MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Seven Baptisms
Written by: Max Klein
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
5. There are a number of cognates related to this Greek word such as bapto, baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, baptistes, and embapto. A few examples follow:
6. John 13:26, “Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom, I shall dip [the future of the Greek word bapto] the morsel and give it to him. So, when he had dipped [the aorist participle of bapto; the sop now takes on a new meaning that of honor] the sop [the morsel], He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
To give someone a sop [a special bit of food usually a piece of bread or meat with a tasty sauce] was the highest honor of a banquet. At a banquet a special piece of bread or meat was prepared along with a special sauce for the guest of honor who would then honor someone by giving it to that person. Jesus as the guest of honor took this sop and dipped it into a special sauce and gave it to Judas. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored Judas as a member of the family of God, and for his ministry as an apostle to the Lost Sheep of Israel. This honor should have given Judas second thoughts regarding his plan to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin.
7. Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
8. Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching about Christ, let us advance to maturity, not laying again the foundation [of the basics such as]: a change of thinking about dead works [just as an unbeliever must have a change of mind about Christ to obtain salvation, so the believer must have a change of mind about legalism (dead works) in order to obtain the spiritual life], and of faith toward God [Faith-Rest Drill], (2) doctrine of baptisms [the Greek word baptismos; a reference to the seven types of baptism as found in Scripture] as well as the laying on of hands [ritual rebound in the age of Israel], and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment [the Great White Throne Judgment].
9. Matthew 3:1, “In those days John the Baptizer [the Greek word baptistes; when John baptized someone into the Jordan River, the converts were identified with the plan of God and his kingdom.] came proclaiming [as a herald] in the desert of Judea.”
There are two categories of identification in Scripture namely an actual identification or a real baptism and a representative identification or a ritual baptism which uses water.
The four real or actual identifications with something that has significance.
1. The Baptism of Moses: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 presents the baptism of Moses, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (2) and all were baptized [the Greek word baptizo] into Moses in the cloud [the Lord] and in the sea." This was a real identification in which Moses was identified with the Lord and the open path through the Red Sea and the Jews were identified with Moses. By the way, none of the Jews got wet, only Egyptian unbelievers who were immersed in the water as a means of death.
2. The Baptism of the Cross is found in Matthew 20:22, “But Jesus answered [Salome by addressing her sons] and said, “You [plural: a reference to James and John] do not know what you [James and John] ask. Are you [James and John] able to drink of the cup [bear the punishment of all the sins of the world] that I am about to drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism [the sins of the world identified with Christ followed by the Father judging them] that I am baptized with [identified with]?” They [James and John] said to Him, “We are able. [the dumbest statement that James and John ever made]” [I selected the longer text as did Jerome.]
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Retroactive Positional Truth and Current Positional Truth) occurs at salvation for Church Age believers only.
Colossians 2:12. Having been buried [aorist participle] with Him [Jesus Christ] by means of the baptism [God the Holy Spirit identified us with the burial of Jesus Christ as part of our salvation] by means of which [Baptism] you have been raised up [main verb] with Him [in union with Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] through faith [at the point of salvation] in the operational power from the source of God who has raised Him [the humanity of Christ was given a resurrection body] out from the dead [physical death].
Romans 6:3-9:
Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that all of us who [a correlative] have been baptized into [identified with] Christ Jesus [Current Positional Sanctification: we are in union with Christ in his life in heaven], have been baptized into His death [Retroactive Positional Truth and so identified with his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross]?
Positionally, (in union with Christ) we share His righteousness, heirship, priesthood, destiny, election, eternal life, royalty, sonship etc. All these making us a new spiritual species in Christ Jesus. The plural correlative hosoi (ὅσοι) means that if we were identified with Christ in heaven and we were, then also we have been identified with Christ in his substitutionary spiritual death in which he removed the power of sin nature. Thus, the sin nature should not have power over our lives.
A few more points will be noted:
1. Note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation enters the believer into union with Christ at the right hand of God the Father which union is called current positional truth.
2. This verse also mentions identification with Christ in His spiritual death on the cross which identification theologians call retroactive positional truth. Retroactive positional truth also includes identification with Christ in His physical death and burial as well.
3. Identification with Christ in His death, then, has a two-fold connotation namely all personal sins were judged at the cross and since that is the case, God the Father is free to provide in grace, the Recovery Procedure. The second connotation is that good and evil were rejected by Jesus on the cross since good and evil are a part of Satan’s policy and plan. On the cross, Jesus relied on the proto-type spiritual life which operated under the two power options namely God’s power system.
4. So, the old sin nature’s ruling power over the Christian has been broken since all sins were judged on the cross and the Recovery Procedure has been provided. So, Retroactive Positional Truth has destroyed the sovereignty of the old sin nature over the life of the Christian.
5. Also, since Jesus rejected the good and evil policy of Satan so should the believer reject Satan’s policy of good and evil as the believer applies Retroactive Positional Truth.
Romans 6:4: Therefore, we have been buried together with Him through the identification [Baptism of the Spirit] into His death [physical], in order that just as Christ has been raised up from the dead [on Resurrection Sunday], through the glory of the Father [through the Father’s power], [So also we, the dead in Christ, will be raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and those alive at the Rapture, by the power of the Holy Spirit.] in this manner we also might walk in newness of life [Experiential sanctification should reflect our future ultimate sanctification.].
Christ had to die physically “and Jesus having shouted clearly with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I deposit my [human] spirit, and having said this, he exhaled” (Luke 23:46). This last exhale caused His soul and spirit to depart from his mortal body resulting in physical death. Just as Christ had to die physically in order to obtain his resurrection body, so we must depart from our body of corruption, or mortality in order to receive our eternal body called our resurrection body.
The Newness of Life:
1. The newness of life provided through the baptism of the Spirit includes positional freedom from producing good and evil. Not only are we free from the tyranny of good and evil but we are also free from having to produce good and evil.
2. The believer has no obligation to improve the devil’s world through social action, socialism, welfare state, communism, environmentalism, or any social gospel, social action, getting involved, etc.
3. The human race is protected from Satan’s policy of good and evil through the laws of divine establishment which promote freedom instead of improvement at the cost of freedom.
