The Holy Spirit

“Our fellowship is with the Father and the Son”

Our fellowship with God is with the Father and the Son. The testimony of two confirm the fact. God reveals Himself to man as the Father and the Son. It is through two persons, the Father and the Son, that God reveals Himself to men.  And it is through the writings of the prophets. In the writings of the prophets by the Spirit of God who moved holy men to speak, and their words were written, the word of God, the Tanach. And the Word is the Mashiach, and the Mashaich is Yeshua, raised from the dead. The Father speaks to the Son in the writings of the prophets (the Tanach). Now some would argue with this, but they know not the things they speak of.

When Yeshua was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God, He received gifts for men: the very Spirit of God. Yeshua received the Spirit of God from the Father. Is the Spirit of God somehow different than the Father? If they say it is different they know not spititual things. They, the Father and the Spirit, are one and the same. Does not the Father speak favorably of the Son. Does not the Spirit of God zealously testify of Yeshua? Of course, only those apart from the grace of God would argue these things. The Father and the Son are one. The Father and the Spirit are one.  God is one. We, the children of grace understand God through two persons, the Father and the Son. If the Father is rejected, God is rejected. If the Son is rejected the God and Father of us all is rejected. If the Spirit is rejected the Father and the Son is rejected. Speak against the Son and this shall be forgiven you, but you shall not be forgiven if you speak against the Holy Spirit of God. For you cannot believe, for this is the purpose of God, vessels of dishonor.

And then some would say that the Spirit of God is not God. Utter foolishness! God the Father and the Spirit are one, as the Father and the Son are one, and the Son and Spirit of God are one.  It is written in the writings of the apostolos the Spirit of Yeshua, and the Spirit of the Meshiach. We understand God through the fellowship of two, the Father and the Son. Not three, but two. The doctrine of the Trinity is man’s way of attempting to understand God though his carnal mind. There are not three, but two, the Father and the Son in whom the children of grace have fellowship with God. And God is one, He is Elohiym, the God of all gods. There is none above Him. And He has chosen to reveal Himself to man as the Father and the Son, and He has chosen to have fellowship with man through the Father and the Son by His Spirit, the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance. ” Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Yeshua ha Mashiach. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua ha Mashiach who hath blessed us with all blessings of the spirit in the Mashiach.” Eph

There have been those who according to what they knew were zealous for God having not the Spirit or the fulness of the gospel. They preached according to what they knew, and what they knew though incomplete, this was of God. But God did not leave them in this state of incompleteness, no knowing the gospel fully or filled with the Holy Spirit. These men had no guide. And again this is God, for He is in control of all things.

(My comments in italics) “And a certain one of Yudah name Appolo, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Tanach, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord. (he was instructed in the way of the Lord by the will of God, as prophecy concerning the Meshiach had not yet been fulfilled, and not as fulfilled.) And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the dipping of Yohan. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, whom when Aquilus and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. (How wonderful it is that believers discern rightly the purpose of God. They did not judge him a false prophet. They made right judgment.  Apollo only spoke what he knew, and he spoke what God had wanted him to know up to this time. He was also in a spirit prepared by God for when he was taken aside he received the more perfect way of God , the one true gospel, in a spirit of acceptance (this is the grace of God), and grace allowed him to accept it. The more perfect way of the one true gospel and of one dipping (baptism) and one God and Father of us all, and the earnest of our inheritance, the one Spirit of God. They expounded unto him a more perfect way.) And when he was purposed to go into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him, who when he was come helped them much which had believed through grace, for he mightily convinced the ones of Yudah, publically showing by the Tanach that Yeshua was the Mashiach.” (And his purposing to go to Achaia was the purpose of God, and the brethren he was fellowshipping with (for Aquilus and Priscilla were not alone, but found in an assembly of God) wrote a letter of introduction to brethren in Achaia, that he would not be left alone and separate from the assembly of God. And the proof of God in the midst was he was able to help them who believed, by mightily convincing the ones of Yudah (Jews) and publically showing them by the Tanach, that Yeshua was the Mashiach. The brethren were helped when the unbeliever of the Mashaich has the gospel preached to them and they are convinced. This is the grace and will of God.) Acts 18  

I write of Appolo that the Spirit of God would be seen, and the grace and will of God.

No infant baptism

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified (set apart) by the wife (believing), and the unbelieving wife is sanctified (set apart) by the husband; else, were your children unclean, but now are they holy (set apart).-1 Cor 7:14

The chidren are set apart by the believing parent, whether one or both. As the children are brought up in the gospel the affect is they are set apart. Set apart whether they have understanding or not. But the will of parent cannot call down God’s grace, for grace is solely a matter of God’s will.

