App
And Revelation 5:11, 1-Corinthians 11:1-15
Fred R. Coulter—November 29, 2008
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We're going to have a Bible Study covering different topics, but first I'm going to start with this:
Two Little Boys:
Two little boys ages eight and ten were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew all about it. If any mischief occurred in their town, the two boys were probably involved. The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak to her boys. The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually. So, the mother sent the eight-year-old first in the morning with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon.
The preacher was a huge man with a booming voice set the younger boy down and asked him sternly: 'Do you know where God is, son?'
The boy's mouth dropped open and made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open.
The preacher repeated the question with an even sterner tone: 'Where is God!'
Again the boy made no attempt to answer. The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed: 'WHERE IS GOD!'
The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home, dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his brother found him the closet, he asked, 'What happened?'
The younger boy gasped for breath and replied, 'We are in big trouble this time, God is missing and they think we did it!'
After all the bad news we can be sure that we have found God!
Question #1: Why are we baptized into the name of the trinity: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?
We are not! In Acts 19:5 they were baptized in the name of Lord Jesus.
Note booklets (truthofGod.org):
- The Christian Covenant of Water Baptism
- The True Meaning of Christian Baptism
Also Sermon Series, Transcript Book with CDs:
- Preparation for Baptism
Matt. 28 is the only place in the Bible where the expression is used this way:
Matthew 28:18: And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples in all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son… [it doesn't same in the name of the Son, just of the Son] …and of the Holy Spirit" (vs 18-19). It doesn't say in the name of the Holy Spirit!
Some people look at this and think that it's trinitarian. But we are going to see that it is not! Let's see some things concerning the Holy Spirit, first of all.
Know that nowhere in the entire New Testament is the Holy Spirit of God called God, the Holy Spirit God. It doesn't say that! We have the Son Who was God manifested in the flesh. We have God the Father and we also have in the first part of the Gospel of John where Jesus is called the Word and it says the Word was God! But nowhere do we have any reference to the Holy Spirit as God.
As a matter of fact in The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version we have:
- Appendix K: Exegesis for the Translation of the Phrase "the Holy Spirit
- Appendix L: A Summary of Proofs that God is not a Trinity
Explains all the particular details and getting into the Greek to show and prove that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but the power of God! Let's begin with that.
Acts 1:6: "So then, when they were assembled together, they asked Him, saying, 'Lord, will You restore the Kingdom to Israel at this time?' And He said to them, 'It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has placed in His own authority; but you yourselves shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…" (vs 6-8).
If the Holy Spirit were a person this would sound somewhat like an attack.
"…and you shall be My witnesses, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the ends of the earth" (v 8)—and then Jesus was received up into heaven!
Now let's see how this power was manifested on the Day of Pentecost.
Acts 2:1: "And when the Day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day, was being fulfilled, they were all with one accord in the same place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rushing of a powerful wind, and filled the whole house where they were sitting" (vs 1-2).
How can a person fill a room or house where they were sitting? It couldn't happen! It's the power of God.
Verse 4: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit; and they began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the words to proclaim."
We will see that the Holy Spirit of God is indeed the power of God. After Gabriel announced to Mary that she was going to conceive, and she said to the angel:
Luke 1:34: But Mary said to the angel, 'How shall this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?' And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you, and for this reason, the Holy One being begotten in you shall be called the Son of God" (vs 34-35).
Now, you're stuck with a problem if you believe that the Holy Spirit is a person. What is that problem? If the Holy Spirit were a person, the Holy Spirit would be the father of Jesus, rather than God the Father!
Luke 4:14: "Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee…"—very clearly it's the power of God, power of the Spirit!
What we are doing here is putting all the Scriptures together so that we can get the Scriptural answer to the question.
Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you now with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope and in the power of the Holy Spirit."
How did God fill them with "…joy and peace in believing…" but through the power of the Holy Spirit. There it is, it is the power of the Holy Spirit. He didn't say in the person of the Holy Spirit. Remember, nowhere in the New Testament does it talk about the Holy Spirit being a person!
2-Corinthians 6:4: "but in everything we are confirming ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings, in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned, in the Word of Truth, in the power of God; through the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left" (vs 4-7).
There we have defined for us the Spirit of God, the power of God. Nowhere is it calling it a person! Nowhere is the Holy Spirit ever called Lord! The Father is called Lord; Jesus is called Lord, but the Holy Spirit is never called Lord. There's no such phrase in the New Testament: Lord God, Holy Spirit!
John 14:26: "But when the Comforter comes, even the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in My name, that One shall teach you all things, and shall bring to your remembrance everything that I have told you."
