Precedent for Baptism

I think it would be proper for any Christian to baptize someone...isn't it part of the great commission?

 

Our pastor just taught about Baptism last night. He must be reading the same book Dr. Bob did on Baptism. Amazing........

 

An interesting and insightful reply APMind, to an interesting question.

I agree with the good Dr., that it makes no difference who does the baptizing, and as He says applying the essential “W’s”, with the “How” in our understanding, and is necessary for dividing His Word. He baptizes us with “no hands” with our circumcision, being sealed into the Body of His Church, and it is the only one that counts.

And yes “repent and be baptized for the remission of sins” is in the “great commission”, if we are to believe the Word of God. So it would seem to me, we need to understand what we preach, and what we are looking for.

 

You may wish to take a closer look. The message that Philip gave is not the message to we today. If this Ethiopian was a Gentile, He was a proselyte and came as a Jew, or this was a Jew in Ethiopia. It does not say He was an Ethiopian, only that "a man of Ethiopia". The Word teaches that Peter was sent by God to a specific Gentile to be saved just by believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are to believe His Word, then Cornelius was the first Gentile preached to, or at by the Apostles, or the Pentecostal church. Jesus never offered the Kingdom of God to the Gentile and neither did His Apostles, until Cornelius, and it was through faith, and not by faith. That is also found in Acts, when the phasing out of the Old and the New Christian area was being phased in. Two gospels if you will.

Something else you may wish to take into consideration. There is a kingdom, and then there is a kingdom, and even more kingdoms. But today we are only interested in one Kingdom, and that is the kingdom of Christ Jesus, and not the kingdom of God that all kingdoms are in, and which kingdom talked about in prophecy is for His nation, the nation Israel in His land Jerusalem, the Bride.

I am a Gentile and Christ did not mince any words with the Gentile woman, or other Gentiles. He and His Apostles and all good Jew’s kept their distance, and did not associate with the likes of me. Jesus came for His own of which I was not, but praise God and bless the nation Israel, for by their unbelief, we Gentiles can now be in the Temple, for we are with Him, now and forever, where ever He may go and whatever He may do in Eternity. He and we in Him are not confined to this earth if He decides to travel.

The Nation Israel, the People of God, the nation that God created for Himself will inherit this earth, and He will keep His promise. He told me no such thing, and I never made a covenant with God. He offered me a free gift and I took it. I go where He goes, as I am in His Body, of which those promised the earth are not.

But we can never forget, regardless of what else we may believe, Acts 16:28-31, ” But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29. And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas, 30. and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.”

Peter tells us the Jew just barely is saved. I’m not sure about the Christian, but we do know we are saved and sealed, and rewards will come for those that believe the Word of God to the fullest.

 

Jesus Christ and the Gospel of the Kingdom

What is the Gospel of the Kingdom? Did Jesus Christ preach one Gospel or two Gospels or more? Did Jesus Christ preach the same Gospel as the apostle Paul? What is the Kingdom of God? How many Kingdoms are there? What does Scripture say?

The Apostle Matthew writes in his account of the mission of the Christ, the Messiah as follows: [All Scripture is from the 1769 KJV unless otherwise noted]

Matthew 3:1-3, KJV
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

According to John the Baptist the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand as he announces the coming of the Lord. Matthew writes further:

Matthew 4:23, KJV
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Matthew 9:35, KJV
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 24:14, KJV
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

According to Matthew’s account Jesus Christ is preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. Perhaps Matthew is somewhat ambiguous, but Mark is not. John Mark opens his account of the ministry of Jesus Christ as follows:

Mark 1:1, KJV
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

Mark in writing a parallel account of the life of Jesus Christ declares he is writing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mark further writes about the Gospel quoting Jesus Christ Himself:

Mark 1:14-15, KJV
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

From these two passages in the Gospel according to Mark it is obvious that the gospel of Jesus Christ and gospel of the kingdom of God are the same.

Luke’s account of the life of Jesus Christ quotes Him as follows:

Luke 4:43, KJV
43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

John the Baptist preached that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus Christ taught that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Obviously the kingdoms are the same. The term Kingdom of Heaven appears only in the Gospel of Matthew; the term Kingdom of God is used on five occasions[Matthew 6:33; 12:28; 19:24, 21:31; 21:43]. Mark, Luke, and John use the term Kingdom of God only. Jesus Christ used both terms but generally referred to the Kingdom of God. Some have argued that there is a difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Walvoord [page 213, Major Bible Prophecies] states that when Matthew uses the term Kingdom of Heaven he is referring to the sphere of profession but that when he uses the term Kingdom of God he is referring to those who are truly saved. However, a comparison of parallel passages in Matthew, Mark, and Luke shows that Matthew uses the Kingdom of Heaven in the same context that Mark and Luke use of the Kingdom of God. A comparison of the explanation of Jesus Christ as to why He spoke in parables [following the parable of the sower] demonstrates without doubt that there is no difference in Matthew’s use of the Kingdom of Heaven and Mark’s and Luke’s use of the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 13:10,11, KJV
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mark 4:10,11, KJV
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables:

Luke 8:9,10, KJV
9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

The Book of Acts closes the history of the early Church with the Apostle Paul in Rome awaiting trial before Nero with these words:

Acts 28:30-31, KJV
30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Jesus Christ came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Gospel that He preached is the same Gospel that the Apostle Paul preached. There is only one Gospel, the Gospel of Redemption through Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul declares to the church at Galatia:

Galatians 1:6-9, KJV
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Jesus Christ came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, not an ‘earthly’ Messianic Kingdom. He came to establish and to die for His Church, not for an ‘earthly’ Messianic Kingdom.

Matthew 16:18, KJV
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Acts 20:28, KJV
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

If the Lord came to establish an ‘earthly’ Messianic Kingdom one must marvel at His response, following the feeding of the five thousand to the desire of the crowd to make Him king:

John 6:14,15, KJV
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

Jesus Christ rejected the overture of the crowd because His Kingdom is not of this world as He clearly teaches:

John 18:36, KJV
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

After His resurrection and prior to His ascension Scripture tells us the following:

Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

What did the early Church preach concerning the Kingdom of God:

To the Samaritans:

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.o t

At Antioch:

Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

At Ephesus

Acts 19:8* And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

Later in discussing the Second-Coming of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, writes to the church at Corinth as follows:

1 Corinthians 15:50, KJV
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, therefore, the so-called millennial kingdom cannot be the Kingdom of God as some dispensationalists claim [See Clouse the Millennium, Four Views, page 84ff].]

Consider the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Kingdom into which all believers are translated [Colossians 1:13]. Is this Kingdom the Kingdom of God? Most certainly unless the believer is in two kingdoms since Nicodemus is told in John 3:3-5 that those who are “born again” are born into the Kingdom of God. There is one God and one Kingdom, the Kingdom of God. There is one Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.[Romans 1:16, KJV]

 

I realize the above is off topic but ituttut mentioned "There is a kingdom, and then there is a kingdom, and even more kingdoms." so thought it merited a response.

 

Speaking of baptism, and good books on that subject . . . can anyone recommend some good books on baptism--esp ones that are not too difficult reading?

I asked a pastor and he had some suggestions but said they were rather dry and deep.

 

Old Regular and Itutut,

Since this topic is out of character of this topic, why do you not move it over to the topic that has already been started on this very subject...."THE KINGDOM OF...."