“But as many that receive Him (by grace and the will of God), to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them who are faithful to His name, which were born not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”-John 1

And at the appropriate time if it be God’s will the children will be dipped in Yeshua’s name. For just as what man can determine water for a person, what man can forbid a person the water of dipping in Yeshua’s name.

There is no infant baptism or baptism determined by the parents, or blood, or the flesh, or any person. There is only dipping in Yeshua name when God makes choice.

Only Public Baptism

“Else what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead? And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?”- 1 Cor 15:29-30

What shall they do who are dipped by another in the name of Yeshua “for the dead”, if “the dead” rise not at all? Believers are not baptized (dipped) in the name of Yeshua for believers, but for unbelievers. It is a sign for unbelievers. For unbelievers are the dead. For if there be no resurrection from the dead for the dead, what purpose is there to be baptized? Why be baptized if all that awaits the dead is death? For this would contradict what Paul wrote in verse 22, “For as in Adam all die, even so in the Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in His own order” ordained by God. For we were chosen in Him before we had done any evil or good.

So baptism or dipping in the name of Yeshua by a believer is done for the dead. Why then would this dipping occur apart from the dead? It would not! Read all through Acts and you will see dipping in the name of Yeshua performed in public. For water was a public issue in those days. No water lines to building. Clean water was a public resource where people gathered around. Whether it was baptism in Yerushalem or on the trade route between Yerushalem and Mizraim (Egypt) in Gaza water was public.

And dipping in the name of Yeshua is not done for the believer but for the dead, for God as an answer of a good conscience toward Him by the resurrection of Yeshua, ha Mashaich. That we all might say we have been crucified with Him, buried with Him in dipping, and raised to newness of life by the resurrection of Yeshua.

Dipping in the name of Yeshua is a public matter.

Dipping in Yeshua’s name or Christian baptism

To be dipped in Yeshua’s name is to be dipped by another. It is a dipping for the dead: the unbeliever. It is the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Yeshua ha Nashiach. It is to be dipped in Yeshua’s name in water.

It is not a man dipping himself. It is not dipping in another name other than Yeshua. It is not done for a man’s self. It is done for the unbeliever. It is done for God. It is a selfless act of grace.

There is not infant dipping. There is not poured or sprinkled.

It is not the will of the parents that will a child to be a child of grace. It is the will and grace of God alone. If the apostolos writes, “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, else are your children unclean, but now are they holy.” How much more so if the husband and the wife believe are the chidlren set apart, and yet it is not the will of the parents that bring down grace on a child. The children are set apart, whether they have understanding or not.  And yet if they continue on in the Lord, they will be dipped in the name of Yeshua at the appropriate time to partake in the common experience of all the children of grace.

Great Commission and Mark 16:15: Baptism continued

Now Matthew 28 reads, ” Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in my name, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and, lo, I am with you always, to the end of the world.” And how are the nations taught of God? Through the preaching of the one true gospel. For God is their teacher. Or it could be said in the same Spirit of Yeshua, “Go ye therefore and preach the gospel to all nations”. And lo and behold, this follows closely what is stated in Mark 16, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every person. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. But he that believeth no shall be condemned.”

And all these words hinge on the one true gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation, and all other messages contrary to the one true gospel are not true, and are in darkness. And all who reject the preaching of the one true gospel, reject Yeshua the Mashiach of God. I speak by grace, as do all the slaves of Christ that preach the one true gospel. All children of grace hear by grace. And if they do not hear they are not of the children, chosen of God before they did any evil or good.

And he that believeth, for whoseover believes can only believe by the will and grace of God, has the faith of Yeshua: the mustard seed. And those who preach the one true gospel, will forbid no man water, so all the children of grace will have a common experience, the dipping (baptism) of Yeshua. Dipped by another in water without partiality. That same dipping that is reserved for all the children of grace. He who abides in His word will be dipped. He who abides in His word will truly be His disciple. He who abides in His word will be saved from sin, and from death and from judgment.

The Great Commission and 1 John 5:7-8: Baptism continued

Beloved, God reveals Himself as the Father and the Son. Our fellowship is with the Father and the Son. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua ha Mashiach. Yeshua the Christ is the Son of God. Yeshua ascended on high, seated at the right hand of God, receive gifts for men, the very Spirit of the Father: this is the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance in the Christos.

All said I need no dead doctrine of men called the trinity to declare the one true God. I do not need men adding to the writings of the apostolos to include the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in a formula. You need not worry that the creator Yeshua haMashiach will be made out to be any less than what he is, God! You do not need to worry that the Father will be made out to be anything less than He is, for He is very God. For God reveals Himself as the Father and the Son. You need not worry that somehow the very Spirit of the Father will be made out to be anything less than what the Spirit of God is. What foolishness are those who would say the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of the Father is not God. Is the Father God? Yes. Is the Son God? Yes! Does the Father and the Son reveal God? Yes! Are they one? Yes! Are there three gods? No! Are there two gods? No! There is one God who reveals Himself as the Father and the Son! Can the spirit of man be any less than the man himself. How much more so with God. Can the Spirit of God be anyless than God? Of course not! Those who stumble at this are barren of the grace of God. For those who stumble at spiritual understanding and grope in their fleshly understanding there is no way in spirit to say the words I write any simpler. God reveals Himself as the Father and the Son. And the Spirit of God is the Spirit of the Father who zealously testifies of the Christ: Yeshua of Nazareth is the Christ of God.