John 15:26: "But when the Comforter has come, which I will send to you from the Father…" [the Holy Spirit comes from the Father, and Jesus can send it] …even the Spirit of the Truth, which proceeds from the Father, that oneshall bear witness of Me."
So, Jesus can send the Spirit, and the Father can send the Spirit, but it originates with the Father.
John 16:12: "I [Jesus] have yet many things to tell you, but you are not able to bear them now. However, when that one has come, even the Spirit of the Truth, it will lead you into all Truth, because it shall not speak from itself, but whatever it shall hear, it shall speak. And it shall disclose to you the things to come. That one shall glorify Me because it shall disclose to you the things that it receives from Me" (vs 12-14).
What we have is it's the power of God, and it's much like we understand in technology today. It doesn't have to be a spirit, it can be the communication that God sends through the power of the Holy Spirit to lead them, to teach them and so forth.
Everywhere in The Faithful Version the Holy Spirit is referred to as it. In the King James Version it is translated he. That's why you need to read Appendix K: Exegesis for the Translation of the Phrase "the Holy Spirit"—the antecedent of John 14-16. this gets a little technical in trying to understand it. But this was originally inspired in the Greek, so we have to go back to the Greek to see what it says. Daniel B. Wallace—one of the most pre-emanate scholars in New Testament Greek—says there is no basis to give personality to the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:9: "Having made known to us the mystery of His own will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself; that in the Divine plan for the fulfilling of the times, He might bring all things together in Christ, both the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth; yes, in Him, in Whom we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestinated according to His purpose, Who is working out all things according to the counsel of His own will; that we might be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in the Christ" (vs 9-12).
Now, notice what the Holy Spirit does; v 13: "In Whom you also trusted after hearing the Word of the Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, after believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." What does that mean?
Verse 14: "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."
The Holy Spirit seals us, and that unites with the spirit of our mind, and it represents both the Father and Son. John 14 talks about the joint action of God the Father and Jesus Christ and how they will dwell in us by the power of the Holy Spirit! They are not bodily dwelling within us as persons. But with the Spirit of God they dwell us with Their power. In other words, the extension of the power of God's Spirit to us!
John 14:16: "And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that it may be with you throughout the age: Even the Spirit of the Truth…" (vs 16-17). So, it's called one of its main features, which is comfort. It brings:
- peace of mind
- the power of God
- the faith and love of God
So that in difficult times and troubles and overcoming sin and problems, we are comforted with the Spirit of God, literally!
"…which the world cannot receive…" (v 17). We also are told in Acts 5 that God does not give His Holy Spirit to those who don't obey Him. What is obeying God? Keeping His commandments!
"…because it perceives it not, nor knows it; but you know it because it dwells with you, and shall be within you."
{Note sermon: Spirit of God, Spirit of Man, Seven Spirits of God #1 & 2}
It basically means that when God is beginning to deal someone who is searching and seeking after God and repenting and so forth, God sends His Spirit to be withthem, to help lead them to repentance. So, when they have repented and are baptized, they will receive the Holy Spirit to be within them! That's what Jesus is talking about here in John 14:17: "…and shall be within you."
Verse 18: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. Yet, a little while and the world shall see Me no longer; but you shall see Me. Because I live, you shall live, also. In that day, you shall know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you" (vs 18-20). We just read about that in Acts 2!
Notice how this goes hand-in-hand, v 21: "The one who has My commandments and is keeping them, that is the one who loves Me, and the one who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him."
That doesn't mean that Jesus is going to manifest Himself in some sort of apparition to the person!
Verse 22: "Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, 'Lord, what has happened that You are about to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?'" Here is one of the mysteries of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God.
Verse 23: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word… [the whole message] …and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him'"—the two!
This will help answer the question why baptized into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Verse 24—a key separation: "The one who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the Word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father's, Who sent Me." That's an absolute demarcation line!
You may have a lot of people whom you would say are 'good sincere' people in the world, nice and everything like that. But:
- Do they keep the Sabbath?
- Do they keep the Holy Days?
- Do they keep the commandments of God?
They may keep some, but the Sabbath becomes the key, and addition the Holy Days. The Sabbath is the key, if you would like it this way, to eternity! Why? Because it is the day that God puts His presence in for those who love Him and keep His commandments! When they study the Word of God and are taught on the Sabbath Day—that's why teaching becomes so important—they then, with God's Spirit, is working with and teaching, molding and developing them after the image of Christ. So, the Sabbath is the key to eternity! Then you add to it the Holy Days.