4. In addition to the Laws of Divine Establishment the believer is insulated from good and evil positionally through the baptism of the Spirit.
5. Divorced from the Old Sin Nature positionally and its useless activity of human good and the function of evil, the life of the believer can be devoted to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through maximum knowledge and application of Bible doctrine.
Romans 6:5: For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Romans 6:6: Be knowing this [through Retroactive Positional Truth], that our old man [our former husband, the sin nature dates back to the Garden] has been crucified together [with Him], in order that the [human] body, with reference to its sin nature, [the sin nature located in the body] might be rendered powerless [when we use Recovery Procedure and the two power options], that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature.
“Our old man has been crucified with Him” meaning that the power of the sin nature has been broken on the cross. Since the power of the sin nature was broken by the work of the cross, we as believers have no excuse for not executing the spiritual life. We will not be able to say to Christ at our evaluation that our sin nature was too powerful for us to execute the spiritual life.
A few points for further clarification:
1. Retroactive positional truth is that phase of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation which identifies the believer with Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and his burial.
2. In the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross all the personal sins in human history were imputed to Christ, but at the same time the other two trends of the old sin nature were not imputed for judgment.
3. Good and evil is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world and the function of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. In fact, the sin nature functions as the agent of Satan.
4. Good and evil were not imputed for judgment on the cross. Hence, in the spiritual death of Christ on the cross they were rejected to remain an issue in the angelic conflict, rejected to be perpetuated in human history as an issue every believer must face, and either overcome through the intake of doctrine or be entrapped by ignorance of doctrine and therefore lose out in glorifying God in time.
5. We are identified with Christ in His spiritual death, which means that we must understand that our sins have been judged and that good and evil has been rejected.
6. It all adds up to the fact that the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life has been made powerless through retroactive positional truth.
7. The imputation of all personal sins of the human race to Christ on the cross means that the believer through the rebound technique is instantly forgiven sins, cleansed from all wrong doing which includes Satanic good and evil, restored to fellowship and filled with the Spirit.
Romans 6:7: For we who have died [the Christian is identified with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ: theologically called Retroactive Positional Truth] have been acquitted [positional deliverance] from [the power of] the sin nature.
A few points for further clarification:
1. A dead person is discharged from the obligations of his former sphere of life. This is why the word “death” is used in this context. It is not a literal, physical death we are discussing but identification with Christ in His death.
2. As unbelievers we were under the authority of Satan as the ruler of this world, and under the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
3. Both the power of Satan and the old sin nature have been abrogated through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
4. This passage, then, emphasizes the annulling of the power and the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
5. Positionally, the power of the sin nature has been broken. Experientially, the old sin nature controls to the extent that we fail to understand and utilize the provision and support of logistical grace.
Romans 6:8: Now if we have died with Christ, and we have [retroactive positional truth], we also believe that we shall live in association with Him [the instrumental of association; a reference to Current Positional Truth].
In this verse, the 1st Class conditional sentence shows the relationship between Retroactive Positional Truth with Current Positional Truth. The protasis, the ‘if’ clause states the reality of Retroactive Positional Truth and the apodosis, the concluding clause states the doctrinal inference and the reality of Current Positional Truth. While Retroactive Positional Truth presents positional rejection and separation from good and evil as the policy of Satan and the function of the old sin nature, Current Positional Truth relates the believer to the function of the royal family of God. In other words, they have separate functions.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that because Christ has been raised from the dead [He received a resurrection body], no longer can He die; [physical] death is no longer a master over Him.
Analysis:
1. Retroactive positional truth destroys the sovereign authority of the old sin nature over human life. Current positional truth, on the other hand, destroys the limited authority of physical death in human life.
2. Instead of being ruled by the old sin nature located in the cells of the human body and influencing our souls toward sin, good and evil, we now have a new sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Him in His deaths, in His burial, resurrection, ascension and session.
3. Before salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit our lives were under the absolute rule of Satan who is the ruler of this world and under the rule of the old sin nature which is the ruler of life, and under the limited rule of physical death. All of that, of course, has been changed since salvation.
4. Now both retroactive and current positional truth have abrogated the authority and power of these former rulers. The power of Satan over our lives has been broken through identification with the rejection of good and evil namely Satan’s policy and plan and through our position in union with Christ. The power of the old sin nature is broken through retroactive positional truth and the power of physical death is broken through current positional truth.
5. Therefore, having studied these things by principle and by implication we are now ready for application, verses 12 & 13 specifically.
6. Having been positionally liberated from the sovereignty of the old sin nature as an absolute ruler, and the authority of physical death, we must recognise and apply doctrine for the experiential victory commanded in verses 11-13.
Galatians 3:25-28, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the authority of [have need of] a school bus. (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [identified with Christ through union with Him] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek [no racial distinction], there is neither slave nor free man [no social or economic distinction], there is neither male nor female [no gender distinction]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [All Christians have the same privileges and opportunities to execute the spiritual life.]”
Current Positional Truth, Elaborated:
In the Church Age, Current Positional Truth establishes our relationship with Christ as opposed to religion. It refers to the Church Age believer in union with Christ and is the key to understanding the Church Age and how the royal family came into being. Therefore, it is the basis for distinguishing between Christianity and religion. Christianity is a relationship with God without merit whereas religion is a system of works to gain the approbation of God. Never shall the twain meet!
The mechanics of Current Positional Truth is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For also by agency of the one Spirit we are all baptized [identification resulting in becoming a new spiritual species] into one body [in union with Christ], whether Jews or Greeks [racial distinctions are removed], whether slave or free [class and economic distinctions are removed], even all were made to drink [the aorist passive, the voice of grace] the one Spirit [The Holy Spirit did not ask us whether we wanted to be put into union with Christ or not.].” Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord [becomes our Lord positionally at Salvation]), one faith [faith alone in Christ alone; Acts 16:31], one baptism [Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation].”