Saying these things, in the KJV it is written in Matthew 28, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”  In 1 Yohan 5 it states, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in the earth, the spirit, and the water and the blood.”  These two verses are omitted in  the vast majority of the Greek manuscripts.  The Greek form of the verb to bear witness or bear record is only found in these two verses making the writing form unique. This witness of three has been added somewhere through history. It was added because doctrine had already gained superiority over the preaching of the one true gospel. The one true gospel is the Christ died for our sins according to the Tanach, He was buried and He rose again the third day according to the Tanach. In the grace of God there is no controversy concerning the one true gospel, and those who preach the one true gospel.  It was more important for those who added to the writings of the apostolos to get doctrine right than to preach the one true gospel. And so it was deemed necessary to add in for clarification the Father, and the Son or Word, and the Holy Spirit. Read chapter 5 without these two verses and you will see they fit together and the witness of two is sufficient, and Spirit of the Father is not denied.

Going to Matthew 28, and with the witness of many times in Acts, and having no need to worry about God as He reveals Himself as two persons being misunderstood, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in my name, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Ah, the simplicity in Christ that brings to an end the debates and strifes of men. Teach all nations. Be not partial. And by teaching all nations without partiality and forbidding water to none you will be not partial and walk in the grace and the love of the Father and the Son through the Spirit.

Baptism

My name is Daniel, and I declare the one true gospel as the Meshiach died for our sins according to the Tanach, He was buried and He rose the third day according to the Tanach.  Declaring the one true gospel is not enough for many. They must add whatever doctrine of man they follow. For they have not been taught of God.  And baptism as it is commonly taught of men is one of the doctrines of men, and not of God. I will freely give of my understanding in Christ. Without cost, but if men make merchandise of their souls and come in their own name, this they will receive in this crooked generation of judgment. 

“Baptism” is not a translated word. It is anglicized from the greek word “βαπτιξω”, pronounced “baptizo” (Strongs #911). It is derived from the simple word “βαπτω” (Strongs #907), a primitive or root word. βαπτω is found three times in the New Testament as “dip the tip of his finger in water” (Luke 16:24), “give a sop when I have dipped it” (John 13:26) and “clothed with a vesture dipped in blood” (Rev 19:13). It means to dip, not sprinkle or pour, but dip. βαπτω is used 19 times in the LXX (Septuagint), again with the primary meaning “to dip“.

 The Greek word, “βαπτιξω”, is  a strengthened form of the word “βαπτω”, in context more about “repeated dipping”. “βαπτιξω” is used only two times in the LXX (Greek translation of the OT): 2 Kings 5:14 & Is 21:4. In the KJV in Isaiah 21, “fearfulness affrighteth me” and is translated in the LXX “transgression overwhelms me”. The Hebrew would more closely follow a translation ”transgression consumes me”. It is from this consuming” that the translator picks “βαπτιξω”. The Hebrew word has no sense of a repeated dipping of transgression, only being consumed by sin. It is One who knew no sin, who became sin, “transgression consumed him”.  To tranlate thus would not be either “βαπτω” or “βαπτιξω”. Isaiah does not leave us with any spiritual understanding “baptism”.  There is a baptism of fire, but it is the judgment of God upon all the ungodly. There is an element of repeating for the ungodly in the judgment of God, but not in any sense of sin.