Verse 23: "…and We will come to him and make Our abode with him." That ties right in with what we read. Jesus will send the Holy Spirit, and the Father will send the Holy Spirit. There are two parts of the Holy Spirit that we need to have.
Rom. 8 becomes very, very important in showing how the Spirit works, and in showing the duality of the Holy Spirit. It doesn't show the 'triunality' of the Holy Spirit, but the duality.
Romans 8:6: "For to be carnally minded is death… [a mind without the Spirit of God] …but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God; neither indeed can it be" (vs 6-7).
That ties in with what we read in John 14 that if you're not keeping the commandments of God you don't belong to Him, and God the Father and Jesus Christ are not dwelling with you!
This also helps answer the question very clearly, which is important: What about the Protestants? We can answer this way: Jesus said those who are not against us 'are on our part.' But Jesus didn't say that they were converted. Some of them may have the Spirit of God working with them, but every time you come to the Truth of the Sabbath, the door closes. That's the door to the Holy Spirit being within you!
Granted, many are nice, many are kind, many are doing good works, and many are doing the things that Jesus said, but the one thing they're doing that Jesus said is 'keeping My commandments.'
One of the clear definitions that Jesus gave concerning the Sabbath is that 'the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.' In other words, God has authority over the Sabbath:
- what to do
- when to do it
- how to do it
Man did not make the Sabbath, so He has no jurisdiction over it except through the Scriptures of God to make judgments concerning the keeping of the Sabbath.
So, when the Protestant out right cast aside the Sabbath, the door closes. Jeremiah spoke the words of God saying to the false prophets that He didn't send, 'If they would make My people stand by My words, then I will honor that' (Jer. 23). That's the lack of completeness with the Protestants, and the blinders that are still on their eyes. Yet, when you look at a lot of the things they do, they're good, kind, loving and so forth. But because they're "…not subject to the Law of God…" they're carnal-minded.
The Protestants believe that the Old Testament was fulfilled and Jesus abolished the Law. Can they please God? No! Though they do many wonderful works, only partially, but not please God the way God wants us to please Him.
Verse 8: "But those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God is indeed dwelling within you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ…." (vs 8-9).
The Spirit that Jesus will send, which He receives of the Father, and the Spirit that the Father sends, and the two of Them will make Their abode within us.
"…ifthe Spirit of God is indeed dwelling within you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Him" (v 9). Nothing could be plainer than that!
Verse 10: "But if Christ be within you… [by the Spirit of God] …the body is indeed dead because of sin; however, the Spirit is life because of righteousness."
Let's see how all of this works together, v 11: "Now, if the Spirit of Him… [the Father] …Who raised Jesus from the dead is dwelling within you…" We the Spirit of Christ within you, and the Spirit of Father—jointly—within you!
"…He Who raised Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortal bodies because of His Spirit that dwells within you" (v 11).
Now let's see what the Spirit is to do within us, and show that it is the power of God!
Verse 12: "So then, brethren, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh; because if you are living according to the flesh, you shall die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you shall live" (vs 12-13). So, it's the power of God to put to death the deeds of the body, the deeds of the flesh!
Verse 14: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. Now, you have not received a spirit of bondage again unto fear, but you have received the Spirit of sonship, whereby we call out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God" (vs 14-16). Let's see how that is!
Acts 2:38: "…'Repent and be baptized each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you yourselves shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"
Will the Spirit of God be able to help you stop smoking? Yes, if you're sincere and really, really work at it! But if you in your own mind give yourself a little hedge, a little place… 'I'll only smoke one or two a day; God will understand that I'm trying to overcome.' No! You need the Spirit of God to cut it off entirely!
Let's see how the Spirit works together with our spirit; 1-Corinthians 2:9: "But according as it is written, 'The eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'"
That goes right back to John 14, 'If you love Me, keep My commandments. If you love Me you will keep My Word.'
Verse 10: "But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit…" That's why people can read the Bible and come to a completely erroneous conclusion, because they're not willing to obey, and they don't love God. Whereas, if you're obeying and loving God, and you ask God to lead you to the right conclusion, you will come to the right conclusion.
"…for the Spirit searches all things—eventhe deep things of God…. [here is the dividing line]: …For who among men understands the things of man except by the spirit of man, which is in him?…." (vs 10-11).
We do have that spiritual power, the spirit of man that God gives to every human being! We can just say that it has been made and created to receive the Spirit of God.
"…In the same way also, the things of God no one understands except by the Spirit of God. Now, we have not received the spirit of the world…" (vs 11-12). Who is in charge of the spirit of the world? Satan the devil!
