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Begotten vs Birth
Fred R. Coulter—February 25, 2023
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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services!
Today we're going to cover what it means to be born again! And we also need to understand why it is that people can't understand it or believe things about it that are not true. Jesus gave that answer long, long ago! There are certain keys to understanding the World of God.
- you have to believe God and that He is and that Christ is His Son
- you have to believe that the Bible is His Word and every word is inspired by God
- you cannot add or take away from the Word of God
- if there is something to be changed God must change it
- if there's something to be added God must add
- if there's something to be taken away God must take away
When people who even know about God come to the Word of God it was the same in Jesus' day. The disciples wanted to know why Jesus talked to the crowds in parables. Even the disciples couldn't really understand the parables fully until after Jesus' resurrection and the Church beginning.
Matthew 13:11: "And He [Jesus] answered and said to them, 'Because it has been given… [it's not something you can take, it has to be given] …to you… [What does God reveal? Everything that we need to know!] …to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given." Why hasn't it been given?
Verse 12: "For whoever has understanding, to him more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance, but whoever does not have understanding, even what he has shall be taken away from him. … [here's the prophecy from Isaiah; this is true]: …For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing, they see not; and hearing, they hear not; neither do they understand" (vs 12-13).
This happens, even though they have the Bible. The central key has to be the Sabbath Day, and we all know that. That is the fulcrum between not knowing and beginning to know. If we don't keep the Sabbath, we don't know. This is why the Protestants don't understand about born again.
Here's an amazing thing; stop and think about it. There are more Bibles in the world today than ever before. Yet:
- How many people understand?
- How many think they understand, but don't?
- Why don't they understand?
Here's what happens:
Isaiah 29:9: "Be stunned and amazed! Blind your eyes and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink, for the LORD has poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep…" (vs 9-10).
That's and amazing thing! Just like Jesus said, 'It's given to us to know, but to them it hasn't been given.' What has He done? He has poured out a deep sleep, so they don't know! Look at the world today and how upside down and backward it is in everything.
"…and has closed your eyes; He has covered the prophets…" (v 10)—a lot of 'religious' people! They're minds are covered!
- Who covers them?
- Who does God use to do that?
- Who do they follow?
- Satan!
Satan makes them think that the darkness that they have is light!
"…and your rulers, and the seers.… [everybody who predicts the future] …And the vision of all has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which they give to one who is learned saying, 'Please read this,' and he says, 'I cannot, for it is sealed.' And the book is delivered to him who is not learned, saying, 'Please read this,' and he says, 'I am not learned'" (vs 10-12)—don't bother me!
Here's what happens! Remember that one football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, one of the young players had his heart struck! If you hit the heart just right it will stop. That's what happened to him. Notice what everybody did; they gathered around all praying. They come to God in times of difficulty. The stadium was silent, an amazing thing to watch!
How many were converted after that? We've got fellowship groups in Ohio, so if you're listening, tell me how many came from that game that were watching and were convinced they needed to turn to God because of what happened to that one football player!
Now we have big movement going coming out of Kentucky. Thousands and thousands, hundreds of thousands of young people. It started out as a confessional in a chapel in a small college in Kentucky, and they started confessing their sins. Then more and more came and it then they came from other countries.
Let's see how many will really come to God. Or is this a repentance because of sorrow, or repentance of repenting of your sins truly and coming to God? Time will tell! We will see!
Verse 13: "And the LORD said, 'Because this people draws near Me with their mouth, and with their lips honor Me, but their worship of Me is made up of the traditions of men learned by rote, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandments of men; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do again a marvelous work among this people…" (vs 13-14)—which none of them will know! Part of that is understanding:
- why we're here
- where we're going
- what we're doing
Sidebar: I want to call your attention to our new publication, a reprinting of: The New Testament in Its Original Order a Faithful Version, with Commentary and Appendices. When we had the commentaries and appendices (in the original printing) we had to reduce them down in size. So, part of what was in here we don't have in the whole Bible in Its Original Order. We're going to take care of that with:
- What Do You Mean Born Again?
- What Do You Mean Born of God?
How is God going to do this?
Look at us few here, and how many are online and how many other in the other Churches of God, and you compare that to what's going on in the world. It's truly something!
Let's understand that what has been given to us is so marvelous and so great that we need to understand how we can come to God and stay close to Him so that we can attain what God wants us to. That is to literally be born again!
