the souls- Genesis 3:1 combined with Matthew 16:22-23. Satan only uses the letter of the Holy Scriptures- John 8:44. The life in the Holy Scripture is the Spirit of GOD- John 4:24 combined with John 6:63, it is in the other edge of the Sword, and AI will never be linked to the Spirit of GOD, but to the spirit of Devil.
Satan uses the letter, the writings, of the Bible, to deceive listeners or readers of the Scriptures. Take care.
What I tell you I tell to all
Hbrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to render an account.
Daniel 9:24-27, in this prophecy, there are seventy weeks or 490 years determined unto Daniel's people and the holy city to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Have these 6 things been fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah, and the judgment of it carried out in 70 AD? If so, all of this prophecy has been fulfilled in the past.
1 To finish the transgression. To break or violate, as a law, civil or moral; the act of transgressing. Psalms 32:1Isaiah 53:5-11Romans 4:14-15Galatians 3:18-19Hebrews 9:14-15.
2 To make an end to sins. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Matthew 1:21Hebrews 10:8-11John 1:291 Corinthians 15:31 John 3:5Psalm 32:1Romans 3:21-26Romans 8:3.
3 To make reconciliation for iniquity. Reconciliation is an element of salvation that refers to the results of the atonement. Colossians 1:20-22Isaiah 53:6Isaiah 53:11Romans 5:11Ephesians 2:16Titus 2:142 Corinthians 5:18-19.
4 To bring in everlasting righteousness. In conformity to the demands of the covenant and according to God's will. Isaiah 61:10-11Romans 3:21-26Romans 5:17-212 Corinthians 5:211 Peter 2:24.
5 To seal up the vision and prophecy. The greatest prediction, which runs like a golden thread through the whole contents of the Old Testament, is that regarding the coming and work of the Messiah, Jesus. Daniel 9:23Matthew 11:11-15Mark 1:14-15John 5:36-40John 6:27Acts 3:18.
6 To anoint the most holy. The high priest went into the holy of holies once a year with the blood of a sacrificed bull. Jesus our high priest with His own blood anointed the most holy not made with hands once and for all, forever. Hebrews 9:6-14.
My understanding is Jesus was baptized and anointed in the fall of the year__, he was 40 days and nights in the wilderness. Jesus then chose His 12 disciples. shortly after the wedding where Jesus turned the water to wine, He went to Passover John 2:23, this would be 6 months after He was anointed by the Holy Ghost.
There are 3 more Passovers and Jesus was crucified on the last one, John 5:1, 1.5 years John 6:4 2.5 years, and John 13:1 the Passover He was crucified 3.5 years from when He was anointed as the Messiah.
My understanding of Matthew 24 was also for the disciples for the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem not just for us today, if we compare Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 have when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet. But in Luke 21:20, He writes when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
The abomination of desolation is something done by someone as King Antiochus IV Epiphanes did in 168 BC. It happened before the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. My understanding is parts of Jesus's Olivet discourse were for them and parts are for us.
What is in Daniel 9:27 Jesus caused the sacrifice and oblation to cease when He died and the vail of the Temple rent from top to bottom. As Jesus told the woman at the well the hour has come ye shall not worship the Father in the mountain or Jerusalem, John 4:21
The wording in Daniel 9:27 is for the overspreading of abominations points to the abominations the leaders of Jerusalem will have done, Matthew 23:32-38 Jesus told them "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" The he, is Jesus who will make it desolate and, in their generation, it was made desolate by the people/Roman army, of the prince/Titus same as God used Babylon in 586 BC.
I hope this makes sense so that you can study for your understanding even if you disagree, if you have questions let me know.
Yes,Esclarese,that is the will of our Lord Jesus. He said:I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger.
John 6:24-35
24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for JESUS.
25And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30They said therefore unto him,What sign shewest thou then,that we may see,and believe thee?what dost thou work?
31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32Then Jesus said unto them,Verily,verily,I say unto you,Moses gave you not that bread from heaven;but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven,and giveth life unto the world.
34Then said they unto him,Lord,evermore give us this bread.
35And Jesus said unto them,I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger;and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Luke 15:17-20
17And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have BREAD enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Hi Karma, I've been in a very similar situation. I was struggling so bad with doubts about my own salvation, and it scared me so so much. One thing that was a huge help to me, was realizing that salvation doesn't depend on ME, I didn't earn it, so I definitely can't lose it on my own. Salvation is a FREE gift, given by the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's very simple.
The Bible says we're all sinners, (Roman's 3:23) and since God is a holy and just God our sin needs to be punished. God loves us so much, that while we were His enemy, He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to come and pay for our sins. He died for all of our sins, past, present and future. But He didn't stay dead. 3 days later Jesus Christ rose from the dead, proving His sacrifice for our sins was accepted by God. Now He offers salvation to us FREELY, all we have to do is believe and trust in what He has done.
Roman's 10:13 says "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
God made salvation so simple, that anyone can receive it. Baptism has nothing to do with salvation, praise God it depends on Him.
If you're not saved, you can be saved. You're living now, and the Bible says in John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." If you sincerely call upon the Lord, believing and trusting in only what He's done for you, He will save you. Simple as that. He won't cast you out.
Now is the day of salvation ( 2nd Corinthians 6:2). Romans 8:38-39 - Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ
If salvation is based on something that I have to do tomorrow or have to not do tomorrow, or based upon MY performance/works as a Christian, then there's no way to know ur saved because there's no way to know what u will or won't do tomorrow. If we could lose our salvation, we would.
But if I'm trusting solely in what Jesus Christ has done, that is fixed, settled, and final, and that is eternal security.
St Mark gives us the v.40 almost identical with that of Matthew ch.23 but the former uses it a point of departure in order to illustrate in real time of a widow parting with her only livelihood. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation."(23:14). How truth reaches a congregation when the scribes and Pharisee teach is different than the widow whose penury offered no stumbling block from exercising faith. Jesus "And beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much."
The widow "but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living" places her life squarely upon whom it belongs. It catches the eye of our Savior.
In the Parable of the Rich Fool he had all the worldly goods but lacked the good sense. He was not rich towards God. So God tells him, " Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"( Luke 12:20) Jesus commends the poor widow who exercised faith most wisely. The scribes and Pharisee as we are familiar with the term applied 'active' faith so the poor and needy part with their living, in expectations of a windfall. Jesus calls their shepherding as 'devouring' instead.
God sent his only begotten Son in order to give whosoever believed in him, everlasting life. Jesus also tells how anyone may do the work of God. It can only be with Jesus, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?/Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."( John 6:28-29)
This is faith where the poor widow worked with God and for her livelihood she did not have to put on the mind of the scribes and Pharisees, devouring the gullible among their audience. For the faith of the widow was set in heavenly places with the Son.
John 6:54 states: Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
There are two views on the subject; the "transubstantiation" argument of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions and the purely symbolic or metaphorical doctrines we find in many Protestant churches. In the first view we have to hold to an abhorrent view that there is an ongoing or perpetual reinstitution of Christ's sacrifice at every communion; clearly contrary to where Christ stated "it is finished" on the cross and Hebrews 9:28 speaking of His one time sacrifice for many. The Protestant viewpoint; however can tend to treat communion and in fact many other rites or ceremonies as merely symbolic and thus be calloused to verses such as 1 Corinthians 11:30 which states that many have become sick and died (fallen asleep) due to taking communion unworthily.