Every Christmas full blast, everything good, nice and wonderful, and all of the 'singy-songies' and all of the ads. Everything is great and marvelous, kind and good. There are more charitable giving during this time of the year. All of that appeals to 'the lust of eyes, the lust of flesh' and it appeals to be satisfying with lies! There is no Santa Claus, and he doesn't come down any chimney, and reindeers don't fly! He's not in the North Pole making everything, because if you're at the North Pole the most you can do up there is stay warm. There is no industry up there.
All those eager shoppers who stay all night to get into Wal-Mart, wonderfully fulfilling the Word of God to go buy presents for all of their family—loving, kind and considerate—as soon as the doors open they come in like a charging herd of running buffalo and run over people and have even stomped some to death and hurt other people. All in the name of keeping Christmas! Christ was never in it! That's the carnal mind!
You can't understand the Word of God without the Spirit of God, because it is the power of God to give you the understanding! If you are seeking God, the Spirit of God will be with you to lead you to repentance and baptism, so the Spirit can be within you!
Now, we want to follow through on the true meaning of 1-John 3. If you have a King James Version of the Bible, let me just tell you right up front, that is the worst translated section of the New Testament.
1-John 3:1: "Behold! What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God!…." That's our destiny, and the Sabbath is the key to eternity.
Standing in the grace of God, walking in faith, believing in hope and living in love is the thing that will get us there.
"…For this very reason, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when He is manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is" (vs 1-2).
What is this to do for us? This is to help inspire us to:
- change
- grow
- overcome
- put out sin
- live God's way
Verse 3: "And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure." Those three verses go together. Now we find a separation:
Verse 4:"Everyone who practices sin is also practicing lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness."
The King James says that 'sin is the transgression of the Law.' But it is more than a transgression, it is lawlessness, and the height of lawlessness is to take the Word of God and subtract things from it and add things to it so you can have your version of Christianity, as well as just the lawlessness of sin in a lawless criminal society.
Let's see the comparison; notice that in v 4 it is practicing sin.
Verse 5: "And you know that He appeared in order that He might take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Everyone who dwells in Him does not practice sin…" (vs 5-6).
The word practice is the main word that comes down in the meaning of it. The KJV says, 'cannot sin.'
1-John 5:16: "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin that is not unto death…" If he's a brother, and he 'cannot sin,' how is that he is sinning a sin "…not unto death…"? That means that it is a repentable sin!
"…he shall ask, and He will give him life for those who do not sin unto death. There is a sin unto death; concerning that sin, I do not say that he should make any supplication to God. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death. We know that anyone who is begotten by God does not practice sin…" (vs 16-18).
The KJV says 'born again' and we know that's a false understanding.
- Appendix P: What Does it Mean to be "Born Again"?
- Appendix Q: What Does it Mean to be "Born of God"?
"…for the one who has been begotten by God keeps himself by the power of God, and the wicked one does not touch him" (v 18)—doesn't mean you can't be tempted! It means that he cannot get hold of you to take you away from God. That is only a decision that you can make.
1-John 3:6: "Everyone who dwells in Him does not practice sin; anyone who practices sin has not seen Him, nor has known Him. Little children, do not allow anyone to deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil because the devil has beensinning from the beginning…." (vs 6-8).
There's the demarcation line! Remember, there is pleasure in sin for a season!
"…For this purpose the Son of God appeared that He might destroy the works of the devil" (v 8).
We saw that we have to have the Spirit of Christ, and we also have to have the Spirit that was in Christ from the One Who raised Christ from the dead. Here we put it together in:
Verse 9: "Everyone who has been begotten by God… [sealed with the Holy Spirit] …does not practice sin…" Doesn't mean that you don't sin, but it does you do not live in sin!
"…because His seed… [Greek: 'sperma'] …of begettal is dwelling within him, and he is not able to practice sin because he has been begotten by God" (v 9)
(go to the next track)
Notice that we have an absolute demarcation between those who have the Spirit of God and those who don't have the Spirit of God. There's no 'tweeners' except as a person is seeking God and God send His Spirit to be with them. They still are not converted, but if they yield to the Spirit of God that is leading them, and is seeking after God, God's Spirit will continue to be with them. If they go practice sin and cast it off, then they will be like some of the seed that was sown into the rocky places, into the thorns and thistles and they won't be converted.
1-John 3:10: By this standard… [the Greek there is 'en touto'; you have to furnish the third word, but it's implied in the phrase 'en touto' meaning by this, herein, by this standard.
"…are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil…. [you're either one or the other] …Everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, and neither is the one who does not love his brother" (v 10).
Part of the original question was: Why do we not baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus? We do, and I'll explain to you how we do it!