Current Positional truth guarantees that there will be no judgment for believers in eternity, Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Thus, the condemnation which occurred at the first birth was removed at the 2nd birth. As a result of being born with the sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin, we were condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, but now that has been removed. Romans 5:12, “For this reason just as through one man [Adam] the sin [nature] entered into the world [procreation], and so spiritual death through the sin [the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin to the sin nature], and so spiritual death spread to all mankind, because all sinned when Adam sinned [since we were all genetically in Adam when he sinned, we will receive Adam’s Original Sin].” However, at our spiritual birth, the 2nd birth, our pre-salvation sins were all forgiven including Adam’s Original Sin. After which, the Spirit entered us into union with Christ where there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Current Positional truth qualifies the believer to live with God forever. To live with God forever, the believer must have eternal life and God’s perfect righteousness, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his son [Since we are in union with Christ, we share this life.]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin [perfection] to be a sin offering [imputation of sins on the cross] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [current positional truth].” To live with God forever means you must have His life, and you must be as righteous as He is.
Positional truth guarantees the believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death [nothing in death] nor life [nothing in life] nor angels nor principalities [ruling angels] nor powers [human organizations] nor things present nor things to come (39) nor height [nothing in heaven] nor depth [nothing in Hades] nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life in Christ is for all eternity!
Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers whether they be apostate, mature, immature, spiritually adult, or carnal. Since Current Positional Truth occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins, it doesn’t depend on that experience. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus [at salvation], called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.” So, even though you may be carnal or in reversionism, you still have positional truth. Being in union with Christ has nothing to do with what you do [experiential righteousness], or don’t do [failure to execute God’s plan]. Current Positional sanctification is completely the work of God the Holy Spirit and so is not based upon our volition, but on the sovereign decision of God. We make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we don’t make the decision to enter into union with Christ “all were made to drink the one Spirit” as per 1 Corinthians 12:13. God the Holy Spirit graciously did that for us and so it cannot be undone.
Current Positional truth creates a new spiritual species in Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power; behold, new things have come to pass.” You become a new spiritual species at salvation by being put into union with Christ. It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace. It is not what you do after salvation, such as the self-righteous works of legalism. The “old things” have to do with spiritual death and those things related to that death; the “new things” refer to things you receive at salvation such as the 40 assets and the unique spiritual life.
Positional truth should motivate the production of divine good and a pattern of life compatible with royalty as per Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus [a new spiritual species with many assets] for the purpose of divine good production [via experiential sanctification] which the God [the Father] has prepared in advance [in eternity past, God the Father provided election and predestination as part of our Portfolio of Invisible Assets], that we in the sphere of them [election and predestination] may pattern our lives.”
Even though a Christian may die the Sin on to Death, he will not lose his position in union with Christ (1 John 5:18-20), and so cannot lose his salvation. In order for a believer to lose his position in Christ, he would have to sin in that status, but since the believer cannot sin in union with Christ, he cannot lose his position in Christ and so cannot lose his salvation. Thus, it is comforting and reassuring to a believer to know that even though a loved one may have died the ‘sin on to death’, he has not lost his salvation.
Because we are in union with Christ, we share His:
1. Eternal life, 1 John 5:11, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life [At salvation, God the Father imputes this life to the human spirit], and this life is in his son [The Christian also shares the life of Christ through union with Him]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth and the life [eternal life]; no person [in human history] comes face to face with the Father [having an eternal relationship with the Father] except through Me.’”
2. Perfect righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And he (God the Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin (perfection) to be a sin offering as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth]. Sharing the righteousness of Christ, we become the objects of God the Father’s love as per Romans 8:39.
3. Election, Ephesians 1:4, “just as He [the Father] has elected us for Himself in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world [in eternity past], that we may be set apart [experiential sanctification] and blameless [ultimate sanctification] in the presence of Him [Father].”
4. Destiny, Ephesians 1:5, “By means of love, He has predestined us for the purpose of adoption as adult sons to Himself through Christ Jesus our Lord according to the grace purpose of His will.”
5. Sonship, Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. Heirship, Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself testifies together [bears witness] with our [human] spirit, that we are the children of God. (17) Now, if we are children and we are, also heirs, on the one hand heirs of God [the Father], and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed [if it is true that], we suffer with Him [pass all three stages of undeserved suffering], that also we might be glorified with Christ.”
7. Sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.”
8. Priesthood, Hebrews 7:12-19, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change in the Law also. (13) For the One [the Lord Jesus Christ] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [the tribe of Judah] from which no one has officiated at the altar. (14) For it is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests, (15) and this is clearer still, if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek, and there has, (16) who has become a priest not on the basis of physical requirement [a reference to the Levitical Priesthood] but on the basis of indestructible life [the Lord’s priesthood is forever]. (17) For this reason, it is witnessed, ‘You are a priest forever similar to the order of Melchizedek.’” [We are in union with Christ. Therefore, we are royalty and priests forever. We represent ourselves before God as royal priests.] (18) For, on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former commandment [the Mosaic Law that authorized the Levitical priesthood] because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope [the second door of hope for the Church Age believer—a personal sense of destiny—by which we enter the adult spiritual life] through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:26-28, “For it is fitting that we should have such a high priest, impeccable integrity, the One who cannot do evil, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) Who does not need daily, like those Levitical priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He [Jesus] offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of His [God the Father’s] oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has become perfect forever [Jesus Christ is a perfect high priest].”
9. Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9, “ But you and only you are an elect [elect by God the Father] race [as a new spiritual species], a royal priesthood [since Jesus is a king-priest], a holy nation [God’s entity: a nation of priests: every Christian is a priest], a people for God’s own possession [a protected people], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him [Christ] who has called [in eternity past] you out of darkness [spiritual death and the Cosmic Systems] into His amazing light [his plan];”
10. New Spiritual Species, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power [Old Covenant]; behold, new things have come to pass [This would include the New Covenant to the Church.].”
Current Positional Truth changes our relationship with Angels.
1. Through current positional truth the believer is higher than angels positionally.
2. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and so superior to all angels. By virtue of being in union with Christ, every believer is now positionally superior to angels.
3. Positional truth has fulfilled the believer’s triumph with Christ in the angelic conflict. We are victorious with Him already.
4. Furthermore, positional truth demands compatibility with experiential righteousness. Therefore, the believer’s walk on this earth must be compatible with positional truth since we have perfect security in Christ, we have the freedom to choose for Jesus Christ, to love Jesus Christ, to respond to His love, and to fulfill our purpose on this earth.
What positional truth is not?