Communion therefore is something which each individual is held accountable for but also involves a union in the Body of Christ through the function of the Holy Spirit. We certainly can't isolate these warnings just for communion; for instance we have no business being baptized without a proper confession of faith and marriages also need to be taken seriously in regard to the covenant vows. The New Covenant brings the blood ATONEMENT which essentially exchanges His life for our own as our spiritual sustenance; along with His broken body. He purchased us with the cost of His life and redeemed us from death and hell by taking our place on the cross of Calvary. Such a detestable imagery of a snake on a pole was an early representation of this Numbers 21. A man was cursed when hung on a tree ( Deut. 21:22-23). We are then partakers in Christ and His sufferings ( 1 Peter 4:13); see also Hebrews 3:14 on enduring to the end.
In terms of eternal physical life; we of course have the tree of life as mentioned in the Garden. We also will be raised incorruptible if we are in Him.
I know you are an author and your vocabulary is greater than mine I will try to respond but to be truthful you are hard to follow. First MOU my understanding is a nonbinding agreement between parties stating their intentions. How can that be a covenant a covenant is a relationship between partners either conditional or unconditional and this covenant is between God the Father and God the Son. Would not the Holy Spirit be a part of this covenant and the will of God that the Son completes? John 6:38 It is God's will not Jesus's like He said in Luke 22:42.
If God is a triune God, would it not be the will of all three with no difference in authority or knowledge? Why the need for a covenant between them since all three are God and all three are equal?
At the beginning of each day, God said what was to be, the spoken word of God, and it was so. Other than speculation how can we say the Son was in agreement? Isaiah 45:18 In Genesis 1:28 would be an unconditional covenant, more of a blessing, God placed man above all that was created on earth and man was given dominion over it. God delegated the rule of man over His creation and no consequences were stated, we see how that turned out.
I agree Jesus did not need to be water baptized for remittance of sin, but He did need the anointing of the Holy Ghost/Spirit to become the Messiah/Christ. The word of God was in Jesus and by the Holy Ghost/Spirit Jesus did the works of His Father therefore Jesus was the tabernacle of God, the image of God for every word Jesus said was not His but the word of God the Father. John 4:34John 5:30John 12:44-45
Philip was the first to bring the gospel to the Samaritans.
"And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives./ Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."
The chief priests covenanted with Judas to pay thirty pieces of silver. Their conspiracy to kill Jesus was born out of their human failings which however connected with the Word that underpins the everlasting covenant. Who shall betray him was a question that cropped up when Jesus foretold it. "And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me./ The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born."(vv.23-24). Jesus knew all along what role his disciple would play and as the Word become flesh he did not refuse him but his deity demanded grace must be shown and it is what he did. John gives us that account. Peter professed his faith, saying, "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God./ Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?/ He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. "( John 6:69-71).
vv.14-16 It was purely Judas' free will to judge the event in the house of Bethany that tilted his decision to betray his master. He did not have to wait too long because the word sent forth before the worlds began was in control of every events ever since he sent it, and Judas chose to do the bidding of Satan,- and Jesus equates the son of perdition as the devil himself. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Ze.13:7 was about to be fulfilled. In the following passages we shall see how the little ones fared after smiting the shepherd.
Peter had chosen life so when great many disciples left Jesus because of his hard sayings ( John 6:67-68( he stuck by the Prince of life. Entering into the kingdom of God appealed to him. So he wanted to know,"what shall we have therefore?" Disciples were curious and on another occasion wanted to know the hour of his coming which the risen Jesus stopped short with a curt answer, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." Before his passion also Jesus did not allow any speculation as to what God held in his authority, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."(Ac.1:7; Matt.24:36). "My Father worketh hitherto and I work" meant heaven and earth were held by the word of God where fulfillment of the divine Will was his part so when the disciples asked,"Who then can be saved?" Jesus shares what was within his authority to answer. Salvation was as entering with Prince of life through a veil so life abundant was the Holy Grail of their ministry with Jesus Christ. Jesus understood he was earnest and despite of his volatility his heart beat ever so true.
"When the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" was in his authority to give. For this reason even after denying him Jesus entrusts his disciples to his care."Feed my sheep" meant Jesus had completely forgiven his former lapse. Hundredfold is in the sense it did not happen as he was concerned. This explains with the being born again experience. "Therefore if any manbein Christ,he isa new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."(2 Co.5:17) Jesus practiced what he preached. "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."(Matt.18:35)
God is a Spirit and His holiness is the name, which He expressed when He declared, 'Thou art my Son'. (Ps.7-8). We can understand the significance of this from this, "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word." ( John 17:6-NKJV; John 6:37). Holiness in the matter of the name creates a Holy Family not of flesh and blood but on the basis of faith. The key to the Father Son relationship is faith with works. "If then I be a father, where is my honour?" (Mal.1:6). There are well meaning Christians who is proof against spiritualizing the word. They take literally and go by sense than the Spirit. So what is the wisdom which they go by? Wisdom of heaven is free and they would rather be called Pharisees than take it. Faith is what required. If we see still arguments over humanity and deity of Jesus in our forum it just proves why. Their intellect is their security blanket and cannot let go.
Salvation plan of God is on the basis of the Father Son relationship. The earth as a mirror of heaven. This shall be completed when the tabernacle of God is among men. (Re.21:3)
Separation of sons of God from the unbelieving world is the work to which Jesus referred, My Father works hitherto and I work, and he opened a new and living way. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." (2 Co.6:17)
"Six days work shall be done" Le.23:3. For the Israelites it was the work of human hands, toil of the beasts and fruits of the field that counted as work. Their literalism was such they would not see it as anything else. The fact is borne out in the question they asked Jesus. "What shall we do that we might be doing the works of God?"( John 6:27-28). God sent his only begotten Son on whom was his seal of approval and they rejected him. If the horse has bolted the stable why the nation belabor themselves with the act of scrubbing the stable floor? By the same token when God has cast them out why cause the odium of genocide from the world as we see it in our times, over the name Jerusalem that is instead being built in the heaven places? New Jerusalem is where a believer may enter in the rest of God and in his Son.
Sabbath serves as a sign. "That ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you"(Ex.31:17a.) the shadow of good things to come. It was a sign of sanctification, which, however did not good to the nation of Israel for want of faith. Moses pleading 'blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written' was ineffectual. He was the servant (He.3:1-3) and not Son whose offering was perfect. His Son who he shall send according to His will in the fullness of time, refreshed him. So He sanctifies the seventh day. "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (He.10:14)".
It is God who sanctifies and at His terms. God cannot deny his holiness, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book".
"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren(He.2:11).What Moses gave the nation of Israel was a shadow of good things to come.
Colossians 1:15-18 as in John 1:1 what beginning is John writing about, this gives a different understanding, In Colossians what creation is Paul writing about if we look at it as the start of all creation, the angels the counsels of heaven as we see in Job 38, they were before this earth or is Paul writing about the new creation. Is Paul referring to Jesus before He was crucified? Or is Paul referring to the risen Christ? In Christ is the resurrected Christ not the Christ when He first came.
One other thing and Giannis can let us know if I am correct or not in verse 16, by Him, the Greek is en auto meaning in Him as we see in 2 Corinthian 5:17 Ephesians 1:4,9Colossians 2:6 to be in the risen Christ. Paul is talking about the new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:16-19 to be in Christ is to be a new creature/creation and reconciliation, this is this world and in heaven as we see things in heaven is as bad as on this earth and Jesus Christ is to make all new.
Hebrews 1:3-4 Jesus was made much better than the angels, this after He was totally obedient died on the cross and raised from the dead and ascended to heaven above all that is in heaven and earth. and in Him all will be made new. He was made means He was not before He completed what His Father sent Him to do. Matt. 28:18John 3:35John 5:26-27John 6:39 what Jesus did and had was given to Him from the Father.
I know this is short, I may be away for a while but hope to reply more soon.