Acts 2:38: "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you yourselves shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
It sounds like you should only be baptized in the name of Jesus. But remember, not fewer than ten days before Jesus ascended into heaven He told the disciples to go into all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! So, they knew that.
How do you baptize in the name of Jesus Christ and yet, follow what is in Matt. 28, which is not a trinitarian thing? The baptismal ceremony should include this:
from: Baptismal Counseling and Ceremony (truthofgod.org)
I baptize you, not into any sect, denomination or organization of the world, but into the name of the Father
because the begettal comes from the Father
—because you will bear His family name for all eternity as His son/daughter; and of the Son—because His life, sacrifice, death and resurrection brings the forgiveness of your sins; and of the Holy Spirit—because the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father and into your mind…
after we have repented! We do all of this in name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.
Rather than take one Scripture to fight another Scriptures, or take one Scripture to detract from another Scripture, that's the theory of subtraction. You never understand difficult Scriptures, or seemingly contradictory Scriptures, if you use the theory of subtraction.
What the Bible wants you to do is put it all together! It's not one or the other, it is both! That's how it should be done!
Question #2: No Biblical principle of re-baptism of someone who is not under John's baptism, thus each Passover one's baptismal covenant is renewed and never a need to be re-baptized except if never baptized in the Church.
That's no quite true. What is the ultimate end of being baptized? To receive the Holy Spirit! But you have to repent of your sins first and then be baptized.
What if people come along and they have not repented? Though they're baptized, they don't receive the Holy Spirit!
- How does that fit in with Acts 19?
- Can we say this applies only unto the baptism of John the Baptist?
or
- Could we say that this also applies to the baptisms by the Baptists? the Catholics? Or any other Sunday-keeping denomination?
- How about in the Churches of God where there were people who were baptized who were never counseled whether they had repented of their sins or not?
They were told that they had attended church long enough:
- Don't you think it's time you get baptized? Well, yes, I suppose so!
- Do you know what sin is? Yes!
Okay, we'll baptize you.
The question really should be: Have you had a personal repenting confrontation or session with God?
- Where you see yourself?
- Where you see your sins?
- Where you see the magnitude of what you have done?
- Where you see the rebellion that you have done against God?
- Where you see all of your carnality and all of its glorious evilness?
- Where you are totally crushed and you are coming to God needing His forgiveness?
That's the ultimate of true repentance! If a person has been in the Church of God and really not repented, their baptism—since they did not receive the Holy Spirit—is not valid and you can't renew it by the Passover alone!
Acts 19:1: "Now, it came to pass that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the upper parts and came to Ephesus; and when he found certain disciples, he said to them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit after you believed?'…." (vs 1-2).
This could apply to anyone, not just those there. This is written so that when we come across the problem today, "…'Did you receive the Holy Spirit after you believed?'…." then we can make a judgment based upon the person saying, as it is here:
"…And they said to him, 'We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit'" (v 2). Or by saying, 'I haven't receive the Holy Spirit because I really haven't changed a bit other than now you're keeping Sabbath instead of Sunday, or the fact that you're going to church rather than out carousing around, whatever it may be.
Verse 3: "Then he said to them, 'Unto what then were you baptized?' And they said, 'Unto the baptism of John.' And Paul said, 'John truly baptized with a baptism unto repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in Him Who was coming after him—that is, in Jesus, the Christ.' And after hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus" (vs 3-4)—exactly as we said, 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit'—all of that in the name of Jesus!
Verse 6: "Now, when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with other languages and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve" (vs 6-7).
Does this mean that this is restricted solely in this account to just to the baptism of John? or Does this mean that this gives us a principle in understanding what to do when a person has been baptized, but does not have the Holy Spirit? I think it's here so that we can make a judgment, because a judgment has to be made!
Acts 8—here we really have quite a thing, because Philip made a very bad decision. What if the one doing the baptism makes a bad decision? You would have to say that Philip certainly was close to God.
Acts 8: 5: "Then Philip went down to a city of Samaria and proclaimed Christ to them; and the multitudes listened intently with one accord to the things spoken by Philip when they heard and saw the signs that he did, for unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out ofmany of those who had them; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city" (vs 5-8).
Verse 9: "But there was a certain man named Simon, who had from earlier times been practicing sorcery in the city and astounding the nation of Samaria, proclaiming himself to be some great one. To him they had all given heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, 'This man is the great power of God.'" (vs 9-10).
I don't think you can get any modern parallel closer than this in saying that some new minister went to Rome and baptized the pope. That would be a modern parallel to that.