Before we get here, why can't the Protestants and Catholics understand what it means to be born again! They don't believe in the resurrection!
Have you ever gone to a Protestant funeral and the minister is there and says that 'grandpa is up there looking down on us now.' The little kid says to his mom, 'Isn't that grandpa in the casket. How can he be in heaven if he's there.' Good question!
That's the #1 reason, and the reason that they don't do that is foundation of Sunday-keeping and not understanding the paganism that Satan has brought into that system.
But here is what God has done for us; that we would understand in 1-Cor. 2. We go over this quite often. Why? Because this is so important! What's in the Word of God, being the Word of God spoken by God Who created the heavens and the earth and all that there is, and everything that there is on the earth. Think about that every time you take a bite of food, that it came from God! Every time you breathe good air, it came from God. When you breathe bad air, that comes from men. The water you drink…
Think about those poor people in New Palestine, Ohio, they can't drink the water. How long will it be polluted with all of those chemical toxins that are there? Everything we have comes from God, yet, the world denies God and embraces evolution.
We are told right in the very first chapter of Genesis that God created us in His image and likeness, 'male and female, created He them'! that stands to this day!
1-Corinthians 2:7: "Rather, we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery…"
A mystery to the outsiders, but understanding the mystery because of what God has given so we can understand.
"…even the hidden wisdom that God foreordained before the ages unto our glory, which not one of the rulers of this world has known (for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory)" (vs 7-8).
You see everything on the news and all of the 'experts' and they talk about how to correct this and that problem, and how to make things right. But it never, never works. Why? Because they don't understand the problem! The problem is that people have:
- rejected God
- have set aside His Word
- misinterpreted His Word
- created 'religions' in the name of Jesus that are not true to the Word of God, but claim that it is
Catholics don't; they readily admit that they rename pagan things with a Christian name, and then that's okay if you do that.
What about if you 'convert' headhunters?
Verse 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's the key! This is the love of God that we keep His commandments! The words that Christ speaks He said, 'They are Spirit and Life and they are discerned spiritually. So, you need the Spirit of God to do it, and God does not give His Spirit to those who do not obey Him!
Verse 10: "But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit…"
That's what's happened in our lives, the Spirit of God; that's what's important for us to understand and to know, especially with all of the things going on in the world!
"…for the Spirit searches all things—eventhe deep things of God. For who among men understands the things of man except by the spirit of man, which is in him? In the same way also, the things of God no one understands except by the Spirit of God" (vs 10-11).
Notice the competition that is there. Here's a great lesson to learn. There is the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which symbolizes the way of man under Satan the devil! There's good and there's evil, but here's the lesson: You can't take what looks good over here from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, because it will end up being the opposite of what you think. That's what happens with every good program that human beings come up with.
Look at all the welfare programs that have been enacted in America and other countries, and what happens? It fails! Though 'it's good.' The good that comes from God always works. That's why Paul said of the commandments of God:
- they are spiritual
- they are Holy
- they are good
- they are righteous
Verse 12: "Now, we have not received the spirit of the world… [because that comes from Satan the devil] …but the Spirit that is of God, so that we might know the things graciously given to us by God."
The first thing we need to understand is that there's a difference between begettal and born. Though the same Greek word 'gennao' is the base word, it does not have the meaning of born in every sense.
Matthew 1:1: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham begat Isaac…" (vs 1-2).
Begettal is the impregnation of the mother's egg by the father's seed. That is a begettal! It is spelled entirely different in the Greek. All the way through here, you can't say, 'and Isaac born Jacob…' that would make no sense, because Isaac could not bear. So, let's understand about being begotten!
To be begotten means, in the New Testament, that you receive the Holy Spirit of God in your mind! It unites with the spirit of man within you! When that happens, you have been begotten! We will see that to be born means something entirely different. When you are begotten with the Holy Spirit of God you are still in the flesh, physically speaking. But you receive the Spirit of God. This is what Peter is talking about here.
1-Peter 1:2: "Who have been chosen according to the predetermined knowledge of God the Father, by sanctification through the Spirit… [showing they receive the Sprit] …unto obedience…"
When you do a word study on obey, obeying, obedience, it's interesting, indeed!
"…and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who [the Father], according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again…" (vs 2-3).
This word in the Greek is spelled in such a way that it cannot mean born again! The same word that is translated in the KJV a little later on in 1-Peter 1 they translate born again, but it's the same word meaning begotten!