True, we may not conclusively know the Form He took in Heaven, whether as the Word within God's Person (just as the Spirit in God was sent out), or as another Form outside of God yet closely connected to Him. The issue here is, whether Jesus existed (in some Form) prior to His appearing on Earth. If not, what do we do with such verses as given here? Can we really reinterpret them in any other way? Is that even possible? And we could add Micah 5:2 (a coming Ruler not going forth from Bethlehem, but from eternity), John 3:13 (Who was in Heaven, coming down from Heaven), John 6:38 (come from Heaven), John 8:56-58 (Jesus existed even before Abraham), Philippians 2:5-11 (His equality with God, but laid it aside to come & serve man), & Hebrews 1:1-3 (through Jesus God made the worlds).
I've understood your comments on Jesus' Life & Death as per His earthly sojourn. But unless we can understand Who this Jesus really is (i.e. whether a Creation of God to fulfil His Plans on Earth, or God Himself, He Who was from the beginning), then the substance of this Mystery can never be resolved. That is why textual examination is so important, especially when we can see other Scriptures that confirm our understanding. I apologize for not referring to your other comments (e.g. the soul/spirit, firstborn, etc), but wanted to keep this short & focus on Jesus before His appearance on Earth. GBU.
Jesus chose 12 disciples to indicate his ministry was of the Servant-King, as Son to his heavenly father.(See under N-numbers, command)
Principle of Association established a new order where it was enough that a servant was an associate as his master "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord".(Matt.10:25;40)
(See under S- servant)
Discipleship is a loaded word. It is not simply delivering doctrine of God to the world as heard of him. As associates of Jesus Christ it was the Life, which as Jesus declared was his logos aspect. Not only the Word but of the Son. One sign of their adequacy came when they could enter into the heart of the parables." His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God."( John 16:29-33) Their growth was begun when they stayed on trusting. "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.( John 6:67-68)
Jesus declared that his doctrine was not of his own but that of his Father. He established the cardinal principle of discipleship: Man is the massage. Jesus set an example and he promised a double portion because he was going to his father.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."( John 14:12)
The fifth book in the Pentateuch in Hebrew, like the preceding books, it takes its name from its commencement, 'These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness,' The rabbinical text would have it as Sepher Debarim, the book of debarim, or the book of the words. The book is considered as the second law or Deuteronomion.
"According unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them,"(De.1:3) we have in three discourses delivered by Moses shortly before his death, the second Law to which we shall come anon. Three discourses and three appendices, namely the Song of Moses (De.37:1-47) Blessings (De.33) His death and aftermath, are alike stapled together by the command number Three and it refers to the Son.
As Moses serving as the double for the Son we have the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. Interestingly enough in the Lucan gospel the setting for the sermon is on the plains.( Luke 6:17)
(See entry under B-Beatitudes)
"When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me." (De.17:14-15) The Spirit refers to the possibility of people of Israel opting for a king over them 'like as all the nations' that are about them. In such a case a second law is to be given to the future king. We see this fulfilled but in the manner Jesus avoided those who by force would make him a king ( John 6:15). It just goes on to show that the Law given by Moses was inadequate. In Jesus was the fulfilment of the Law. God had set a Day by decree for his Son (Ps.2:7) and he was content to abide by his Will.
What Moses intended with the second law, for their king as the history of Israel would show was like a kingdom built upon sand.
"He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."(Ec.3:11)
No man can find out the mind of God to control time. Only from the work of God one can make sense. This work of God is to believe Jesus Christ. "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."( John 6:28-29). When Jesus said "I am the resurrection, and the life." ( John 11:25,26) Martha had no understanding to connect this directly to the Son of man but Jesus corrects her and admit it was so."Believest thou this?" In this context what does the budding of Aaron's rod signify? Who shall serve God is it Levi, Israel as a nation or Jesus Christ the Word become flesh? "and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds."(Nu.17:8,2) The Word of God decreed the day of salvation in his Son.(Ps.2:6-8) This is the Will of God so in the Abstract we have the MOU between God and Man. "and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." Moses wrote the name of Levi as commanded by God. 'The seed in itself' is indicative it is the word of God is going to work in this test. The work of God according the quote from JohnCh.6 flowering of the rod in a proof of Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. (He.13:8)The rod flowered according to the divine Will. Time is of no consequence.
Which came first: chicken or egg? The divine Will is omnipotence. Accordingly the word of God supplied all the information so we are to accept both as one, as the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind. The world of blackholes prove information cannot be lost. neither can the word of God. We deceived ourselves to think atom bombs would stop the WWII We did not even imagine the name North Korea then. It just proves.
v.13 Jesus was there not to right the wrongs of temporal powers; nor was he there as a social reformer to create changes from the existing environment but to bring the huddled masses to the light. He began preaching only when they same the light shine on them. "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet," and what in his time was received in indifference,- so he was a prophet without honor' was now beginning to make sense to the generation of Jesus, and feeding the five thousand stands as culmination of the Word, cast forth upon the waters, connecting with Jesus as the bread from heaven. It is thus every word of God shall be fulfilled in the time appointed.
In the Law of Moses towards restitution it is laid down,"If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep." (Ex.22:1) The ox is man's livelihood so man and ox is considered as one. Feeding Five thousand (5x1000) is an indication of symbolic partaking. "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."( John 6:53). (In this context number Four signifies The word become Flesh. Jesus Christ as the Savior in terms of four cardinal direction. Salvator mundi, the Savior of the World).
The Spirit gives us a number 5x1000. Thousand always refers to the end times. So Feeding Five Thousand is a tag for the humanity of Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of the above mentioned quote from St John. We shall similarly discuss feeding of the the Four Thousand in terms of the Word.
Herod beheaded John the Baptist on a whim. His personal honor was at stake lest he did not commit the crime and give his head to the damsel who has had not an iota of understanding. One who lives for pleasure is dead since truth with which one may stake claim, rightly so, for life everlasting is let go. What else is he good for if he had lost his saltines, truth?
It was for this reason Jesus said,'Let the dead bury their dead'. ("But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.1 Ti.5:6)They are drunk with power as Herod was and mindless pleasure as we get to see nowadays in news media are like wise dead. "They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again."(Pr.23:35). Such are the dead men walking of which Herod is a good example. What was his honor worth when 'he feared the multitude'? In such a pusillanimous spirit what made him equate John whom he had beheaded with Jesus? For that matter what has resurrection to do with one who was given to pleasure. It is what we call truth in his inward parts, the inner man nudging his callous conscience to itself. The Preacher says, "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."(Ec.3:11).We have the key in this verse, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."( John 6:28-29) 'The work that God maketh' is believing in the Son whom he sent. So Jesus is the only Way for 'the dead', "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."(Ep.5:14)
"And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore./And he spake many things unto them in parables"
Compare the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount where "And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him."Here we have his disciples mentioned, and his call to them was," Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."(3:19). The Mount represented where came from. Heavenly Zion on which the kingdom of heaven was founded. (Is.28:16). The number 12 accordingly was a reminder of Jesus Christ the Man the message.
He was the Mediator between heaven and the earth. The Spirit serves as a narrative mode of the eternal Word so Jesus speaking from a ship reinforces the context of the river of time. Parables were the means to reconcile the ways of God with those of man and it helped only those who were as single minded as the merchant man who 'had found one pearl of great price.' (vv.44-45). Is.55:9.
By principle of Association he was the bread from heaven and in the multiplying of loaves and fishes we are given heavenly realities set in comparison with the natural world. As many as who received him were the promise of God given. In line with the principle of Similitude Evangelist Matthew gives us the Last Supper where he broke the bread "And said, Take, eat; this is my body."(26:26; John 6:51). It is no coincidence that we have a Parable of the Wedding Banquet.(22:1-14)
Parables dealt with the Word as mentioned above and the Gospel of God signified the word become flesh. He was sent as foretold by the Preacher,"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days./Give a portion to seven, and also to eight."(Ec.11:1-2)
The earth as a field serves where the heart of man is understood as fashioned by God alike. Stony places point to the state of man who must deal with it to be fruitful.