Verse 11: "Now, they were giving heed to him because he had for a long time bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip, who was preaching the Gospel—the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ—they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself also believed; and after being baptized, he steadfastly continued with Philip… [oh boy, the pope believes] …and as he beheld the signs and great works of power that were being done, he was amazed" (vs 11-13).
The apostles in Jerusalem knew what the score was; they knew who Simon was, Simon the Great One also know in history as Simon Magus.
Verse 14: "Now, when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them."
They knew something was happening and they probably someone came back and said, 'Oh, by the way, Philip baptized Simon.' They heard something! Something that made them get up and go immediately down to Samaria.
Verse 15: "Who, after coming down to Samaria, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for as yet it had not fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of the hands of the apostles, he offered them money" (vs 15-18).
That's were the term 'simony' comes in to buy a religious office.
Verse 19: "Saying, 'Give this authority to me also, so that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.' But Peter said to him, 'May your money be destroyed with you…'" (vs 19-20).
What do you do when you're confronted with an enemy? You speak back very powerfully to them!
"…because you thought that the gift of God might be purchased with money. You have neither part nor lot in this matter… [in any apostleship of God] …for your heart is not right before God" (vs 20-21).
Now we get another principle from this, v 22: "Repent, therefore, of this your wickedness, and beseech God, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you; for I perceive that you are in the gall of bitterness and the bondage of unrighteousness" (vs 22-23).
Unless there is true deep repentance, a baptism is not valid, because the whole purpose of being baptized is to receive the laying on of hands after repentance and receiving the Holy Spirit. Here we have an example of baptism and no repentance. We don't see that he repented, he never received the Holy Spirit, yet, if you want to read something interesting, go to McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia of the Bible and you will find a great long dissertation about what Simon—called Simon Magus or the magician—did.
Simon started a counterfeit Christianity, which later became the Rome Catholic Church of today. That's the source of it.
If you're baptized in a baptism where the Holy Spirit is not given, like those who were baptized unto John's baptism, then you have to be re-baptized again in order to receive the Holy Spirit. If you were baptized and not really repentant, you didn't receive the Holy Spirit because you weren't repentant.
In other words, if someone comes in and tries to fake it… Example: What if there's a Jesuit infiltrator dedicated to the pope who comes into a church and feigns all the right things, gives all the right answers, knows exactly what he is doing and then is baptized to be accepted in this organization for the very purpose of tearing it down? {Note book: Vatican Assassins by Eric Jon Phelps}
Jesuits deliberately go into other Christian organizations with the sole purpose of doing that and causing confusion and sin to take place. Those baptisms are not valid.
So, what do you do? I've had people who were baptized into the Church of God Seventh Day, and they didn't know if they received the Holy Spirit or not. They didn't have too much evidence of real change in their lives. I told them to fast and pray about it, and ask God to reveal to you whether you have the Spirit of God or not, because God will reveal it to you. So, they did that, and they came and said they wanted to be re-baptized. So, I baptized them.
I had another couple from the Church of God Seventh Day and did the same thing, and they concluded that they had the Holy Spirit, but they had to stir it up. So, they didn't need to be re-baptized.
Each of these things have to be done on a case by case basis. We take the principles from the New Testament, and we have to make judgments based upon if they have the Holy Spirit or not. If you do have it, you belong to Christ. If you don't have it, you don't belong to Him. There's that division that we saw clear-cut! That's why there has to be fasting, prayer, sole-searching and repentance.
Question #3—Revelation 5:8-10—Who does this refer to?
Revelation 5:8: "And when He took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You to take the book, and to open its seals because You were slain, and did redeem us to God by Your own blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation, and did make us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth.'"
Some people think that this refers to the four living creatures and the 24 elders. If it does, what sins did the four living creatures and 24 elders commit that they need to be redeemed? Or this is a projection forward to the song that we will sing when we are resurrected and fully redeemed and sing this to Christ.
Verse 9: "And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You to take the book, and to open its seals because You were slain, and did redeem us… [the saints] …to God by Your own blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation…'"
Four living creatures: Are they from every tribe, language, people and nation? No they're not! They're created beings. This is talking about the saints who will be resurrected.
Verse 10: "And did make us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth."
Let's see something very similar to this. This is after the sealing of the 144,000, and we have the sealing of the great innumerable multitude.
Revelation 7:9: "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one was able to number, out of every nation and tribe and people and language… [these are those who were redeemed and shows they're going to be resurrected] …was standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and holding palms in their hands; and they were calling out with a loud voice to Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, saying, 'The salvation of our God has come.' Then all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders and the four living creatures… [they didn't need salvation] …and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, 'Amen. Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power and strength be to our God into the ages of eternity. Amen.' And one of the elders answered and said to me, 'These who are clothed with white robes, who are they, and where did they come from?' Then I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'They are the ones who have come out of the Great Tribulation; and they have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb'" (vs 9-14).
