~ 2Timothy 2:15~
"Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth"
(This is for all those who would like to have Bible Study-online):
"With these tests` the "Answers are within the Study."
But feel free to asks, Questions, or to leave Comments in our "Comments-Box."
REPENTANCE & FAITH:
Which comes first--Repentance or Faith? Actually, they work jointly.
Repentance represents the negative or preparatory side, while faith symbolizes the positive or receptive side. Repentance is turning away from actions that lead to death.; faith is turning toward God.
Repentance and faith are inseparable gifts from God and cannot exist separately.
"Testifying both the Jews, and also the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" -Acts 20:21.
"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God . . ." -Hebrews 6:1-2.
"AMEN! I BELIEVE!"
Faith is the ability to believe God and to accept His Word as truth. It is like saying, "Amen to God."
After hearing or reading the Word, Gods Spirit ddraws us to Himself. Then faith assists us to believe. We experience an unshakable confidence that God's Word is really true.
"But without faith it is impossible nto please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.: -Hebrew 11:6.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that (faith) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." -Ephesians 2:8.
We cannot deal with a God whom we cannot see unless we have absolute faith in His existence and in the fulfillment of His promises.
Faith comes from the Greek word "pistis" which means--firm persuasion; strong and welcome belief; conviction of the truth of anything. This strong persuasion or belief is not imagining or wishing things into being. It is the Holy Spirit working within to persuade us to believe only what actually exists.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1.
Faith is composed of three things---knowledge, belief, and trust. First in order is knowledge. Have you wondered why some folks don't "stick," in the church? Perhaps they were never founded on the knowledge of the Word.
Emotion or feeling is an extremely risky foundation; but faith's foundation is most secure---the Word of God.
The importance of a convert being instructed in the Word must be emphasized. How can one believe something he does not know? He must be taught how to search the Scriptures to learn what pertains to salvation.
Then the mind believes that these things are true: Jesus died so that "I," might be saved. He wants to give me "His Spirit." His blood will swash away "my," sins. Salvation must be a personal experience---not only for someone else, but for me.
Belief is followed by trust. Christs wants to cleanse my sins because He loves me. Only by Grace---Hisloving favor undeserved by man---can I be saved. I believe and trust that my sins will forever be removed by His precious blood.
From begginning to ending, our salvation is dependent upon faith---faith to repent; faith to be baptized in His name; faith to receive His Spirit.
We begin and continue our walk with God in the same way. Like repentance, we will exercise faith endlessly. Once the foundation has been laid, faith becomes a new principle of life. It must continually grow because the outcome of every battle depends on the amount of our faith.
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." -Colossians 2:6-7.
Living by faith is our new way of life. We expect God to fulfill the promises in His Word. What He has spo0ken to us individually will materialize if we are willing to wait for it. Believing must be mixed with patience. One hard pressure to endure is that of waiting a long time. But if we allow God to develop this characteristic, we'll have a strong anchor in stormy times.
Faith in God's Word leads us to the next step of salvation---water baptism. Those wicked, sinful acts and thoughts must be remitted, or sent away. In the water of baptism the choice is finalized by "burying," our old person.
Here is a test for you to study and answer:
(The Answers, lay within the Study)
Repentance is the _______________ side and faith is the _______________ side of salvation.
Repentance is _______________ __________ from sinful actions; faith is ___________ ___________ God.
Faith is like saying, "____________" to God.
CHECK THE WORDS AND DESCRIBE FAITH:
___ 1. imagination
___ 2. wishing something was true
___ 3. firm persuasion
___ 4. believing something that doesn't actually exist
___ 5. strong emotions
___ 6. strong belief
___ 7. strong trust in God's Word
___ 8. conviction of the truth of anything
___ 9. hoping that God's Word is true
__ 10. the ability to believe for a while
__ 11. a new way of life
__ 12. believing mixed with patience
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BAPTIZE-TO DIP OR TO SPRINKLE?