1. It is not an experience, emotions or ecstasies.
2. It is not progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.
3. It is not related to human merit or ability.
4. It cannot be changed by God, man or angels. It is eternal in nature.
5. It is not obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.
6. It is not known apart from the metabolization of doctrine.
7. From understanding the doctrine of positional truth, we progress in our spiritual life, but we cannot improve it since it is perfect at salvation.
8. We are not in Christ because of what we do (execution of the spiritual life) or fail to do (fail to execute the spiritual life), but because of what God has done.
A few points of explanation:
1. The conclusion from positional truth, whether retroactive or current, is that the Christian must apply these doctrines to his spiritual life.
2. In Romans 7:1-4 where we have an illustration of a woman whose first husband has died freeing her to marry another. This is what actually happens to us as believers at salvation. The old sin nature is the husband up to the point of salvation, but at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ positionally the sin nature is dead, as it were, the first husband has died and we have a new husband through union with Christ. Retroactive Positional Truth removes our first husband, the sin nature whereas Current Positional Truth enters us into union with Christ, our new husband.
3. The old sin nature-husband is still around, still seeking to regain his control over his former wife, the believer. But union with the second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, has broken the first husband’s authority over the former wife.
4. The Baptism of Fire:
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to lace [loosen, remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent. They will be removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the Last Judgment, Luke 3:16-17; Mathew 25:31, 33. The analogy to the Baptism of Fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. The one left in the field is the mature believer; the one taken is the unbeliever.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire:
1. The wheat and the tares (the unbelievers), Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good and bad fish (unbelievers), Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise, five foolish (the unbelievers), Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep and the goats (the unbelievers), Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever.
If Jesus Christ had not been rejected by the Jewish people, then the age of Israel would have continued until its completion (the Tribulation completes the age of Israel). (However, they did reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah and so the client nation was destroyed, and the Church age was intercalated that is inserted before the age of Israel was complete.) After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
The Three Ritual Baptisms. None are extant at the present time. They are representative identifications in which water is used as a training aid to represent some principle of doctrine.
1. The Baptism of John is found in Matthew 3:2-6, “Saying, ‘Change your thinking [regarding Christ] for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ [The future king was already on the earth] (3) For this is what was communicated through Isaiah, the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one [John the Baptizer] proclaiming loudly in the desert [of Judea]. Prepare [the aorist tense is a one time-decision] the way of the Lord [an idiomatic expression for salvation]. Keep on making upright [the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the development of experiential righteousness] His paths!’ (Isaiah 40:3) (4) Now, John himself kept on having a garment of camel’s hair [very uncomfortable] and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then [after John went where God wanted him to be] Jerusalem kept on going out to him [face to face] and all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. (6) and they were being baptized [identified with the kingdom] by him [under John’s authority] in the Jordan River [where Israel crossed when they entered the land], and they kept on confessing their sins [post-salvation confession of sins].”
MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
First Corinthians Chapter Eight
A verse-by-verse commentary by Max Klein
Let us bow our heads; If we need to use the Recovery Procedure as found in 1 John 1:9, let us do so at this time that we might be in fellowship. (pause) Father, we thank you for the privilege and opportunity to study your word and for the freedom that you have provided for us here in Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.A.; furthermore, we express our appreciation to God the Holy Spirit who will enlighten us regarding the message this morning. We as priests pray this through the person of our Lord Christ Jesus, our High Priest, Amen.
1 Corinthians 8:1
But [changing the subject from single life and marriage], concerning things offered to idols [meat in this case] we know [Paul identifies with the sophomore believer] that we all have knowledge [academic understanding in the staging area of the soul]; knowledge [unmetabolized knowledge] puffs up, but love [personal love for God from metabolized doctrinal teaching motivates unconditional love for all] edifies [the soul].
Περὶ δὲ τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων, οἴδαµεν ὅτι πάντες γνῶσιν ἔχοµεν. ἡ γνῶσις φυσιοῖ, ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη οἰκοδοµεῖ.
The young believer has some academic knowledge (the Greek word for academic knowledge is gnosis, γνῶσις), but he does not have sufficient metabolized knowledge in the Stream of Consciousness to cope with the subject in context namely eating meat taken from sacrificed animals. Therefore, as we will see in the context, the advanced believer must set aside his liberty to eat such meat for the sake of the weaker believer under the Law of Love.
Since academic knowledge has not entered into the Stream of Consciousness, it cannot be applied from this area, nor can it be used to solve problems via the Problem-Solving Devices. Since this is the case, academic knowledge can easily lead to arrogance. In context, the weak believer’s conscience is violated by eating meat offered to idols. This will cause a reaction in the soul of the weak believer which reaction will bring about arrogance.
So, let us briefly look at a chart which depicts how academic knowledge is converted to metabolized knowledge which then enters into the Stream of Consciousness from which applications can be made. Also, from the Stream of Consciousness, the Problem-Solving Devices are extrapolated
Love as a part of the Adult Spiritual Life:
1 Corinthians 13:13, "Now, there remains [in the Church Age] faith [representing childhood], confidence [which represents reaching spiritual self-esteem] and love [the adult spiritual life], these three, but the greatest of these is love."
Faith represents spiritual childhood and includes the use of the Faith-rest drill, grace and doctrinal orientation. Confidence represents spiritual self-esteem/Personal Sense of Destiny and is the entrance-way into the advance stage of the spiritual life. Love represents the adult believer and includes love for the God the Father, unconditional love for the human race, sharing the Happiness of God and Occupation with the Lord. “The Greatest of these is Love” is not only true in the Church Age, but also in the Eternal State since the believer takes this love with him into the eternal state.
Spiritual Self-Esteem, a prerequisite to Impersonal Love:
Spiritual Self-Esteem takes shape in the soul as the Christian becomes grace and doctrinally oriented. Relating this to the 10 Problem Solving Devices, this development would begin at the 6th Problem Solving Device and increases as the Christian progresses into spiritual adulthood and peaks out at occupation with Christ.