"As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work"(v.2)
Glory of God is revealed in the manner His Power and Wisdom have created the heaven and the earth; so much so even a speck of dust refracts sunlight to create a roseate dawn or starry skies that never fails to thrill us. God is beyond human conception and Truth is the only measure by which He makes sense to us. "He hath made everythingbeautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end(Ec.3:11)". Only through his Son it is known. The works of God ( John 6:28-29).
Soul is a token of God establishing his sovereignty over His creation and it holds the everlasting covenant as its frame of reference. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.( John 14:6)." Truth in inward parts makes each of us accountable to God in the final reckoning. So what are we but chosen by God before the worlds began. Are we sons or servants merely going through the motions of living for our reward?
"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope./O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good."
"Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?" A hireling and a son have different standing which the Parable of the Prodigal Son brings out. The spendthrift son have wasted away his means and fell in want. In an alien country where Satan is a hard taskmaster he would even grudge over the husks doled out to his servants, what does the son say,'And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!( Luke 15:17).The expression 'when he came to himself' is highly significant. Soul is a reminder of our fellowship with God.
"No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse." God is a consuming fire and against it the traditions of the fathers and superficial observances of the old did not stand a chance. So it required for the lost sheep of Israel to trust the Word become flesh. He was 'the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.' God well knew that they were stiff necked and evil. As in the case of Ezekiel God sent his Son to them with the same condition. "And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious."(Ez.2:7). It is significant that God addresses the prophet as Son of man, and Ezekiel serves as a stand in for his Son.
The 12 disciples did not choose the Son but He did. " But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him./ And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father."( John 6:64-65) and he well knew who would betray him. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve."(6:70-71).
Jesus chose him as man not judging him before hand. As the Word become flesh he would give him a chance to redeem himself. But Judas was an old bottle, whose disobedience, sin was like the proverbial little fox burrowing deep and yet spoiling the vineyard while in bud. Time tests of what man is.
"Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.(9:16-17)
Blessedness of seeking righteousness we have in 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."
In v.31 Jesus addresses the crowd,'O ye of little faith" Provident God shows His glory in lifeforms lowly as they are but most efficient in their working how much more He would have invested in Man? He who did not spare him for our blessedness shall He not gives such prosaic things needful for each day? The birds of the air know it was as wild beasts do. "if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you."
The Gentiles spend their time with questions with regards to their creature comforts. "What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" (v.31). Daily they would like in the myth of Sisyphus, rolling all their energy to the single peak of their desires, their belly. Once satisfied come next day they are at it again? Tyranny of the trifle robbing man of the most blessed Fellowship and it is what Satan does:all these toil and moil is for the flesh which the Bible says profits nothing. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."( John 6:63).
"That whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?"(15:17)
God made all provision for our eternal salvation. Righteousness of God has sent his word, (Is.55:11) set up the House with seven pillars (Pr.9:1-5) and allso prepared the table. "She(Wisdom) hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. ". She has set out a call, "Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled."
Faith is the key for any given day. "Give us this day our daily bread" we pray and if we are of little faith what does the Lord's Prayer amount to?
As to your question you have received several answers, my understanding in the Bible baptism is done only by immersion as the word means. As Jesse said sprinkling did not start until the 1300s and it was for the reason it was so inconvenient. So, this was done just because of convenience's sake, nothing Biblical about it. I agree with Giannis, and we must believe as Jesus said in Mark 16:16.
All we do is to be done in our Lord Jesus's name, Colossians 3:16-17. Many use Matthew 28:19 but we also see in the rest of Scripture that a person who is baptized in Jesus' name is someone who believes in Jesus as Savior, the Messiah, the Son of God who for us died, was buried, and was resurrected we acknowledge this by being baptized in His name, Acts 2:38 Acts 8:12 Acts 8:16 Acts 10:48 Acts 19:5 Acts 22:16 Romans 6:3 Galatians 3:27 Colossians 2:12 Ephesians 4:5.
Paul shows the importance of being baptized in the name of Jesus, Acts 19:1-6. God has placed Jesus and His name above all that is in heaven and earth, Matthew 28:18 Philippians 2:9-11. Salvation only comes in His name Acts 4:12 Romans 10:13. The name of Jesus is the source of power and authority for healing, miracles, and deliverance, Mark 16:17 Luke 10:17 Acts 4:7 Acts 4:30 Acts 16:18.
We are to give thanks in Jesus's name, Ephesians 5:20. Our faith is through Him and in His name, Acts 3:16. We must believe in Jesus, John 3:16 John 6:47 Acts 16:31 1 John 3:23 1 John 5:13. Whatever we ask for we are to ask in His name, John 14:13-14. We are to pray to the Father in His name, James 5:14. Jesus is our priest and the only mediator between God and men, 1 Timothy 2:5.
God bless,
RLW
God set the sign in the everlasting covenant. "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs,". The light as signs should be read in the context of the separation of light from darkness.In v.3-4 God expresses His will, 'Let there be light' and the Son fulfills it, and it is made clear by the latter part of the verse. There was light."And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." In v.4 we read that both parties approved. "It was good." So God divided light from darkness. This provision in the everlasting covenant therefore shall never change. So the Spirit in organising the Scripture uses 'forever' in the direct frame of reference to the Son. Creation of sun, moon and the stars came further in the covenant. It is thus we have God as the Father of light while the Son is qualified as the true light. "And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness". Significance and relevance of any sign can only be derivative from this covenant. The difference between the covenant and the Law of Moses can be explained from the following passage. Jesus explains what is the work of God. "They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?"( John 6:30)
The first part of this post was establishing where our heart ought to be set. " Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.". (Col.3:2) For this reason we die to the world and sin so we may deal with the world set in our heart by God. God formed all hearts alike and tries their works. So we shall attend to what the Preacher is instructing us. "also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." From the beginning to the end for our intent and purpose is Jesus Christ, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end."(Re.21:6). So our heart is to be elevated as Jerusalem was. This new Jerusalem and new creation match. In the same manner the Parable of Jesus teaches us.(Matt.9:16) We are made new by our faith in his Son. "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time." This is the work of God."This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."( John 6:29) .
This being the case what we have to do with idols or for mammon? " Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings." Wrath of theLamb is one way of proving it. "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake." (Re.6:12) Prophet Zechariah refers to it as his feet. Compare it with finger of God. Egyptian sooth sayers named what Moses could do was by the finger of God.(Ex.8:19) The Angel of His presence made Jerusalem move up so who are holy who are unholy was made clear. in their fear we know those (Re.6:15) "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains" were same as in Is.2:21
Only the one who is worthy to break open the seals is the heart of God which explains Jesus Christ having a position on the right hand of the most high God. Heart of God is also a spiritual place 'heavenly places" So St Paul refers to it,"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."(Ep.1:3) This, to continue with the analogy of the GPS tracker, is the GNSS network where we have the body soul and spirit as memorial for our accuracy. The 24 elders are not merely for your amusement so one day you give them names to prove your cleverness but our own safety. By setting your position elsewhere as the misguided sects teach Sabbath as one day to be observed are you setting it in Christ by faith? It is a day settled by man who has no stomach for truth. What is soteriology for him? It is like casting pearls before swine. He is risen and "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Col3:1-3). St Paul says he has no excuse to persist in a lie by his literalism. "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Ro.1:20)
So Christ is our soul so our tracking system follows the mystery of God, " Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:/ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him./In whom also we have obtained an inheritance."(Ep.1:9-11)
The day decreed for the Son is tagged 'unto this day' is the same as 'in that day" a tag for the Father. So Jesus said," My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."( John 5:17) What is the work of God? John 6:28 Ec.3:11) It is set in the heart of man.