It's exactly what it's talking about in Revelation 5:9: "And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You to take the book, and to open its seals because You were slain, and did redeem us to God by Your own blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation.'"
Question #4: Please help me understand 1-Cor. 11:4-15. Does this apply today? I understand the definition of adultery, I understand stealing, but help me to understand this:
The best way to understand what Paul is talking about is to first of all read the conclusion. Then come back and read how it leads up to the conclusion, and we will understand it.
1-Corinthians 11:14: "Or does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a shame to him?"
Today the cycles of styles are coming back. Now we have long-haired men. The fellow who does the UPS advertisements has long hair. When we were driving to church we drove by four boys who had their skateboards, all of them long hair. It's a shame; men should not have long hair. We'll see the reason why in a little bit.
Verse 15: "But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; because the long hair has been given to her instead of a veil to cover her head."
The other day I was coming into the office and I walked by this person that I could not tell if it was a man or a woman. I looked closer and there were earrings. You can't tell by earrings whether it's a man or woman today. I tried to look at the shape of the body and I still had a very, very difficult time. I could not tell.
Unfortunately, even some of the women in the Church need to have a discussion with their hairdresser, because some women have very short hair. Someone will say, 'What is short and what is long?' That's not my judgment to make; that's your judgment!
Right across from our office, we have woman's hair solon, and in order to get your hair cut in there, as a woman said who went in to get her haircut, it's $40.
Isn't it interesting, in many hair solons you have homosexuals who like to make women look like men. They won't necessarily tell you that they're homosexuals—not all are, but some are—and it's also a sign of a woman who is not really in subjection to her husband.
Stop and think about it, how many women in the world, to show their independence, cut their hair very short and try to fulfill the role of a man.
Let's get the context of 1-Cor. 11. We're not going to change the world, but those of us in the Church of God should not look like the world. It doesn't say that short hair on a woman is sin, and long air on a man is sin, it is a shame! Men can cut their long hair, and women can let their short hair grow so that it is long enough that you can tell that you're a woman.
Verse 1: "Be imitators of me, exactly as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, because you have remembered me in all things, and you are keeping the ordinances in the way that I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand…" (vs 1-3).
This is true, even today. A lot of women's libbers don't like it, and a lot of people feel that you're 'male chauvinist pigs, and discriminating against women, you are a sexist!' Or, in the world today, if you don't agree with the left you are a racist.
Verse 3: "But I want you to understand that the that the Head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the Head of Christ is God." That's the way God made it!
I do think that most of the executive women who scorn having a man rule over them, generally are working in a building that has been planned and made by men. So, you can't get away of it. This is not to make fun of anyone, this is just to put things in the reality that they are.
Verse 4: "Every man who has a covering on his head when he is praying or prophesying puts his Head to shame."
Judaism sells 'prayer shawls' to cover the head. I'm sure they did back then. Or if a man has super-long hair, and is not under a Nazarite Vow, is putting Christ to shame. Praying or prophesying can be private or public.
Verse 5: "But every woman who has her head uncovered… [short, cropped or shaved head] …when she is praying or prophesying puts her head to shame, for it is the same as being shaved."
Paul is trying to make a point here. When women pray—because we're told in 1-Tim. 2 that a women is not usurp authority over a man—and she is to be quiet in church. Does that mean she can't speak at all? No! It means she is not to speak in public in a way of preaching and teaching! Can she teach other women alone and separately? Of course! Remember Pricilla and Aquila? They taught Apollos!
- How about praying or prophesying publicly for a woman?
- When would a woman do that?
Since she can't teach, since she can't preach!
- when she sings in church
- when you sing a hymn, which are the words of God
- when you give special music
We've heard a lot of really wonderful special music that women sing, and only they can sing it in that way. Same way with some of the songs of special music that men do, that only they can sing it in that way. That would be the only time when they would be publicly doing this.
Verse 6: "For if a woman is not covered, let her be shorn…." If she's not covered with her own hair, or if it's really short and the hair has to grow out, then for the time being put on a covering.
"…But if it be shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered." In other words, let her be covered with her own hair.
You go into some churches, especially on Easter, and they all come in with their Easter bonnet and these big things hanging up there and no one can see around them. They think that they are obeying God and following His way, but they're not.
Verse 7: "For, on the one hand, a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God… [made in the image of God directly, and the woman was made from a rib, not an equal lump of clay] …but, on the other hand, the woman is the glory of man. For the man is not of the woman, but the woman is of the man" (vs 7-8).