"…begotten us again…" Why does Peter say again? Because that was that instant of time when each one of us were begotten by our father in our mother's womb!
"…unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (v 3).
1-John 5:1: "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten by God, and everyone who loves Him Who begat also loves him who has been begotten by Him. By this standard we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God: that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. Now then, everyone who is begotten by God overcomes the world…" (vs 1-4).
Receiving the Holy Spirit of God is a begettal! It's not a birth. There is a change, but there is not the birth.
"…and this is the victory that overcomes the world—our faith" (v 4).
1-John 3:9: "Everyone who has been begotten by God does not practice sin, because His seed… [Greek: 'sperma'] …of begettal is dwelling within him…"
You can't make that mean that you are born again, because born again has an entirely different meaning, as we will see.
"…and he is not able to practice sin because he has been begotten by God" (v 9).
Whenever anyone who has been begotten by God—has the Spirit of God—and commits sin, what happens? Something happens in your mind that tells you this is sin!
- How did that happen? By the Spirit of God!
- Did anything like that happen before you were converted? No, because everything came naturally!
So, you can't practice sin!
The Protestants say that if you're born again you cannot sin, therefore, you don't have to keep the Law! You can forget about the Law!
What did we just read? You have to keep the commandments of God!
1-John 4:7: "Beloved, we should love one another because love is from God; and everyone who loves has been begotten by God, and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this way the love of God was manifested toward us: that God sent His only begotten Son… [it goes back to begettal, then He was born] …into the world, so that we might live through Him" (vs 7-9).
John 3 is where all the controversy centers around. Concerning the false doctrines of born again the article that is in the New Testament shows that the pagans had different means of what they call born again or born anew and that generally has to do with infants.
The Catholics, when they came to America and Mexico, saw that the Indians had a ceremony of born again. The midwife would come and would officiate that born again and raise the baby so that he could watch the rising of the sun. Then they brought him back and washed so that he was born again.
How many people know that? I'll get this all printed out and you can read it. It was quite an elaborate ceremony that they had. The Catholics here, with the Catholic priests with them, stood there gawking because it was 'infant baptism' so close to what the Catholic Church does, and they came all the way from Europe to Mexico to find that the pagans are practicing born again! It's also in the Hindu religion.
Since they don't believe in the resurrection, then when it talks about born again you have to explain how you believe it. But the very context of what we have here disproves any notion that born again has to do with a baptismal conversion experience!
We will see that born again has to do with being changed from flesh to spirit!
John 3:2: "He [Nicodemus] came to Jesus by night and said to Him…"
Nicodemus didn't want the Pharisees seeing him and would be castigated by them saying, 'You went saw that Jesus, what did you go see Him for?' So, he came by night and said:
"…'Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher Who has come from God…'" (v 2).
Quite an interesting statement. That means all the Pharisees and scribes knew it!
"'…because no one is able to do the miracles that You are doing unless God is with him.' Jesus answered and said to him…" (vs 2-3).
Jesus never answered the question; He told Nicodemus the purpose of life.
"…'Truly, truly I say to you, unless anyone is born again… [anew or from above] …he cannot see the Kingdom of God'" (v 3).
Whenever anyone comes out of the baptismal water, or receives Jesus… Stop and think about this: the prayer that the Protestants have: 'O Jesus, come into my life.' Who is the one who is doing the calling? The person! Not God! No man can tell God to come into their life! God says:
Seek me, forsake your ways, your thoughts and you can come to Me.
No one can receive Jesus by saying:
O Lord, I believe that You're my Savior, that You forgave my sins and I ask You to come into my life.
Then they say:
Now you're born again, and you don't have to keep any of the Laws!
That's why Protestantism is failing and that's why Protestantism and Catholicism is the main problem of why we are the way we are as a nation!
Verse 5: "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly I say to you, unless anyone has been born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God."
When they come up out of the watery grave do they see the Kingdom of God? We'll find a little later on that Paul said that 'flesh cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.' Are they still flesh coming up out of the baptismal water? Yes! They need to have the Holy Spirit within them, the begettal through the laying on of hands.
Verse 4: "Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man who is old be born? Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?'"
He was looking to the physical birth. When a person is begotten, are you born? No, you haven't developed, yet! Same way with us. When we're begotten with the Holy Spirit, are we ready to enter into the Kingdom of God? No! We have to grow in grace and knowledge and overcome and develop the mind of Christ.