The next line speaks " Behold, he cometh with clouds," which ties up with the testimony of two angels at the Ascension. So there is before and after priesthood for the Lamb slain. "stood a Lamb as it had been slain,."(Re.5:6). Now let us look at the two sets of tables of stone given to Moses at the mount. " The tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written/And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables." (Ex.32:15-16)
The work and the writing was of God, the author and finisher of our faith. When Jesus came as the word become flesh, he defined what was the work of God. " This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."( John 6:28-29) This is what Moses broke at the foot of the mount. "and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount."(32:19) The everlasting covenant was not for the stiff-necked and rebellious people. The second set was the work of Moses "And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel." The Law of Moses is for Israel since God has rejected them. There is also another covenant 'with thee,' in which Moses stands as a double for Jesus Christ. Consequently necessitating a vail Before God he took it off and put it on when he dealt with the Israelites.
Israel cannot find help by itself. "Also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."(Ec.3:11) Without faith in the Son it is nil
He is eternal as God is: Heb. 9:14. He gives eternal life: John 6:63, 2 Cor. 3:6 ( Rom. 6:23 says that God gives eternal life and Jn. 10:28 Jesus says He gives eternal life) Only God can give eternal life.
He was with the Father and the Son "in the beginning" and created all things with them ( Gen. 1:3; Ps. 104:30)
He knows all things: 1 Cor. 2:20. Therefore, he is omniscient and has an intellect (mind). He is able to control a believer's mind ( Rom. 8:6).
He sent the Son into the world with the Father (Is. 48:16)
He regenerates sinners to come to faith and be saved ( Jn. 3:3,8). He baptizes believers ( 1Cor. 12:13, Acts 11:16).
He can be blasphemed ( Mt. 12:31, Mk. 3:29) Only God can be blasphemed.
He vindicated Jesus in raising Him from the dead ( 1Tim 3:16). The Scriptures teach that God raised Jesus from the dead ( Acts 2:24; 10:40; that Jesus raised Himself from the dead ( Jn. 2:19), and that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead (2Cr. 4:14).
He is a person just as the Father and the Son are Persons. Not as we think of person in that each human is an individual being, but that He is a divine person unified in the One God.
As a person, He has emotions. He can be resisted ( Acts 7:51), can be pleased ( Gal. 6:8), quenched, grieved ( Eph. 4:30; Is 63:10), insulted ( Heb. 10:29).
As a person, He acts. He speaks ( Rev. 2:7; Acts. 13:2). He inspired Scriptures to be written ( 2Pet. 1:21). He teaches ( Jn. 14:26). He guides ( Jn. 16:13). He convicts of sin ( Jn. 16:8). He contends with man (Gen, 6:3).
In Acts 5 he is called God in the account of Ananias and Sephora, saying they lied to the Holy Spirit in vs. 3 and then reframes the statement by declaring that they have lied to God in vs. 4. Here the Holy Spirit is called God by God's inspiration to Luke.
The Holy Spirit is not a force, nor an emanation from God, not something God created-but a divine Person who united in the Being of God.
I would like to expound a little more on your statement saying, "you know how to get saved and it's hard for you because you're scared and nervous about it"
Here's why I asked you for clarity on that statement..
There's some hold to a legalistic viewpoint when coming to God for salvation.
In the Old testament Israel was given the Law and commandments the showed them and the world "Including us" we all have a fallen nature and is need of a savior.
As did the Israelites in the old testament they feared approaching God under that ministry of condemnation.
However, to them and us God provided a savior, our Lord Jesus Christ!
There is no need to fear, we have found mercy in Christ.
Ephesians 2:4-9.
We can now approach the throne of grace and there is no need of fear!
Hebrews 10:19-23 states, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
And having an high priest over the house of God;
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Romans 10:9 states "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
We confess that are a sinner, turn our hearts to God for his grace and mercy and he is faithful to forgive us.
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out"
John 6:37.
God bless you Gideon.
Be careful with AI , it links only in one edge of the Sword, I mean in the letter of the Holy Scripture, this one edge of the Sword of GOD only kills the souls- Genesis 3:1 combined with Matthew 16:22-23. Satan only uses the letter of the Holy Scriptures- John 8:44. The life in the Holy Scripture is the Spirit of GOD- John 4:24 combined with John 6:63, it is in the other edge of the Sword, and AI will never be linked to the Spirit of GOD, but to the spirit of Devil.
Satan uses the letter, the writings, of the Bible, to deceive listeners or readers of the Scriptures. Take care.
What I tell you I tell to all
Hbrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to render an account.
GOD bless
Hey brother just one last thing to consider.
Daniel 9:24-27, in this prophecy, there are seventy weeks or 490 years determined unto Daniel's people and the holy city to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Have these 6 things been fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah, and the judgment of it carried out in 70 AD? If so, all of this prophecy has been fulfilled in the past.
1 To finish the transgression. To break or violate, as a law, civil or moral; the act of transgressing. Psalms 32:1 Isaiah 53:5-11 Romans 4:14-15 Galatians 3:18-19 Hebrews 9:14-15.
2 To make an end to sins. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Matthew 1:21 Hebrews 10:8-11 John 1:29 1 Corinthians 15:3 1 John 3:5 Psalm 32:1 Romans 3:21-26 Romans 8:3.
3 To make reconciliation for iniquity. Reconciliation is an element of salvation that refers to the results of the atonement. Colossians 1:20-22 Isaiah 53:6 Isaiah 53:11 Romans 5:11 Ephesians 2:16 Titus 2:14 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.
4 To bring in everlasting righteousness. In conformity to the demands of the covenant and according to God's will. Isaiah 61:10-11 Romans 3:21-26 Romans 5:17-21 2 Corinthians 5:21 1 Peter 2:24.
5 To seal up the vision and prophecy. The greatest prediction, which runs like a golden thread through the whole contents of the Old Testament, is that regarding the coming and work of the Messiah, Jesus. Daniel 9:23 Matthew 11:11-15 Mark 1:14-15 John 5:36-40 John 6:27 Acts 3:18.
6 To anoint the most holy. The high priest went into the holy of holies once a year with the blood of a sacrificed bull. Jesus our high priest with His own blood anointed the most holy not made with hands once and for all, forever. Hebrews 9:6-14.
Jesus said it in John 19:28-30.
God bless,
RLW
My understanding is Jesus was baptized and anointed in the fall of the year__, he was 40 days and nights in the wilderness. Jesus then chose His 12 disciples. shortly after the wedding where Jesus turned the water to wine, He went to Passover John 2:23, this would be 6 months after He was anointed by the Holy Ghost.
There are 3 more Passovers and Jesus was crucified on the last one, John 5:1, 1.5 years John 6:4 2.5 years, and John 13:1 the Passover He was crucified 3.5 years from when He was anointed as the Messiah.
My understanding of Matthew 24 was also for the disciples for the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem not just for us today, if we compare Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 have when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet. But in Luke 21:20, He writes when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
The abomination of desolation is something done by someone as King Antiochus IV Epiphanes did in 168 BC. It happened before the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. My understanding is parts of Jesus's Olivet discourse were for them and parts are for us.