Spiritual Self-Esteem is based on confidence, self-worth and one status as a member of the royal family of God. Self-esteem is confidence in what one knows, and in one’s ability to put that knowledge into operation. What has been a characteristic of a few great leaders in history is now available to each of us as believers. It is confidence in God, confidence in the Word of God metabolized in your soul and circulating in your stream of consciousness, not a confidence based on one’s human intelligence, education, family tree achievement or success. Self-esteem is also ones estimated worth or value. Since spiritual assets have the highest value and worth, the more spiritual assets that the believer is able to acquire and put into operation, the greater becomes his estimation of self. Since this self-estimation is not based on human merit or abilities, but rather grace acquired assets and abilities, it does not produce arrogance.
Reasons why the believer can love himself without becoming arrogant: In the status of spiritual self-esteem at the 6th Problem Solving Device, the Christian loves himself because in his soul exists grace and doctrinal orientation, the faith-rest Drill, understanding and appreciation for the Filling of the Holy Spirit and knowledge regarding the Recovery Procedure and as he advances in the spiritual life, his spiritual self-esteem will be enhanced by his love for God, his unconditional love for all people and his happiness and occupation with Christ. He loves his own person because he is a member of the Royal Family of God, a royal priest and an ambassador for Christ.
Spiritual Self-Esteem must be distinguished from human self-esteem. Human self-esteem many times is related to arrogance manifested in a superiority complex or in an inferiority complex. On the other hand, spiritual self-esteem is never related to arrogance. The more the Christian functions consistently in fellowship with God, the more his spiritual self- esteem flourishes. On the other hand, if he starts spending too much time out of fellowship pursuing the lusts of the sin nature, his spiritual self-esteem that he once possessed will begin to diminish and eventually completely disappear. Once obtained, spiritual self-esteem must be maintained by continuous intake and application of God’s Word.
Other Scriptures:
“He who gets wisdom, keeps loving his own soul [spiritual self-esteem]; He who guards understanding shall find the absolute good [spiritual prosperity].” (Proverbs 19:8)
Jesus answered in Mark 12:29-31, ‘The most important one is this, “Listen O’ Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is unique [adverbial form of the Greek word heis: unique since he is both God and Man], and you shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart [the mentality of the soul where metabolized doctrine resides], and with all your soul [the entire soul] and with all of your understanding [of doctrine] and with all your strength [virtue]. The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [Old Testament form of spiritual self-esteem].” (a quote from Deuteronomy 6:4, 5; Leviticus 19:18)
“But since we are of the day [maximum light is available in the Church Age], let us obtain spiritual self-esteem [the Greek word nepho] after we have put on the breastplate of doctrine [what is believed namely metabolized truth] and love [with emphasis on virtue] and the helmet, the confidence of salvation [There is no advance without confidence in eternal security].” (1 Thessalonians 5:8)
The Greek verb nepho means to be sober, to be self-controlled, to be well balanced, the antithesis of any kind of fuzziness (freedom from excess passion, rashness, and confusion), the honor of individual worth, a serious regulation of the powers a person has been given (in the spiritual life, it would refer to the two power options). Paul uses this word to define spiritual self-esteem.
The passage below is not only true of impersonal love, but of true human love as well.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love is not swayed by emotion [is forbearing], love is kind [merciful], love is not jealous, it does not brag [is not shamelessly disrespectful in thought, speech and behavior, insulting, presumptuous], is not inflated with arrogance [the advance stages of arrogance]. (5) does not behave dishonorably [indecently, or unmannerly], is not self-seeking [self-promoting; preoccupied with self, self-indulgent, irrationally ambitious] it is not provoked [does not become irritated, bitter, angry, petty, hypersensitive], does not react to evil [is not mindful of wrongs, does not react to the injustices or wrongs that comes into his life, does not think in terms of retaliation, does not react to hatred or antagonisms], (6) does not rejoice over injustices [violation of truth], but joyfully sides with the truth [rejoices in the truth] (7) It covers all things [keeps all things confidential: true love respects the privacy of another; it literally means to throw a cloak of silence over all things namely avoids gossip, maligning, judging, vilification], always believes [advanced function of the faith-rest drill] always has confident expectation [regarding one’s personal destiny both in time and in eternity], always perseveres [always maintains his relationship with God in a state of happiness under the testing of the three stages of the adult spiritual life],”
Joseph, the husband of Mary is a good example of the above though he lived before the Church Age.
In the Matthew passage, Mary becomes pregnant apart from Joseph after being legally married to him via the contract signed by his and her parents. This was why Joseph was so concerned when he had discovered that she was pregnant. Since he knew that he did not bring about her pregnancy, he initially assumed that she had committed adultery. After he was informed in a dream by an angel of the Lord regarding the truth of this matter, he went ahead with the ceremonial phase of the marriage (Matthew 1:20).
Matthew 1:19, "Joseph, her husband, being virtuous [righteous] did not desire to make a public display of her. He desired secretly to divorce her." Joseph was not only moral, but also possessed the virtue acquired from the spiritual life. Morality was designed for the security, stability, protection and blessing of a group of people in a national entity and as such requires only human power and determination for execution. Virtue, on the other hand, relates to the inward function of the soul and comprises attributes such as grace-orientation, love for God the Father, unconditional love directed toward members of the human race and Occupation with Christ.
Morality without virtue can very easily be corrupted (distorted) by arrogance resulting in a moral, but weak person. Morality combined with arrogance produces great self-righteousness. A self-righteous individual assumes that his morality equals perfection. From his imagined perch of perfection he evaluates, criticizes, judges, and maligns others. However, he is far from perfection. He understands neither God nor God’s plan; he understands neither himself nor the people whom he judges and maligns.
Believers and to some extent unbelievers can avoid this “moral degeneracy” related to the distortion of morality; sometimes referred to as the dark side of morality. With authority orientation and humility, moral unbelievers who possess some appreciation of grace can avoid much of the stench of self-righteousness. The believer on the other hand can go much further, for through the execution of the spiritual life, he is able to remove self-righteousness and develop great virtue.