2 Kings 5:14 does give us spiritual understanding about baptizo. It is in this passage which prophesies of the Mashiyach, as does all the Old Testament. There is Naaman, the Syrian, a Gentile, against his will, doing a small and not a great thing, washing in the River Yordan to cleanse his leprosy. “Then went he down, and βαπτιξω (dipped) himself seven times in Yordan, according to the saying of the man of God. And his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” He repeatedly dipped in Yordan and the use of the word βαπτιξω is most appropriate. He did not sprinkle himself, or pour water on himself, but “he dipped.. in the Yordan”.  The current word we use “dip”, has remarkably over the ages kept it original meaning. For even as of today we “dip in the river”. When we “go for a dip” we do not sprinkle ourselves or does anyone understand that we sprinkled ourselves. We do not pour water over ourselves, nor does anyone understand this. If we “go for a dip” we cover ourselves in water, just as the finger is dipped in water; just as the sop is dipped, just as the tip of His garment is dipped in blood. There is no mistake for the meaning. Thus water baptism when it is spoken in the writings of the apostolos is always spoken and understood as dipped in a complete sense, and it is always understood as being repeated person to person. The baptism of John though distinct from Christ’s was repeated, and one was completely dipped. The baptism of the new covenant is repeated and one is completely dipped. The “one baptism” is a common experience for all who believe, not to be forbidden to any of the children of grace, in whatever state they are called in. For one (Paul) who was called, consented to the murder and imprisonment of the children of grace, and was baptized after he was granted grace according to the will and grace of God. To give a certain order to how men are baptized: this is the teaching of men. No man apart from the will of God can partake of grace, not even an infant by the will of parents. No man can say to God, “it must be the order that baptism comes first”. For God made you wrong when Cornelius and his household received the Spirit and spoke in tongues, and then followers of Christ whow were just beginning to understand uttered, “who can forbid these water?” Some today say you must speak in tongues and they speak of things they know not. These are all the doctrines of men and not of God.

How much of the doctrine of men have crept in unaware into the thoughts of those who call themselves Christians in our day and hour. For just as surely as there is a place in the grace of God for the doctrine of the “one baptism”, there is also a place for these words: “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel”, and “I thank God that I baptized none of you”. But there are many who reject the clear proclamation of the one true gospel and I simply imitate the words of the apostolos. Did Paul say these words to say there was no baptism? Of course not! There was baptism and he said the words. But the false brethren would tell Paul he does not preach the gospel. It is they who reject the gospel, and know not the gospel and are barren of the grace of God. And I tell you, I will not baptize, and I am glad I do not baptize, but there shall be baptisms. Thank be unto God who has hid these things from the wise, and has revealed them unto babes and sucklings.

Baptism

All understanding comes through the scriptures of the prophets in light of the Christ, Yeshua’s death for our sins, His burial and His resurrection the third day.

The understanding of baptisms is the beginning of the understanding of the word of Christ. The understanding of baptisms is understanding that first comes to us, after God gives grace to accept the gospel, and as we continue in the gospel of grace.

“Therefore leaving the beginning of the the word (logos) of the Christ, let us go on unto perfection (“completion” of understanding); not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, and the laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment (judgment of the ages). And this we will do if God permit.” (Heb 6:1-2)

Believers are not baptized for anything that it does for them. Believers are baptized for the unbeliever, that the unbeliever may see who the believer of Yeshua the Christ is.

“And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him (God) that put all things under Him (the Son), that God may be all in all. Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy every hour.” (1 Cor 15:28:29)

Paul’s thought here is that all things are not all subject to the Son. If all things were subject to God, then there would be no men called the dead: there would be no baptism for the dead. And if the dead rise not at all, why would we be baptized for them. And if all things are already subject to Christ Yeshua why do we continue to stand in jeopardy every hour. For we would not stand in jeopardy every hour if all things were subject to the Son.

Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:21 about baptism as not what the believer does for himself, not of the flesh, a putting away of filth, but a answer of a good conscience toward God. And Christ Yeshua was condemned in the flesh, justified in the spirit, and a like figure is of those condemned in the flesh in the days of Noah, and the eight souls saved, justified in the spirit by grace. And baptism is a like figure of eight souls being saved by water, not in the water, but out of the water, not of the flesh, a putting away of filth, but the answer of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Yeshua, the Christ.

Paul writes in Hebrews there are baptisms: there is the baptism of water, and there is the baptism of the Spirit. The baptism of water takes place outside the temple, outside the requirements of Law, contrary to the Law- a righteous act that breaks the Law, that the believer would no longer pursue the works of the Law. For if you break the Law in one point you are guilty of it all. For the Law permitted no washing for sins outside the temple. And there is also a baptism of the Spirit. There is one Spirit. And the Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance-the down payment. There is a baptism of the Spirit apart from and before the baptism of water. And there is a baptism of Spirit after the baptism of water. It is God who determines the order and it is not determined by the order of man.

And just as one ordinance, even circumcision added to Christ, is another gospel, one ordinance or work of the Law called baptism added to Christ is another gospel. All things are done in Christ by the love of Christ that restraineth us. We live not by the law of carnal ordinances, but the law of faith.

And in this day and hour when men are contentious and filled with every division, this generation of judgment (as it was in the days of Paul), I agree with what Paul wrote in 1 Cor 1:

“Is the Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or where you baptized in the name of Paul? I THANK GOD (I thank God I Daniel baptized none!) that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; lest any of you should say that I baptized in mine own name. And I did baptized the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”

And so for all who have been chosen of God, be baptized for the unbeliever and be baptized for the answer of a good conscience toward God. You have been chosen in Christ by grace. Baptism is not performed for yourself. It is for the unbeliever and it is for God through the ever increasing love of God by grace upon grace.