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Immersion (βάπτισμα)

Baptism – (βάπτισμα; βαπτίζω) Immersion. Baptism means “to immerse”. This immersion permanently impacts the object immersed, such as a garment immersed into dye.

The failure to translate this word was done early in the Church’s history through the Latin use of “Babtismus”, which is defined in English as “washing” or “sprinkling”. Having its root in the false religion of Catholicism, the meaning of the word was masked to justify theological religious practices that are not Scripturally based, such as baptizing a child by sprinkling. The issue with this definition is that the Greek Language has specific words for “washing” and “sprinkling”, showing that baptism has a different meaning.

“Washing” (λούω), involves the cleaning of the entire body. Jesus told the disciples in the upper room once a person is washed, they only need to clean their feet (John 13:10), referring to how a Christian deals with sin. We have been washed and regenerated (born again) by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). This washing is through the Word to those of the Church (Ephesians 5:26) and is referring to a complete washing away of sins.

“Sprinkle” (ῥαντισμός; ῥαντίζω) is used six times in Scripture. It is what was done with the blood of animals for cleansing the earthly tabernacle (Hebrews 9:13), which was a shadow of the real temple in Heaven that was cleansed by the sprinkling of Christ’s blood (Hebrews 12:24). It is also used for Christians who have been sprinkled by the blood of Christ in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, 1 Peter 1:2, and cleanses our heart from a malignantly evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22).

“Baptism” (βάπτισμα) is not actually a Christian word by origin, it was used in Koine Greek for a garment dyed, a […]

Immersion (βάπτισμα)2023-11-25T17:43:30-08:00

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – The Ones Trying to Mimic

For indeed if one comes proclaiming a different Jesus whom we did not proclaim, or you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different gospel that you have not accepted – 2 Corinthians 11:4

Experiencing the Holy Spirit is a logical response from us as we identify and seek to fulfill the desires He gives us to live out who we are in Christ. This type of relationship is new, that is, it did not exist between God and humans prior to the creation of the Church. It requires us to pay attention to our desires and understand where they come from and their outcomes so we can discern what is God’s way, and stop being manipulated by our flesh and Satan.

The Spirit of the Truth Who the world does not have the ability to receive because it cannot watch Him, nor experientially know Him, but you experientially know Him because He abides alongside you and will be in you – John 14:17

Unfortunately, there are many today that teach contrary to this, trying to make our relationship with the Holy Spirit an emotional experience that is not based upon the truth. Remember, truth is not relative. There is only one truth, and it is not based upon how we feel or is changed because we don’t like it. As we read through Scripture, we see God interacting with people in ways that sometimes we would like to experience. He spoke with them, showed them signs, performed incredible miracles, raised the dead, healed the sick, and so many other direct, visible manifestations of who He is. However, this is not the type of relationship we have with God today, ours is […]

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – The Ones Trying to Mimic2023-12-14T08:38:41-08:00

The Sovereignty of God and Election

The Sovereignty of God– PDF Version

In Greek Class on Thursdays – there is room to join online if you cannot make it to the church – we were discussing Romans 9:22. This quick comment is based upon our development of this passage through examining the Greek grammar and words to determine its meaning and proper application.

God elected some to salvation; does He also elect some to condemnation? Why is that God has chosen to harden some, rather than show mercy to them? Can a just God harden a man’s heart and then judge him for rejecting God?

In the book of Romans, Paul discusses the choices that God has when dealing with mankind. Since God is sovereign, He can do as He pleases with men without taking away the responsibility of man to obey His Word[1] or the liability when he does not obey. In chapter nine of Romans, Paul repeats what was stated to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will show compassion to whom I will show compassion”[2]. Whether or not God shows mercy to a person is not dependent upon if a man desires mercy or works for mercy, it is solely based upon God’s choice[3]. He is not obligated to save anyone. When God chose to call the seed of Abraham through Isaac, to show that His choice was not based upon actions of the person, but rather according to His own desires, it was told to Rebecca before the children were even born that the older would serve the younger [4]. This does not mean that man is not responsible for His actions. One cannot […]

The Sovereignty of God and Election2016-10-12T06:02:44-07:00

Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ

As we take time today to consider this day, the day that the Lord made, a day in which He raised Christ from the dead, let us remember why we put this time aside. The day that God raised Christ out from the dead was the most significant day in the history of His creation. Not only does His resurrection have huge significance to mankind, but also to spirit beings for it was through the death and resurrection of Christ that God trumpet over Satan; showed His righteousness the all spirit beings; and created a new man in which all the Church would live freed from the condemnation and death that was passed down to all men through Adam’s trespass and sin.

Are you “In Christ” the new creation?

This is not a day to celebrate the death of Christ, as so many focus on. It was on the Wednesday before this day that Christ was put to death and rejected by His own people through the hands of the Gentiles. A day of such great shame on this earth that the sun did not even shine for three hours while Christ was spiritually separated from the Father and the Holy Spirit, paying the price for our trespasses. A day in which Christ, giving up His life, also died physically to pay the debt of our sins. This is a day to celebrate the resurrection; to celebrate that we are no longer separated from God; to remember all that we have in Christ because God through Him brought about this incredible salvation that we now live in.

There are many Gospels that you will hear today, but only one is true. Christ died for our sins, was buried, […]

Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ2013-03-31T08:35:58-07:00

Stewardship and Dispensations: The Significance of Οικονομός and Οικονομία

Stewardship and Dispensations:

The Significance of Οικονομός and Οικονομία

The sixty-six books of the Bible span thousands of years of human history and beyond. They begin before God created man and end with the creation of new heavens and a new earth where righteousness settles down and feels at ease[1]. Within the pages of the Bible, we see changes in God’s relationship and standard for mankind and the failure of mankind to live up to God’s expectation, which ultimately brings judgment. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was not allowed to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil[2]. Upon eating the fruit from this tree, his spirit was separated from God[3], he became subject to physical death, and he was expelled from the garden[4]. Having been expelled from the garden, God’s expectation for humans was for them to properly govern the manner of their lives by the knowledge of good and evil, now that they possessed it. However, again, men failed, and God judged the earth by bringing a flood[5]. After the flood, God instructed Noah that men are to govern themselves and that capital punishment is to be implemented[6]. Again, men fail to follow God’s instruction, reject God, and seek their own way. Therefore, God brought judgment and forced man to separate and spread across the earth[7]. This judgment brought about multiple languages and the division of the continents, which caused man to spread out across the earth[8].  Having scattered man across the face of the earth, God then approaches Abram and ultimately offers him four covenants[9]. These covenants included a promise of land that Abraham and his descendants […]

Stewardship and Dispensations: The Significance of Οικονομός and Οικονομία2024-09-08T17:47:28-07:00
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