In other words, God created the woman for the sake of His creation of man. There are a lot of women who don't like that. If you don't like it, then take your case to God! If you don't like it, and you don't have a husband, and you are living on welfare—because you either had children out of wedlock, or you're divorced and don't want to marry—you are married to the state! One way or the other, you're married to your provider!
- Do you not have to accept certain conditions to receive that? Yes!
- What are the conditions in marriage? The husband is to provide for the wife and the children!
That's the way God designed it, but we're living in such a diverse society today that that's all up in the air. Here in California we are oppressed with the homosexual mafia trying to bring in so-called 'gay marriage'; there's nothing gay about being homosexual. It is not a civil right. God says that it's an abomination and a perversion. You can repent of it.
Verse 9: "And also, the man was not created for the sake ofthewoman, but the woman for the sake of the man. For this reason, it is necessary for the woman to have a sign of being under authority on her head because of the angels." (vs 9-10).
What is the covering on her head but her long hair? "…because of the angels" gives us an indication that the angels of God watch out for women more than they do men from the perspective that the woman is the weaker vessel. Look at how many crimes are committed against women. So, they need the help of God's angels with them.
If you go around with short hair, are God's angels watching over you? or Standing off waiting for you to have a discussion with your hairdresser.
Sidebar: When a woman becomes a nun in the Roman Catholic Church, she cuts her hair, cropped short, and she is married to the church and puts on a wedding ring and becomes the property of the priests, for you know what!
Not all of them submit to it, but nevertheless, that shows Satan's way to degrade women, by cropping their hair short, to defy God by doing that!
I think some of the liberated nuns wear their hair longer when they get out and they're wearing their more civilized 'habitat.'
Here's a little equalizer, lest you men think: Woohoo! God put me in authority! Hooray!' and beat every woman down!
Verse 11: "Nevertheless, neither is the man separate from the … [because you all had mothers] …nor the woman separate from the man in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, so also the man is by the woman; but all things are of God" (vs 11-12). So, we have to do everything God's way!
This is not a 'pick on women with short hair time.' This is to say to have nice conversation with your hairdresser.
Verse 13: "You judge for yourselves…." Don't go to the minister and say, 'Is this long enough' or a man come up and say, 'Is this short enough?' You look in the mirror and you judge yourself.
"…Is it becoming for a woman to pray to God uncovered? Or does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a shame to him? But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; because the long hair has been given to her instead of a veil to cover her head" (vs 13-15).
I know that someone is going to come us with a question: What if a woman is bald, because there are some who are? Today they have a lot of nice wigs with human hair! That would be better than just a covering on your head.
Also there is another covering that the Jews use—speaking of a wig—that many Jewish women wear wigs because the Jewish men do not want other men to see their wife's hair. So, you have all kinds of weird things that go on.
No one wants to do it God's way! They all want to do it their own way and say that they are of God!
All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version (except where noted)
Scriptural References:
Q #1:
- Matthew 28:18-19
- Acts 1:6-8
- Acts 2:1-2, 4
- Luke 1:34-35
- Luke 4:14
- Romans 15:13
- 2 Corinthians 6:4-7
- John 14:26
- John 15:26
- John 16:12-14
- Ephesians 1:9-14
- John 14:16-24, 23
- Romans 8:6-16
- Acts 2:38
- 1 Corinthians 2:9-12
- 1 John 3:1-6
- 1 John 5:16-18
- 1 John 3:6-10
- Acts 2:38
Q #2:
- Acts 19:1-7
- Acts 8:5-23
Q #3:
- Revelation 5:8-10
- Revelation 7:9-14
- Revelation 5:9
Q #4: 1 Corinthians 11:14-15, 1-15
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
Q #1:
- Acts 19:5; 5
- Jeremiah 23
Q #4: 1-Timothy 2
Also referenced:
Booklets (truthofGod.org):
- The Christian Covenant of Water Baptism
- The True Meaning of Christian Baptism
The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version:
- Appendix K: Exegesis for the Translation of the Phrase "the Holy Spirit
- Appendix L: A Summary of Proofs that God is not a Trinity
- Appendix P: What Does it Mean to be "Born Again"?
- Appendix Q: What Does it Mean to be "Born of God"?
Sermon Series: Preparation for Baptism {Transcript Book with CDs}
Sermon: Spirit of God, Spirit of Man, Seven Spirits of God #1 & 2
Books:
- McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia of the Bible
- Vatican Assassins by Eric Jon Phelps (amazon.com)
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 12/16/18