- that's why we're here on the Sabbath
- that's why we do what we do
Verse 5: "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly I say to you, unless anyone has been born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.'"
What does it mean to be born of water? I have it in the New Testament on how the Catholics changed the wording in the N.T., which carries down to this very day!
"…he cannot enter the Kingdom of God." Be born of water and be born of Sprit. What He does is actually defines it right here:
Verse 6: "That which has been born of the flesh is flesh…"
How are you born when you were born? You were born of water! The embryonic fluid that was in the womb of your mother, and you were living in this watery environment, and you were born because of all of the contractions of the muscles against the water pushes the baby out. "That which has been born of the flesh is flesh…"—every baby is flesh; a human being!
"…and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit" (v 6).
What does that mean? If you're born of the flesh and you're flesh, that means you're composed of flesh. If you're born of the Spirit, then you're composed of spirit!
John 4:21: "Jesus said to her… [the woman at the well] …'Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You do not know what you worship….'" (vs 21-22).
They thought that they were worshipping the Father in Samaria, but they weren't. Who were they worshipping? Simon Magus (Acts 8).
"…We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers… [and you're still in the flesh] …shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth…" (vs 22-23).
That means they must have the Spirit of God in them—if they're not yet converted with them—in Truth, no other way. You can't bring anything of any man's ideas and attach it to the Word of God and say that this is new doctrine! We all need where that leads!
"…for the Father is indeed seeking those who worship Him in this manner. God is spirit…" (vs 23-24).
Meaning He's a spirit being; tie in John 3, that which is spirit is spirit. So, if you're born of the spirit you must be a spirit being. A spirit being has many, many different powers, and can't be seen by the human eye if it doesn't want to.
John 3:6: "That which has been born of the flesh is flesh; and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit."
Those who are born of the spirit must be spirit beings. When does that take place for those who are converted? At the resurrection! So, when you are converted, you are begotten! You're not born again. You're to lead a new life, now by the Holy Spirit of God, and follow Jesus Christ and live by every word of God.
"That which has been born of the flesh is flesh; and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit."
When we get to 1-Cor. 15 we'll see a whole lot more about it. Then Jesus went on to explain it more:
Verse 7: "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'It is necessary for you to be born again.'" Necessary means it's absolutely required!
He said that flesh cannot see the Kingdom of God and cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That's why if the Protestants have baptism—and most do not anymore—and they say you're born again, they can't be because they're flesh! They're still composed of flesh. Hopefully, they may have some form of the Holy Spirit, but I doubt it.
Verse 8—Jesus explains it: "The wind blows where it wills, and you hear its sound, but you do not know the place from which it comes and the place to which it goes; so also is everyone who has been born of the Spirit."
From that time even to this, no one but Jesus has been born of the Spirit.
(break@42:19)
Remember how we covered begotten! Now we'll see the whole thing in Jesus' life, which proves what born again means! First of all when you read Philip. 2, we find that Jesus emptied Himself—because He was God—in order to become God manifested in the flesh.
So, for that to happen He had to become a pinpoint of life to be begotten in the womb of the virgin Mary. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary in Luke 1 will show that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. All of that in the life of Christ.
Luke 1:30: "Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found grace with God; and behold, you shall conceive in your womb… [begettal brings about conception] …and give birth to a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of David, His forefather; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob into the ages…'" (vs 30-33).
Here we have everything: physical life, being born, then we will see: spiritual life and living forever, all wrapped up right here.
"'…and of His Kingdom there shall be no end.' 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…'" (vs 33-35).
You have to have begotten first, in the flesh and also in the spirit. You must be begotten with the Holy Spirit of God. So, here it is in the flesh for Jesus.
"…in you shall be called the Son of God" (v 35).
We will see how this applies to us as we go through this:
Matthew 1:25: "But he [Joseph] did not have sexual relations with her until after she had given birth to her Son, the firstborn … [that which is born of the flesh is flesh; Jesus became a fleshly human being, but was God manifested in the flesh] … and he called His name Jesus"
Let's see something else in Rev. 1, and this proves that from the life and death of and resurrection of Christ, that that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
When He was raised from the dead He was a spirit being again, just like He was before He became human.
Revelation 1:4: "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace and peace be to you from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come; and from the seven spirits that are before His Throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead…" (vs 4-5).