Joseph possessed and demonstrated this virtue obtained from his spiritual life. He didn’t get angry at Mary when he first discovered she was pregnant; He didn’t malign her; He didn’t call her “a dirty and faithless adulteress” as other men, facing a similar situation would have. He didn’t feel sorry for himself and say, “How could she do this to me?” He didn’t become bitter and demand that she be stoned to death under the requirements of the Mosaic Law, which stated that adultery was not only a sin, but also a crime:
“If there is a virgin, betrothed [contractually married] to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death. The girl because she did not cry out in the city [she consented], and the man because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus, you shall purge the evil [adultery is more than a sin] from among you.” (Deuteronomy 22:23-24)
Because Joseph was a man of great humility, he did not feel any personal disgrace in this matter. On the contrary, he was only concerned about Mary’s feelings and security. He wanted to protect her from disgrace and personal harm. Therefore, he decided not to bring her before the Jewish court system namely the Sanhedrin but to divorce her secretly. In a state of great humility and objectivity, he was able to apply grace toward his wife and so was able to avoid any subjective reaction.
1 Corinthians 8:2
If anyone thinks [subjective thinking related to arrogance] that he knows something [this was arrogant assumption], yet not knowing as he ought to know [these Corinthians after 18 months of Bible instruction should have had much metabolized doctrine in their souls, but they didn’t for they were in a state of arrogance].
εἴ τις δοκεῖ ἐγνωκέναι τι, οὔπω ἔγνω καθὼς δεῖ γνῶναι·
These Corinthian believers thought they knew a lot when the little academic knowledge they did possess had been distorted by arrogance and subjective thinking. This arrogance and subjective thinking prevented the metabolization of doctrine and spiritual advance.
1 Corinthians 8:3
But if anyone loves God, he [the advanced believer] is known by him [idiom for intimacy: God recognizes that believer as a great believer and treats him accordingly].
εἰ δέ τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν θεόν, οὗτος ἔγνωσται ὑπí αὐτοῦ.
1 John 4:19, “We [the mature believer] and only we love [reciprocating God’s personal love] God because He himself first loved us [in eternity past with personal love]."
A few points for clarification:
1. Since the Greek verb agapao connotes a mental attitude love, the believer must love God from his soul. This is only possible through a knowledge of God. So, no believer can love God apart from doctrine in the frontal lobe.
2. Emotional sentimentality is not love for God. Emotionally oriented believers are in love with emotion and emotional phrases and for this reason are unstable. Love for God is not measured in terms of emotion and ecstatic experience but in terms of knowledge of doctrine metabolized. Unfortunately, very few believers love God because very few believers ever learn enough doctrine to do so.
3. The Lord is intimate, has a close relationship with those who know doctrine. Intimacy with the Lord in this life is based on knowledge of doctrine.
4. You must know a person to really love a person. Until you really know a person you are simply attracted to them. Once you know that person you are either more attracted or you dislike or separate from them. The Lord is perfect, and the more you get to know the Lord the more wonderful he becomes to you.
5. Emotionalism, rationalism, religionism, legalism, are not the basis of loving God.
1 Corinthians 8:4
Therefore, concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world [just man-made structures; So, the food itself is not contaminated], and that there is no God, but one [in essence].
Περὶ τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων οἴδαµεν ὅτι οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσµῳ, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς θεὸς εἰ µὴ εἷς.
Human viewpoint contaminates the conscience. Doctrine is what cleanses that contamination.
1. To eat meat offered to an idol is not sin but to indulge in idolatry is sin.
2. Because idolatry is sin, the weak believer assumes that to eat meat which comes from an idol temple is sin.
3. The conscience is weak because of ignorance, and the conscience is contaminated by self-reproach and/or a guilt complex.
Even though we have the right to operate under the Law of Liberty, we must not use that right to offend a weak believer. Under this situation, the Law of Love expressed toward weak believers and the Law of Expediency directed toward unbelievers must overrule the Law of Liberty.
Before we cover these four laws, let’s briefly mention a distortion of the Law of Liberty for some distort this law into licentiousness.
1. Our new position in Christ plus the doctrine of eternal security does not give us the right of licentiousness. Apparently, the Corinthians thought that it did. Though, we have a position in Christ which can never be changed, and we have eternal security and so cannot lose our salvation, these two doctrines namely Current Positional Truth and Eternal Security do not give us the right of levity in moral matters or licentiousness.
2. The Law of Liberty is often confused with antinomianism which it is not. The Law of Liberty is not antinomianism (against the Law), but allows the believer certain liberties which are not sinful.
3. The Law of Liberty gives us freedom in our modus operandi as well as freedom to serve God, but not freedom to sin. The Law of Liberty is superseded on certain occasions by three other laws. There will be times when the Law of Expediency, the Law of Love, or the Law of Supreme Sacrifice will be a superseding law, but this does not make them superior to the Law of Liberty, as is often implied.
Law of Liberty as related to other Laws:
1 Corinthians 6:12. All things are lawful for me [under the Law of Liberty under the boundaries of that law], but not all things are expedient [suitable for achieving a particular end]. All things are lawful for me [under the Law of Liberty], but I will not be mastered by anything [I will not allow any of my freedoms to violate the Law of Expediency or the Law of Love].
Πάντα µοι ἔξεστιν, ἀλλí οὐ πάντα συµφέρει. πάντα µοι ἔξεστιν, ἀλλí οὐκ ἐγὼ ἐξουσιασθήσοµαι ὑπό τινος.
The Four Laws of Christian Modus Operandi:
1. The Law of Liberty and the Law of Love, the first two: The Law of Liberty must not violate the Law of Love. 1 Corinthians 8:4-13, “Therefore, concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God, but one. (5) For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords [which some unbelievers worship], (6) yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him [for His glory]; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things [He is the creator of all things], and we exist through Him [He is the creator of mankind]. (7) However, not all men have this knowledge; but some [weak but growing believers], being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled [the Christian should never violate his conscience]. (8) But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat [Don’t make an issue out of the Law of Liberty]. (9) But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak [but growing believer; this is not referring to a hard-core legalist]. (10) For if someone sees you [eating steak at some temple restaurant], who have knowledge [the advanced believer], dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened [encouraged] to eat things sacrificed to idols [A spiritually weak Christian will be encouraged to eat meat at a temple restaurant by seeing other Christians eating that meat, but since his conscience cannot handle it, he will be destroyed spiritually]? (11) For through your knowledge [regarding the eating of meat sacrificed to idols] he who is weak is ruined, the brother [the advanced believer must apply the Law of Love to a fellow growing believer who is weak] for whose sake Christ died. (12) And so, by sinning against the brethren [It is a sin when an advanced believer functioning under the Law of Liberty causes the weak believer to fail] and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. (13) Therefore, if meat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.” [Even though we operate under the Law of Liberty, we must not use it to offend a weak believer. Under that situation, the Law of Love must overrule the Law of Liberty.]