What is in Daniel 9:27 Jesus caused the sacrifice and oblation to cease when He died and the vail of the Temple rent from top to bottom. As Jesus told the woman at the well the hour has come ye shall not worship the Father in the mountain or Jerusalem, John 4:21
The wording in Daniel 9:27 is for the overspreading of abominations points to the abominations the leaders of Jerusalem will have done, Matthew 23:32-38 Jesus told them "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" The he, is Jesus who will make it desolate and, in their generation, it was made desolate by the people/Roman army, of the prince/Titus same as God used Babylon in 586 BC.
I hope this makes sense so that you can study for your understanding even if you disagree, if you have questions let me know.
God bless,
RLW
John 6:24-35
24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for JESUS.
25And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30They said therefore unto him,What sign shewest thou then,that we may see,and believe thee?what dost thou work?
31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32Then Jesus said unto them,Verily,verily,I say unto you,Moses gave you not that bread from heaven;but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven,and giveth life unto the world.
34Then said they unto him,Lord,evermore give us this bread.
35And Jesus said unto them,I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger;and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Luke 15:17-20
17And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have BREAD enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20And he arose, and came to his father.
Marvelous
The Bible says we're all sinners, (Roman's 3:23) and since God is a holy and just God our sin needs to be punished. God loves us so much, that while we were His enemy, He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to come and pay for our sins. He died for all of our sins, past, present and future. But He didn't stay dead. 3 days later Jesus Christ rose from the dead, proving His sacrifice for our sins was accepted by God. Now He offers salvation to us FREELY, all we have to do is believe and trust in what He has done.
Roman's 10:13 says "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
God made salvation so simple, that anyone can receive it. Baptism has nothing to do with salvation, praise God it depends on Him.
If you're not saved, you can be saved. You're living now, and the Bible says in John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." If you sincerely call upon the Lord, believing and trusting in only what He's done for you, He will save you. Simple as that. He won't cast you out.
Now is the day of salvation ( 2nd Corinthians 6:2). Romans 8:38-39 - Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ
If salvation is based on something that I have to do tomorrow or have to not do tomorrow, or based upon MY performance/works as a Christian, then there's no way to know ur saved because there's no way to know what u will or won't do tomorrow. If we could lose our salvation, we would.
But if I'm trusting solely in what Jesus Christ has done, that is fixed, settled, and final, and that is eternal security.
I will pray for you
St Mark gives us the v.40 almost identical with that of Matthew ch.23 but the former uses it a point of departure in order to illustrate in real time of a widow parting with her only livelihood. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation."(23:14). How truth reaches a congregation when the scribes and Pharisee teach is different than the widow whose penury offered no stumbling block from exercising faith. Jesus "And beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much."
The widow "but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living" places her life squarely upon whom it belongs. It catches the eye of our Savior.
In the Parable of the Rich Fool he had all the worldly goods but lacked the good sense. He was not rich towards God. So God tells him, " Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"( Luke 12:20) Jesus commends the poor widow who exercised faith most wisely. The scribes and Pharisee as we are familiar with the term applied 'active' faith so the poor and needy part with their living, in expectations of a windfall. Jesus calls their shepherding as 'devouring' instead.
God sent his only begotten Son in order to give whosoever believed in him, everlasting life. Jesus also tells how anyone may do the work of God. It can only be with Jesus, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?/Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."( John 6:28-29)
This is faith where the poor widow worked with God and for her livelihood she did not have to put on the mind of the scribes and Pharisees, devouring the gullible among their audience. For the faith of the widow was set in heavenly places with the Son.
There are two views on the subject; the "transubstantiation" argument of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions and the purely symbolic or metaphorical doctrines we find in many Protestant churches. In the first view we have to hold to an abhorrent view that there is an ongoing or perpetual reinstitution of Christ's sacrifice at every communion; clearly contrary to where Christ stated "it is finished" on the cross and Hebrews 9:28 speaking of His one time sacrifice for many. The Protestant viewpoint; however can tend to treat communion and in fact many other rites or ceremonies as merely symbolic and thus be calloused to verses such as 1 Corinthians 11:30 which states that many have become sick and died (fallen asleep) due to taking communion unworthily.
Communion therefore is something which each individual is held accountable for but also involves a union in the Body of Christ through the function of the Holy Spirit. We certainly can't isolate these warnings just for communion; for instance we have no business being baptized without a proper confession of faith and marriages also need to be taken seriously in regard to the covenant vows. The New Covenant brings the blood ATONEMENT which essentially exchanges His life for our own as our spiritual sustenance; along with His broken body. He purchased us with the cost of His life and redeemed us from death and hell by taking our place on the cross of Calvary. Such a detestable imagery of a snake on a pole was an early representation of this Numbers 21. A man was cursed when hung on a tree ( Deut. 21:22-23). We are then partakers in Christ and His sufferings ( 1 Peter 4:13); see also Hebrews 3:14 on enduring to the end.
In terms of eternal physical life; we of course have the tree of life as mentioned in the Garden. We also will be raised incorruptible if we are in Him.
I know you are an author and your vocabulary is greater than mine I will try to respond but to be truthful you are hard to follow. First MOU my understanding is a nonbinding agreement between parties stating their intentions. How can that be a covenant a covenant is a relationship between partners either conditional or unconditional and this covenant is between God the Father and God the Son. Would not the Holy Spirit be a part of this covenant and the will of God that the Son completes? John 6:38 It is God's will not Jesus's like He said in Luke 22:42.
If God is a triune God, would it not be the will of all three with no difference in authority or knowledge? Why the need for a covenant between them since all three are God and all three are equal?
At the beginning of each day, God said what was to be, the spoken word of God, and it was so. Other than speculation how can we say the Son was in agreement? Isaiah 45:18 In Genesis 1:28 would be an unconditional covenant, more of a blessing, God placed man above all that was created on earth and man was given dominion over it. God delegated the rule of man over His creation and no consequences were stated, we see how that turned out.
I agree Jesus did not need to be water baptized for remittance of sin, but He did need the anointing of the Holy Ghost/Spirit to become the Messiah/Christ. The word of God was in Jesus and by the Holy Ghost/Spirit Jesus did the works of His Father therefore Jesus was the tabernacle of God, the image of God for every word Jesus said was not His but the word of God the Father. John 4:34 John 5:30 John 12:44-45
Philip was the first to bring the gospel to the Samaritans.
I hope you can make sense of this.
God bless,
RLW
"And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives./ Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."
The chief priests covenanted with Judas to pay thirty pieces of silver. Their conspiracy to kill Jesus was born out of their human failings which however connected with the Word that underpins the everlasting covenant. Who shall betray him was a question that cropped up when Jesus foretold it. "And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me./ The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born."(vv.23-24). Jesus knew all along what role his disciple would play and as the Word become flesh he did not refuse him but his deity demanded grace must be shown and it is what he did. John gives us that account. Peter professed his faith, saying, "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God./ Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?/ He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. "( John 6:69-71).
vv.14-16 It was purely Judas' free will to judge the event in the house of Bethany that tilted his decision to betray his master. He did not have to wait too long because the word sent forth before the worlds began was in control of every events ever since he sent it, and Judas chose to do the bidding of Satan,- and Jesus equates the son of perdition as the devil himself. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Ze.13:7 was about to be fulfilled. In the following passages we shall see how the little ones fared after smiting the shepherd.
Peter had chosen life so when great many disciples left Jesus because of his hard sayings ( John 6:67-68( he stuck by the Prince of life. Entering into the kingdom of God appealed to him. So he wanted to know,"what shall we have therefore?" Disciples were curious and on another occasion wanted to know the hour of his coming which the risen Jesus stopped short with a curt answer, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." Before his passion also Jesus did not allow any speculation as to what God held in his authority, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."(Ac.1:7; Matt.24:36). "My Father worketh hitherto and I work" meant heaven and earth were held by the word of God where fulfillment of the divine Will was his part so when the disciples asked,"Who then can be saved?" Jesus shares what was within his authority to answer. Salvation was as entering with Prince of life through a veil so life abundant was the Holy Grail of their ministry with Jesus Christ. Jesus understood he was earnest and despite of his volatility his heart beat ever so true.