- Was Jesus born once of the flesh? Yes, firstborn of Mary!
- Was Jesus born once of the Spirit; born from the dead? Yes, called the Firstborn from among the dead!
This shows absolutely, conclusively what it means to be born again!
With this knowledge and understand let's read John 3 again and see exactly how it fits.
John 3:5: "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly I say to you, unless anyone has been born of water…'"—physical birth, not baptism!
You are not born when you are baptized. What happens when we are baptized? You're not born!
Verse 6: "That which has been born of the flesh is flesh; and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit."
We see that proved right there in the life of Christ! What happens when we are raised from the dead, and that's when we are born again? The ultimate is:
Philippians 3:20: "But for us, the commonwealth of God exists in the heavens, from where… [talking about the return of Christ] …also we are waiting for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will transform our vile bodies, that they may be conformed to His glorious body… [When is that going to take place? When Jesus returns; the dead are raised!] …according to the inner working of His own power, whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself" (vs 20-21).
There we have it; that defines it very clearly! When we die our human spirit goes back to God. If we have been converted, which we are, then that spirit of us, our human spirit, plus God's Spirit combined goes back to God to await the resurrection!
Hebrews 12:22: "But you have come to Mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to an innumerable company of angels."
Every time we pray, this is what we're coming to. God is there on His Throne, Christ is on His right hand, the 24 elders circle the Throne and a rainbow circles the whole Throne, and all of the singing and everything that goes on there is quite a sight.
We get a little glimpse to it in Rev. 4 & 5.
Verse 23: "To the joyous festival gathering; and to the Church of the Firstborn…"
We haven't yet been born, but we've been begotten and then our spirit is stored wherever God stores of all the spirits of those who have been perfected until the resurrection.
"…the Church of the Firstborn…"—applying to Christ as Firstborn! So, the whole Church and all of those in the first resurrection will be of mankind the firstborn from the dead, all collected! Right now they're:
"…registered in the Book of Life in heaven; and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the just who have been perfected" (v 23).
How the resurrection is going to occur, don't know; but we know that it will!
1-Cor. 15 is called the resurrection chapter! It's quite interesting that in the first part that Paul corrects them, because some of them were not believing in the resurrection. We find in 1-Tim. 1 that there were those saying that the resurrection is already past. What was occurring in the Church even before the Apostle John died? Strange doctrines! And here this is before Paul died and he wants to clarify everything for them.
1-Corinthians 15:9: "For I am the least of the apostles…"
That's quite a humble attitude for Paul to have. A little later on in Eph. 3 he says that he's 'less than the least of the saints.' Everything that Paul went through humbled him beyond understanding.
"…and am not fit even to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me has not been in vain; rather, I have labored more abundantly than all of them; however, it was not I, but the grace of God with me" (vs 9-10).
That's what it has to be with us. In order for us to grow in grace and knowledge, it has to be God with us! We do that through prayer, through study, through living, turning off the cell phone and computer and meditate!
- think on the Word of God
- think on the Way of God
- think on what God is doing
That will help you grow in grace and knowledge!
Verse 11: "Now then, whetherI or they, so we preach, and so you have believed. But if Christ is being preached, that He rose from the dead, how is it that some among you are saying that there is no resurrection of the dead?" (vs 11-12).
That's the whole key focal point of what the New Covenant is about. It can't be about anything else.
Verse 13: "For if there is no resurrection from the dead, neither has Christ been raised."
But He was; He was the Firstborn of the dead. It also says that in Col. 1! There were three resurrections back to physical life that Jesus did during His ministry, but they subsequently all died a natural death. Christ was raised from the dead, appeared to the apostles and showed Himself for 40 days and 40 nights, and, as Paul says here in 1-Cor. 15, was seen by over 500 brethren at one time. So, there was a lot going on during that 40 days.
Verse 14: "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain."
What does that say about those who preaches 'going to heaven'? Their faith is in vain!
Verse 15: "And we are also found to be false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised Christ, Whom He did not raise, if indeed the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. But if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins" (vs 15-17). That's an all encompassing statement!
Verse 18: "And those who have fallen asleep in Christ have then perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most miserable. But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He has become the Firstfruit…" (vs 18-20). So, we have:
- firstborn in the flesh
- Firstborn in the Spirit
- Firstfruit of the resurrection
"…Firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die…" (vs 20-22).