2. The Law of Expediency deals with what is suitable for achieving a particular end; in this case the evangelism of the unbeliever. 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, “For if I communicate the gospel [maybe I will; maybe I will not], I have nothing to boast about [evangelism is not the basis for boasting], for I am under necessity [I’m just doing what I should be doing; it is my responsibility]; for woe is me if I do not preach [at the point of opportunity] the gospel [fail in my responsibility as an ambassador]. (17) For if I do this willingly [communicate the gospel], and I do, I have a reward [for witnessing even though the unbeliever may not respond]; but if against my will [some believers are pressured into witnessing], I have been entrusted with a responsibility. (18) What then is my reward [There is no reward for witnessing unwillingly since the believer is out of fellowship with the Spirit]? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge [never take money from an unbeliever], so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. (19) For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more [souls for Christ]. (20) To the Jews I became as a Jew [for example abstaining from eating pork], so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law [the Jewish unbeliever]; (21) to those who are without law [Gentile unbelievers], as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. (22) To the weak [Jewish and Gentile unbelievers] I became weak, that I might win the weak [to the Lord]; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. (23) I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” Summary: 1 Corinthians 10:23, All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
3. The Law of Supreme Sacrifice. This is always directed toward God. 1 Corinthians 9:1-15, “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? (2) If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. (3) My defense to those who examine me is this: (4) Do we not have a right to eat [meat] and drink [wine]? (5) Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? (6) Or do I alone and Barnabas, do we not have the right to refrain from working, [they should not have to work in the tent making business; they should be receiving a salary for their teaching]? Yes, we do. (7) Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense [Paul is a spiritual general]? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? [Paul functioning under the Law of Supreme Sacrifice, did not get paid.] (8) I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? (9) For it is written in the Law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.’ God is not concerned about oxen, is He? (10) Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. (11) If we sowed spiritual things in you [in your soul], is it too much if we reap material things from you? (12) If others share the right over you [to receive a wage for labor expended], do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. (13) Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? (14) So, also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel [the apostles to the Lost Sheep of Judah]. (15) But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one.”
1 Corinthians 8:5
For even if there are so-called gods [they aren’t gods, but people call them gods, a reference to statues and people like the Roman Emperor] whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods [the pantheon of the Greeks which the Romans copied] and many lords [some egotistical Roman officials],
καὶ γὰρ εἴπερ εἰσὶν λεγόµενοι θεοὶ εἴτε ἐν οὐρανῷ εἴτε ἐπὶ γῆς, ὥσπερ εἰσὶν θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κύριοι πολλοί,
1 Corinthians 8:6
Yet for us [believers] there is but one God, the Father [in contrast with the many false gods] from whom are all things [He is the author of the Plan] and we exist for Him [for His glory]; and one Lord, Jesus Christ [in contrast to the Roman lords who represent power on earth], by whom are all things [He is the creator of all things], and we exist through Him.
ἀλλ’ ἡµῖν εἷς θεὸς ὁ πατήρ, ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡµεῖς εἰς αὐτόν, καὶ εἷς κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡµεῖς δι’ αὐτοῦ.
1 Corinthians 8:7
“However, not all men [not all Christians] have this knowledge [about food offered to idols as per 1 Corinthians 8:4-6], but some being accustomed to idol worship until now [still have the same viewpoint as they did as unbelievers] eat the food as if it were sacrificed to idols [these Christians do not have the doctrine necessary to deal with this situation; they cannot distinguish between eating meat to an idol and idolatry; eating this meat is not a sin, but to indulge in idolatry is a sin], and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.”
Ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις· τινὲς δὲ τῇ συνηθείᾳ ἕως ἄρτι τοῦ εἰδώλου ὡς εἰδωλόθυτον ἐσθίουσιν, καὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτῶν ἀσθενὴς οὖσα µολύνεται.
A few points for elaboration:
1. Some of the best food in Corinth had been offered to idols and then sold both in the temple restaurants and as the choicest meat in the temple market. Food is food, and meat is meat. So, under the Law of Liberty it was alright to eat that food, once you sanctified it.
2. However, for those with an idolatrous background and a weak conscience, eating food offered to idols was very offensive. The one with the weak conscience has legalistic norms and standards in his conscience from his background and therefore was not able to eat this food without violating his conscience.
3. So, there is a conflict between those with a strong conscience and those with a weak conscience. A strong conscience has Biblical standards from metabolized doctrine. A person with a weak conscience lives by standards acquired from his background, which may or may not be good, or which may be distorted as being a part of the spiritual life. Eating is a physical issue, and has nothing to do with the spiritual life as such.
4. The person with a weak conscience assumes he’s strong, because a person functioning under legalism always assumes he is strong. Yet legalism is really weak. The invasion of guilt into the conscience is one of the biggest problems for the legalists if he should violate his legalistic beliefs.
5. So the conscience is a very sensitive thing. It can be erroneous in its concepts apart from doctrine. If doctrine does not feed the conscience, false information will. Under demonization and legalism, pseudo norms and standards will develop in a hurry.
Conscience:
The fifth compartment of the Stream of Consciousness is the Conscience in which is stored norms and standards, and priorities related to the absolutes of Bible doctrine. The Greek word for conscience is suneidesis which means 'to know with an absolute standard.' The English word conscience comes from the Latin, consciari which means "to know with." Conscience is the mental faculty by which one distinguishes between right and wrong and motivates the believer under the Filling of the Spirit to do what is right and not to do what is wrong.
Romans 2:14-15, "For every time that Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively those things from the Law, these [Gentiles] not having the Law, are a law to themselves [they have the norms and standards of the Law in their souls without knowing the Mosaic Law]. (15) in that they show the work of the Law printed in their hearts [souls], their conscience confirming the testimony [what is right and what is wrong], and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending themselves."
Accusing and defending oneself is the function of the norms and standards of the conscience of the believer. All normal persons develop some form of norms, standards, priorities, and concepts of life in the right lobe of the soul. Believers develop divine norms, standards, and priorities in the right lobe through perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine. Daniel 1:8, “But Daniel made up his mind [based on the divine norms and standards of his conscience] that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so, he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself [by violating his conscience: he did not want his success or promotion to be related to the king, but to the Lord].”