"When the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" was in his authority to give. For this reason even after denying him Jesus entrusts his disciples to his care."Feed my sheep" meant Jesus had completely forgiven his former lapse. Hundredfold is in the sense it did not happen as he was concerned. This explains with the being born again experience. "Therefore if any manbein Christ,he isa new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."(2 Co.5:17) Jesus practiced what he preached. "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."(Matt.18:35)
God is a Spirit and His holiness is the name, which He expressed when He declared, 'Thou art my Son'. (Ps.7-8). We can understand the significance of this from this, "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word." ( John 17:6-NKJV; John 6:37). Holiness in the matter of the name creates a Holy Family not of flesh and blood but on the basis of faith. The key to the Father Son relationship is faith with works. "If then I be a father, where is my honour?" (Mal.1:6). There are well meaning Christians who is proof against spiritualizing the word. They take literally and go by sense than the Spirit. So what is the wisdom which they go by? Wisdom of heaven is free and they would rather be called Pharisees than take it. Faith is what required. If we see still arguments over humanity and deity of Jesus in our forum it just proves why. Their intellect is their security blanket and cannot let go.
Salvation plan of God is on the basis of the Father Son relationship. The earth as a mirror of heaven. This shall be completed when the tabernacle of God is among men. (Re.21:3)
Separation of sons of God from the unbelieving world is the work to which Jesus referred, My Father works hitherto and I work, and he opened a new and living way. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." (2 Co.6:17)
"Six days work shall be done" Le.23:3. For the Israelites it was the work of human hands, toil of the beasts and fruits of the field that counted as work. Their literalism was such they would not see it as anything else. The fact is borne out in the question they asked Jesus. "What shall we do that we might be doing the works of God?"( John 6:27-28). God sent his only begotten Son on whom was his seal of approval and they rejected him. If the horse has bolted the stable why the nation belabor themselves with the act of scrubbing the stable floor? By the same token when God has cast them out why cause the odium of genocide from the world as we see it in our times, over the name Jerusalem that is instead being built in the heaven places? New Jerusalem is where a believer may enter in the rest of God and in his Son.
Sabbath serves as a sign. "That ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you"(Ex.31:17a.) the shadow of good things to come. It was a sign of sanctification, which, however did not good to the nation of Israel for want of faith. Moses pleading 'blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written' was ineffectual. He was the servant (He.3:1-3) and not Son whose offering was perfect. His Son who he shall send according to His will in the fullness of time, refreshed him. So He sanctifies the seventh day. "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (He.10:14)".
It is God who sanctifies and at His terms. God cannot deny his holiness, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book".
"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren(He.2:11).What Moses gave the nation of Israel was a shadow of good things to come.
Colossians 1:15-18 as in John 1:1 what beginning is John writing about, this gives a different understanding, In Colossians what creation is Paul writing about if we look at it as the start of all creation, the angels the counsels of heaven as we see in Job 38, they were before this earth or is Paul writing about the new creation. Is Paul referring to Jesus before He was crucified? Or is Paul referring to the risen Christ? In Christ is the resurrected Christ not the Christ when He first came.
One other thing and Giannis can let us know if I am correct or not in verse 16, by Him, the Greek is en auto meaning in Him as we see in 2 Corinthian 5:17 Ephesians 1:4,9 Colossians 2:6 to be in the risen Christ. Paul is talking about the new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:16-19 to be in Christ is to be a new creature/creation and reconciliation, this is this world and in heaven as we see things in heaven is as bad as on this earth and Jesus Christ is to make all new.
Hebrews 1:3-4 Jesus was made much better than the angels, this after He was totally obedient died on the cross and raised from the dead and ascended to heaven above all that is in heaven and earth. and in Him all will be made new. He was made means He was not before He completed what His Father sent Him to do. Matt. 28:18 John 3:35 John 5:26-27 John 6:39 what Jesus did and had was given to Him from the Father.
I know this is short, I may be away for a while but hope to reply more soon.
God bless,
RLW
True, we may not conclusively know the Form He took in Heaven, whether as the Word within God's Person (just as the Spirit in God was sent out), or as another Form outside of God yet closely connected to Him. The issue here is, whether Jesus existed (in some Form) prior to His appearing on Earth. If not, what do we do with such verses as given here? Can we really reinterpret them in any other way? Is that even possible? And we could add Micah 5:2 (a coming Ruler not going forth from Bethlehem, but from eternity), John 3:13 (Who was in Heaven, coming down from Heaven), John 6:38 (come from Heaven), John 8:56-58 (Jesus existed even before Abraham), Philippians 2:5-11 (His equality with God, but laid it aside to come & serve man), & Hebrews 1:1-3 (through Jesus God made the worlds).
I've understood your comments on Jesus' Life & Death as per His earthly sojourn. But unless we can understand Who this Jesus really is (i.e. whether a Creation of God to fulfil His Plans on Earth, or God Himself, He Who was from the beginning), then the substance of this Mystery can never be resolved. That is why textual examination is so important, especially when we can see other Scriptures that confirm our understanding. I apologize for not referring to your other comments (e.g. the soul/spirit, firstborn, etc), but wanted to keep this short & focus on Jesus before His appearance on Earth. GBU.
Jesus chose 12 disciples to indicate his ministry was of the Servant-King, as Son to his heavenly father.(See under N-numbers, command)
Principle of Association established a new order where it was enough that a servant was an associate as his master "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord".(Matt.10:25;40)
(See under S- servant)
Discipleship is a loaded word. It is not simply delivering doctrine of God to the world as heard of him. As associates of Jesus Christ it was the Life, which as Jesus declared was his logos aspect. Not only the Word but of the Son. One sign of their adequacy came when they could enter into the heart of the parables." His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God."( John 16:29-33) Their growth was begun when they stayed on trusting. "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.( John 6:67-68)
Jesus declared that his doctrine was not of his own but that of his Father. He established the cardinal principle of discipleship: Man is the massage. Jesus set an example and he promised a double portion because he was going to his father.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."( John 14:12)
(See under D-double )
The fifth book in the Pentateuch in Hebrew, like the preceding books, it takes its name from its commencement, 'These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness,' The rabbinical text would have it as Sepher Debarim, the book of debarim, or the book of the words. The book is considered as the second law or Deuteronomion.
"According unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them,"(De.1:3) we have in three discourses delivered by Moses shortly before his death, the second Law to which we shall come anon. Three discourses and three appendices, namely the Song of Moses (De.37:1-47) Blessings (De.33) His death and aftermath, are alike stapled together by the command number Three and it refers to the Son.
As Moses serving as the double for the Son we have the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. Interestingly enough in the Lucan gospel the setting for the sermon is on the plains.( Luke 6:17)
(See entry under B-Beatitudes)
"When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me." (De.17:14-15) The Spirit refers to the possibility of people of Israel opting for a king over them 'like as all the nations' that are about them. In such a case a second law is to be given to the future king. We see this fulfilled but in the manner Jesus avoided those who by force would make him a king ( John 6:15). It just goes on to show that the Law given by Moses was inadequate. In Jesus was the fulfilment of the Law. God had set a Day by decree for his Son (Ps.2:7) and he was content to abide by his Will.
What Moses intended with the second law, for their king as the history of Israel would show was like a kingdom built upon sand.