He's explaining great understanding of what the whole situation with human beings really is. Why we're sinful, why we go through the things that we go through.
Verse 22: "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."
- When? Most of the world does not know when!
- Why? Because they believe in going to heaven!
If you ever go to a funeral where they talk about this person who is in heaven and then they read the Scriptures about the resurrection, it's completely disjointed and makes no sense!
Verse 23: "But each in his own order…"
- What is that? That's the whole Plan of God!
- What is the order?
First, Christ the Firstfruit and then the spirit of those who have been perfected stored with God right there in heaven above! They have no consciousness because they have to have spirit body and mind to be activated as a spirit being.
"…Christ the Firstfruit; then those who are Christ's at His coming…. [not before] …Afterwards the end comes…" (vs 23-24).
It comes from Christ returning to the earth and the next statement takes it all the way through the thousand-year period and the rest of the dead being resurrected (Rev. 20), and the whole Plan of God being completed. So, there's a lot missing between verses 23 & 24.
Verse 24: "Afterwards the end comes when He shall have delivered up the Kingdom to Him Who is God and Father, when He shall have put an end to all rule and all authority and power."
That starts Rev. 21, the New Heaven and the New Earth. That's why we need the book of Revelation to fill in the gaps.
Verse 25[transcriber's correction]: "For it is ordained that He reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death" (vs 25-26).
That's the second death when all the wicked are destroyed, and the whole earth (2-Peter. 3) is going to be enveloped in fire and flame and all the elements are going to melt. That's how God is preparing the Earth for the New Earth.
When the full Kingdom of God comes, with New Jerusalem, all the saints—everybody who is in the Kingdom of God at that time—there will be no more sin. There will be righteousness, everything that God wants us to be and to have, and then He's going to share eternity with us.
What is it that God is going to do? He hasn't told us! I don't think we can handle it. We have to be spirit beings in order to understand it. It's all we can do to understand what the Word of God is right now.
Verse 27: "For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when it is said that all things have been put in subjection, it is clearly evident that it does not include Him Who put all things in subjection under Him. But when He has put all things in subjection to Him, then shall the Son Himself also be subject to Him Who put all things in subjection to Him, so that God may be all in all" (vs 27-28)—and that includes the whole Family of God!
Paul gives this whole summary, and actually what Paul is doing right here is laying out the whole Plan of God in different segments. Just like everything else in the Bible, you need other parts of the Bible to interpret how it's put together.
Verse 29: "Otherwise, what shall they do who have been baptized for the resurrection of the dead… [that's what we are baptized for] …if the dead are not raised at all? Why then are they baptized for the resurrection of the dead?"
The Mormons interpret this as other people are baptized for other people who are already dead so that they can be in heaven, too. They baptized many presidents called pseudo-baptism!
I remember when I was Salt Lake City and was talking with a woman who left the Mormon Church because of knowing the Truth of God, and knowing that all of those baptisms for the dead were not actually real.
She said that she came one day and some of the others who were supposed to come to be baptized for the list of all of these people who have already died and she was baptized 200 times that one day. She said she felt so waterlogged it was incredible. That's not the way to do it. Baptism is for each one individually upon repentance!
Verse 35: "Nevertheless, someone will say, 'How are the dead raised?…. [we've all asked that question] …And with what body do they come?' Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that shall be; rather, it is bare grain—it may be of wheat, or one of the other grains; and God gives it a body according to His will, and to each of the seeds its own body" (vs 35-38).
Verse 39: "Likewise, not all flesh is the same flesh. Rather, there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another of fish, and another of birds. And there are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is different, and the glory of the earthly is different. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory" (vs 39-41).
Verse 42:" So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power" (vs 42-43).
Paul is showing that the resurrection is a whole fantastic, marvelous, powerful thing that's going to take place. The first resurrection will be for all of those of us who are in the Church of the Firstborn. At that time, all will be born again at the same time.
Verse 44: "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.…"
- natural means fleshly body
- spiritual body means a body composed of spirit
Just like Jesus said:
- that which is born of the Spirit is spirit
- that which is born of the flesh is flesh
That's what Paul is explaining here:
"…There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body; accordingly, it is written, 'The first man, Adam, became a living soul; the last Adam [Christ] became an ever-living Spirit.'…. [referring to Christ] …However, the spiritual was not first…" (vs 44-46).