The word "baptize" reveals an interesting history of use. It's a Greek word, merely written in letters of the English alphabet. Our English word "baptize" comes from the Greek word "baptizo." The basic root is "bapto," occurring three times in the Greek text of the New Testament. Each time it is translated by the same English verb "to dip."
First the rich man in Hell screamed,
"Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue . . ." -Luke 16:24.
Next, Jesus identifed the betraying disciple by saying.
"He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it" -John 13:26.
The third instance is John's description of Jesus` return to earth leading the armies of Heaven:
"And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood" -Revelation 19:13.
In all three passages, the Greek verb "bapto" means: to dip something into a fluid, and then take it out again. Only one possible, literal meaning then can be given to baptizo ---(from which we get the English word baptize): to cause something to be dipped.
Baptizo is just a common, ordinary, household word used in the Greek language through the centuries. Aristotle lived from 384 to 322 B. C. and wrote, "The Phoenicians sailing beyond Hercules Pillars came to a land uninhabited, whose coast was full of seaweeds and is not laid under water at ebb, but when the tide comes in, it is wholly baptizo."
Heroclides, author of Homeric Allegories, lived about 325 B. C. and wrote, "Neptune is ingeniously supposed to deliver Mars from Vulcan to signify that when a piece of iron is taken red-hot out of a fire, and baptizo into water, the heat is repelled and extinguished."
The Septuagint Bible (the Greek translation of The Old Testament from the original Hebrew) relates the story about Naaman, the Syrian captain who was afflicted with leprosy. Elisha, the prophet of the Lord, told Naaham to go to the River Jordan and dip seven times. The Septuagint reads, "Then Naaham went down and baptizo himself seven times in the Jordan according to the saying of the man of God."
Modern Greek is practically the same speech as in ancient times. The Greek language has changed less in 2,300 years than our modern English has changed in 500 years. Homer and Socrates, Plato and Aristotle could easily read today's Greek newspaper.
A scholar, Dr. J. T. Conant, wrote a book citing every instance of the use of the word "baptizo" triesfrom 100 B. C. to 1000 A. D. In every instance in the history of the Greek language, this word means: to immerse or dip.
The Greek Orthodox Church, where the Greek language is read and spoken, has always immersed baptismal candidates. Even the ancient cathedrals of the Roman Catholic Church in Pisa and Florence, Italy, are equipped with magnificent baptistries. St. Paul's Cathedral in Rome has a baptistry, indicating that all ancient churches baptize by immersion. Not until the council of Ravenna in 1311 did the Roman Catholic Church give permission to sprinkle.
For centuries men have been making the gospel of Jesus Christ convenient by sprinkling converts rather than immersing. Several Protestant churches today still contend that sprinkling or pouring constitutes water baptism. They maintain that the mode of water baptism can vary with climate and circumstances. But did God give His ministers permission to make His Kingdom convenient for people? No! We come God's way or we do not come at all!
*A CONTROVERSIAL WORD*
Since the word "baptizo" or "baptize" is an unfamiliar word to English-speaking people, why was this word never translated? Let's examine the historical background of Bible translation.
The best known and most influential of all English translations is the King James Version. By the authority of King James of Britain in the year 1611, a group of Greek scholars, (also bishops in the Church of England), were assigned to translate the Scriptures into English.
In the third chapter of Matthew, they found the word baptizo. All the scholars knew the real meaning, but unsure about dealing with a term that conflicted with the practice of sprinkling in the Church of England they counselled with the king.
Unwilling to further strain the relations between himself and his bishops, King James prohibited the introduction into the translation of anything offensive to the bishops or the practices of the state church. Therefore, the Greek word "baptizo" (a potential source of controversy in its translated form), was never translated at all. It was incorprated directly ino the English language!
This is why the third chapter of Matthew reads:
"And they were baptized of him (John) in the Jordan . . ." -Matthew 3:6.
In the Jordan River, John immersed, dipped, overwhelmed his followers. We, too, must receive this "baptizo" today!