"He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."(Ec.3:11)
No man can find out the mind of God to control time. Only from the work of God one can make sense. This work of God is to believe Jesus Christ. "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."( John 6:28-29). When Jesus said "I am the resurrection, and the life." ( John 11:25,26) Martha had no understanding to connect this directly to the Son of man but Jesus corrects her and admit it was so."Believest thou this?" In this context what does the budding of Aaron's rod signify? Who shall serve God is it Levi, Israel as a nation or Jesus Christ the Word become flesh? "and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds."(Nu.17:8,2) The Word of God decreed the day of salvation in his Son.(Ps.2:6-8) This is the Will of God so in the Abstract we have the MOU between God and Man. "and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." Moses wrote the name of Levi as commanded by God. 'The seed in itself' is indicative it is the word of God is going to work in this test. The work of God according the quote from JohnCh.6 flowering of the rod in a proof of Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. (He.13:8)The rod flowered according to the divine Will. Time is of no consequence.
Which came first: chicken or egg? The divine Will is omnipotence. Accordingly the word of God supplied all the information so we are to accept both as one, as the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind. The world of blackholes prove information cannot be lost. neither can the word of God. We deceived ourselves to think atom bombs would stop the WWII We did not even imagine the name North Korea then. It just proves.
v.13 Jesus was there not to right the wrongs of temporal powers; nor was he there as a social reformer to create changes from the existing environment but to bring the huddled masses to the light. He began preaching only when they same the light shine on them. "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet," and what in his time was received in indifference,- so he was a prophet without honor' was now beginning to make sense to the generation of Jesus, and feeding the five thousand stands as culmination of the Word, cast forth upon the waters, connecting with Jesus as the bread from heaven. It is thus every word of God shall be fulfilled in the time appointed.
In the Law of Moses towards restitution it is laid down,"If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep." (Ex.22:1) The ox is man's livelihood so man and ox is considered as one. Feeding Five thousand (5x1000) is an indication of symbolic partaking. "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."( John 6:53). (In this context number Four signifies The word become Flesh. Jesus Christ as the Savior in terms of four cardinal direction. Salvator mundi, the Savior of the World).
The Spirit gives us a number 5x1000. Thousand always refers to the end times. So Feeding Five Thousand is a tag for the humanity of Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of the above mentioned quote from St John. We shall similarly discuss feeding of the the Four Thousand in terms of the Word.
vv.1-12
Herod beheaded John the Baptist on a whim. His personal honor was at stake lest he did not commit the crime and give his head to the damsel who has had not an iota of understanding. One who lives for pleasure is dead since truth with which one may stake claim, rightly so, for life everlasting is let go. What else is he good for if he had lost his saltines, truth?
It was for this reason Jesus said,'Let the dead bury their dead'. ("But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.1 Ti.5:6)They are drunk with power as Herod was and mindless pleasure as we get to see nowadays in news media are like wise dead. "They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again."(Pr.23:35). Such are the dead men walking of which Herod is a good example. What was his honor worth when 'he feared the multitude'? In such a pusillanimous spirit what made him equate John whom he had beheaded with Jesus? For that matter what has resurrection to do with one who was given to pleasure. It is what we call truth in his inward parts, the inner man nudging his callous conscience to itself. The Preacher says, "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."(Ec.3:11).We have the key in this verse, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."( John 6:28-29) 'The work that God maketh' is believing in the Son whom he sent. So Jesus is the only Way for 'the dead', "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."(Ep.5:14)
"And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore./And he spake many things unto them in parables"
Compare the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount where "And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him."Here we have his disciples mentioned, and his call to them was," Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."(3:19). The Mount represented where came from. Heavenly Zion on which the kingdom of heaven was founded. (Is.28:16). The number 12 accordingly was a reminder of Jesus Christ the Man the message.
He was the Mediator between heaven and the earth. The Spirit serves as a narrative mode of the eternal Word so Jesus speaking from a ship reinforces the context of the river of time. Parables were the means to reconcile the ways of God with those of man and it helped only those who were as single minded as the merchant man who 'had found one pearl of great price.' (vv.44-45). Is.55:9.
By principle of Association he was the bread from heaven and in the multiplying of loaves and fishes we are given heavenly realities set in comparison with the natural world. As many as who received him were the promise of God given. In line with the principle of Similitude Evangelist Matthew gives us the Last Supper where he broke the bread "And said, Take, eat; this is my body."(26:26; John 6:51). It is no coincidence that we have a Parable of the Wedding Banquet.(22:1-14)
Parables dealt with the Word as mentioned above and the Gospel of God signified the word become flesh. He was sent as foretold by the Preacher,"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days./Give a portion to seven, and also to eight."(Ec.11:1-2)
The earth as a field serves where the heart of man is understood as fashioned by God alike. Stony places point to the state of man who must deal with it to be fruitful.
"As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work"(v.2)
Glory of God is revealed in the manner His Power and Wisdom have created the heaven and the earth; so much so even a speck of dust refracts sunlight to create a roseate dawn or starry skies that never fails to thrill us. God is beyond human conception and Truth is the only measure by which He makes sense to us. "He hath made everythingbeautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end(Ec.3:11)". Only through his Son it is known. The works of God ( John 6:28-29).
Soul is a token of God establishing his sovereignty over His creation and it holds the everlasting covenant as its frame of reference. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.( John 14:6)." Truth in inward parts makes each of us accountable to God in the final reckoning. So what are we but chosen by God before the worlds began. Are we sons or servants merely going through the motions of living for our reward?
"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope./O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good."
"Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?" A hireling and a son have different standing which the Parable of the Prodigal Son brings out. The spendthrift son have wasted away his means and fell in want. In an alien country where Satan is a hard taskmaster he would even grudge over the husks doled out to his servants, what does the son say,'And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!( Luke 15:17).The expression 'when he came to himself' is highly significant. Soul is a reminder of our fellowship with God.
"No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse." God is a consuming fire and against it the traditions of the fathers and superficial observances of the old did not stand a chance. So it required for the lost sheep of Israel to trust the Word become flesh. He was 'the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.' God well knew that they were stiff necked and evil. As in the case of Ezekiel God sent his Son to them with the same condition. "And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious."(Ez.2:7). It is significant that God addresses the prophet as Son of man, and Ezekiel serves as a stand in for his Son.
The 12 disciples did not choose the Son but He did. " But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him./ And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father."( John 6:64-65) and he well knew who would betray him. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve."(6:70-71).
Jesus chose him as man not judging him before hand. As the Word become flesh he would give him a chance to redeem himself. But Judas was an old bottle, whose disobedience, sin was like the proverbial little fox burrowing deep and yet spoiling the vineyard while in bud. Time tests of what man is.
"Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.(9:16-17)
"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Blessedness of seeking righteousness we have in 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."
In v.31 Jesus addresses the crowd,'O ye of little faith" Provident God shows His glory in lifeforms lowly as they are but most efficient in their working how much more He would have invested in Man? He who did not spare him for our blessedness shall He not gives such prosaic things needful for each day? The birds of the air know it was as wild beasts do. "if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you."
The Gentiles spend their time with questions with regards to their creature comforts. "What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" (v.31). Daily they would like in the myth of Sisyphus, rolling all their energy to the single peak of their desires, their belly. Once satisfied come next day they are at it again? Tyranny of the trifle robbing man of the most blessed Fellowship and it is what Satan does:all these toil and moil is for the flesh which the Bible says profits nothing. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."( John 6:63).
"That whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?"(15:17)
God made all provision for our eternal salvation. Righteousness of God has sent his word, (Is.55:11) set up the House with seven pillars (Pr.9:1-5) and allso prepared the table. "She(Wisdom) hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. ". She has set out a call, "Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled."
Faith is the key for any given day. "Give us this day our daily bread" we pray and if we are of little faith what does the Lord's Prayer amount to?