The Mormons say that 'we're all spirits up in heaven and God send a spirit to be with every newborn baby.' That means the spirit is first, then the flesh. But God says the flesh is first, then the spirit!
"…but the natural—then the spiritual. The first man is of the earth—made of dust. The second Man is the Lord from heaven. As is the one made of dust, so also are all those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly One, so also are all those who are heavenly" (vs 46-48).
That's going to be quite a thing to have a spirit mind and a spirit body, and have the capacity to do many, many things that we have no idea of when it is going to be. We know this: we're going to rule and reign with Christ in the Kingdom of God on the Earth to then expand the whole Plan of God! There will be many born into the Kingdom of God during the Millennium.
We're going to be the ones—under Christ—to make that happen. That's why we go through everything that we go through now so that we can:
- understand ourselves
- understand human nature as God understands human nature
So we can be able to grow and overcome!
What are we going to teach these people in the Millennium? Then how about the Great White Throne Judgment, which is going to be the greatest part of God's Plan!
Verse 49: "And as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly One. Now this I say, brethren… [this goes right back to what Jesus said in John 3] …that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God…" (vs 49-50).
- you can't see it
- you can't enter into it
- you can't inherit it
If you're flesh! That means that no one has been born again, except Christ! No one!
Even some Churches of God believe the Protestant doctrine of born again! Why? I have no idea! But I have a supposition on it: Are they trying to appeal to those who believe that conversion is being born again so they will come and join them? I have no idea!
Verse 50: "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery…" (vs 50-51).
Where did we start? Jesus said that it's given to you, that is the disciples—that also means us—to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to the world it's not known. We're going to live in a time when we will see the great deception come upon this whole world. The whole world follows the beast and the false prophet, and follow all of their minions!
"…we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet… [that's the 7th trumpet when the resurrection takes place] …for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (vs 51-52)—from flesh to spirit!
Because everyone buried has no flesh, it's all gone. But everything that they were has been preserved on the spirit of man and the Spirit of God, which God stores for the resurrection! That's going to be something, and it's going to startle the world!
I think when the resurrection takes place—and we know that there's going to be that vast Sea of Glass that the resurrected saints are going to on, taken by the angels. The whole world is going to think that the invasion of the aliens is taking place. Look at how the whole world is being programmed to believe that now, in such a way that they never believe it before! Look at it today in the world that we're living in.
They have whole programs devoted to the aliens among us. I'm sure you've seen it, and I watch it every once in a while. They're all convinced. When the resurrection takes place and the dead are being raised by the angels to be taken to the Sea of Glass, they're going to look at that and say, 'Whoa! The aliens from outer space have come to conquer the world. '
That's how the beast and the false prophet are going to get all the nations to come and fight Christ! Here we have it:
Verse 53: "For this corruptible must put on incorruptibility, and this mortal must put on immortality."
We don't have it in us now! When we die, we're dead! When we're raised from the dead, we're spirit beings!
Verse 54: "Now, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory'"—tie in Rev. 20 & 21.
Verse 55: "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (vs 55-58).
Being born again has not happened to anyone except Jesus Christ:
- born of the flesh/born of the Spirit
- Firstborn from among the dead
Then all of those who are Christ's: all of us and all the saints down through time going all the way back to Abel!
What a day it's going to be when that first resurrection takes place, and that great Sea of Glass is up there in the clouds. The world is going to be completely startled as to what is happening.
All the saints will be born again at the same time! That's what it means to be born again! That's what we look forward to and why we are here!
Scriptural References:
- Matthew 13:11-13
- Isaiah 29:9-14
- 1 Corinthians 2:7-12
- Matthew 1:1-2
- 1 Peter 1:2-3
- 1 John 5:1-4
- 1 John 3:9
- 1 John 4:7-9
- John 3:2-3, 5, 4-6
- John 4:21-24
- John 3:6-8
- Luke 1:30-35
- Matthew 1:25
- Revelation 1:4-5
- John 3:5-6
- Philippians 3:20-21
- Hebrews 12:22-23
- 1 Corinthians 15:9-29, 35-58
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Genesis 1
- Acts 8
- Philippians 2
- Revelation 4; 5
- 1 Timothy 1
- Ephesians 3
- Colossians 1
- Revelation 20; 21
- 2 Peter 3
Also referenced:
The New Testament in Its Original Order, with Commentary and Appendices
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 3/1/23
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