TRUE OR FALSE? (All the answers` are within the study itself & Bible)
___ 1). The word "baptize" is a purely Hebrew word.
___ 2). The basic root word is "bapto" and always means: to sprinkle with water.
___ 3). All through history, "baptize" has always meant: to immerse or dip.
___ 4). Even the ancient cathedrals of Rome were equipped with baptistries.
___ 5). Not until the Council of Ravenna in 1511 did the Roman Catholic Church permit baptism by immersion.
___ 6). King James allowed the word "baptize" to be inserted into his English translation of the Bible to keep good relations between himself and his bishops.
__7). Had the word "baptize" been properly translated, no controversy would have existed between the state and the church.
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*FOUR TYPES OF BAPTISM*
HEBREWS 6:2-discloses that one foundational doctrine of the Christian faith is "the doctrine of baptisms", indicating more than one baptism. In fact, there are four disticct types of baptism revealed in the New Testament.
The first of these baptisms is that preached and practiced by John the Baptist.
"John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."-Mark 1:4.
The second baptism is not biblically described by any one concise word, but could be termed "the baptism of suffering." Jesus referred to this baptism in Luke's gospel:
:But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened (or distressed) till it be accomplished!" -Luke 12:50
Jesus referred to this suffering when the mother of James and John requested the privilege of having her sons sit beside Jesus in His glory:
"Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with." -Mark 10:38.
This reference portrays the imminent spiritual and physical surrender Jesus assumed upon Himself in bearing of the world.
The third baptism in the New Testament is baptism in water commanded by Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark:
"Go ye therefore , and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" -Matthew 28:19.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach [the] gosprl to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." -Mark 16:15-16.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the forth type. Jesus clearly distinguished this baptism from that of water when He declared:
"For John truely baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." -Acts 1:5.
Although the King James Version reads, "baptized with the Holy Ghost," the actual Greek text records, "baptized in the Holy Ghost." The entire Greek text of the New Testament uses only two prepositions with the verb "to baptize." These are "in" and "into." Hence, the real meaning of the word baptize--- "to cause to be dipped, or immersed."
Basically, the baptism in the Holy Ghost is for the purpose of receiving a supernatural experience of power to be a witness for Christ.
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me . . ." -Acts 1:8.
So we find four baptisms: first John's baptism in water for repentance, second, the baptism of suffering; third, baptism in water using a full name invested with authority and power (the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ); and fourth, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, a super natural experience of power from above.
Match the description on the left with the correct type baptism on the right:
A. Baptism of John
B. Baptism of suffering
C. Water baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
D. Baptism in the Holy Ghost
___________________________________
___ 1) Command recorded in Matthew 28:19
___ 2) A supernatural experience of power
___ 3) A Spiritual and physical surrender made by Christ
___ 4) A command recorded in Mark 1:4
___ 5) A baptism of repentance
___ 6) A baptism described in Mark 10:38
___ 7) A baptism described in Mark 16:15-16
___ 8) A baptism recorded in Acts 2:38
___ 9) A baptism recorded in Acts 1:5
___ 10) A baptism described in Luke 12:50
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*A NEW PREACHER WITH A NEW MESSAGE*
Centuries before John's birth, Olt Testament prophets prophesised that someone would prepare the way for the Messiah. Now, after 400 years of silence, God again spoke to Israel and presented an entirely new message.
John's message heralded the coming King with the new law. To receive this Messiah, preparation was commanded to be made in individual hearts. His message was: "The Kingdom was ready! Are you?"
Unaccustomed to hearing from God, a forerunner was necessary to awaken the Jewish people. So John was sent to preach and baptize. This strange new prophet came in the "spirit and power of Elijah" with a special annointing attracting hrongs of people. Boldly he proclaimed, "if you want to enter this Kingdom, you must prepare yourself by repenting of your sins. Demonstrate your repentance by allowing me to baptize you for the remission of sins."
Until then, God had dealt with His people through the Law, the Priesthood, and the Temple. Now a change was occurring. The entire system of Judaism was coming to an end. Soon the Law would be fulfilled in the Messiah Himself.
...more to come!
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