Acts 23:1, "And Paul, looking intently at the Sanhedrin, said, 'Brethren, I have conducted myself as a citizen with a good conscience before God up to this day [from the time he became a believer up to this point].'" Acts 24:16, "In view of this, I myself keep on doing my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men." 1 Timothy 3:9, "but holding to the mystery doctrine with a clear conscience." We never have true happiness in our soul without a clear conscience.
Conscience is the most basic attribute of the soul related to self-consciousness and the basis for developing an honor code which recognizes authority, freedom, privacy and property. Citizens functioning under an honor code provide for an honorable society. A society without standards is no society at all. For example, the Roman Empire destroyed itself because it rejected its own standards and the better standards of Christianity.
People have the right to learn their own standards and make their own decisions. No one has the right to superimpose their standards on anyone else. Privacy means you are allowed to hold any opinion until you grow up spiritually. You have the privacy to take in doctrine without anyone setting standards for you. As you learn doctrine your norms and standards will change for the better.
The Weak Believer, the weak unbeliever:
A few points on weak believers or unbelievers who are easily led astray.
1. There are two categories of weak people: the evil weak person and the good weak person. A lot of weak people are evil through legalism, but some are weak because they have not had enough time to accumulate correct norms and standards.
2. The insecure, irresponsible, thoughtless, selfish, and arrogant believers are legalistic. They tend to control policy, and procedures as a historical trend in social, business, governmental, professional, cultural, spiritual, and sexual life, etc.
3. One of the signs of a declining society is when the weak, the scum in society dominate the strong through arrogant self-righteousness, liberalism, socialism, violence and even bolshevism etc.
4. The scum, the criminal element, the irresponsible, control the strong as a historical trend toward cosmic involvement and inevitable degeneracy.
5. This is why a nagging wife who pouts, makes scenes in public, can dominate, control and manipulate an honorable husband, a person who is kind, considerate and thoughtful. And this is how a power-mad fourth estate, (an irresponsible press) without integrity can dominate the thinking of a nation.
Carnality and the Conscience.
1. Believers in two categories of prolonged carnality destroy their conscience through their use of the Arrogance Skills (Self-Justification, Self-Deception and Self-Absorption. These skills result in the believer functioning in Satan’s cosmic system. 1 Timothy 1:19-20, “keeping doctrine [faith] and a good of intrinsic value conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck regarding their doctrine [faith]. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.” Titus 1:15, “To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving [those who reject doctrine], nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.” The believer in reversionism destroys his conscience through scar tissue of the soul, 1 Timothy 4:1-2, “But the Spirit explicitly states that in latter periods of time [the Church Age, and the Tribulation], some believers will become apostate from doctrine, paying attention to deceitful spirits [false teachers] and concentrating on doctrines from demons [cosmic involvement] by means of hypocrisy of liars [false teachers], seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.” The branding iron is scar tissue in the soul from rejection of the truth.
2. False teaching sears the conscience like a branding iron and so, destroys the conscience. This searing refers to scar tissue of the soul and cosmic involvement.
3. A great deal of your strength comes from having the proper norms and standards in the conscience of your right lobe. Therefore, it is important to understand how apostasy can destroy the conscience.
The Conscience and Dead Works.
1. There is no work we can perform for salvation, for the Recovery Procedure and for the spiritual life. Dead works are human works, like faith plus anything for salvation. At the moment of salvation, the new believer has the potential for the purification of his conscience; the conscience can be purified from dead works by avoiding dead works through the Filling of the Holy Spirit. Precedence from the humanity of Christ in the dispensation of the hypostatic union is taught in Hebrews 9:14, "How much more will the blood of Christ [His work on the cross], who through the eternal Spirit [a reference to the sustaining ministry of God the Holy Spirit toward the humanity of Christ on the cross] offered Himself without blemish to God [remained impeccable on the cross], purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." Metabolized doctrine circulating in the stream of consciousness and its application purifies the conscience from dead works. In other words, anything performed outside of God’s plan is dead works. For example, in the spiritual life, dead works are from a bad conscience seared with legalism. Christian service that involves dead works is not Christian service at all. The great power experiment of the Church Age and the execution of the Protocol Plan of God demands the use of the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit and the power of metabolized doctrine in the soul.
2. Divine omnipotence and human power are mutually exclusive. Serving God and fulfilling His plan cannot be accomplished by human power. Human power destroys the conscience and results in dead works. Legalism cannot execute the plan, purpose, or will of God in the Church Age. Serving God means the utilization of divine power and the cognition of Bible doctrine, which establishes the norms and standards for the right lobe.
3. When the norms and standards of the conscience are formed from Bible doctrine, the believer is grace oriented, 2 Corinthians 1:12, "Now this is our boast [esprit de corps], the testimony of our conscience, that we have conducted ourselves in the world and especially in relationship to God, both in holiness [integrity from the Filling of the Holy Spirit] and godly sincerity [motivation from Bible doctrine], not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God."
4. There is a conflict in the conscience of the believer in adolescence between the motivation of Bible doctrine and the problem of fleshly wisdom since he is still developing his conscience. Adolescent believers sometimes hallucinate spiritually when they assume that they have reached spiritual adulthood when they haven’t. For example, many adolescent believers have not yet developed a strong faith-rest drill. Joseph for example when he asked the Prince of the Cup Bearers a favor in lieu of putting his trust in the Lord.
5. Grace orientation as a problem-solving device expresses itself through the norms and standards of the conscience constructed from Bible doctrine. 1 Peter 2:18-19, "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only for the good and gentle masters, but also for the unreasonable ones; (19) for this is grace, if for the sake of conscience toward God, anyone bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly." A conscience loaded with doctrine bears up magnificently under unfair treatment. Such a believer has a strong conscience. On the other hand, the weak believer complains and rejects authority, and so becomes a loser.
6. The conscience guides the believer in his life. 2 Corinthians 4:2, "But we have renounced the things hidden because of shame [false norms and standards related to guilt or other forms of arrogance], not walking in craftiness or watering down the Word of God [does not have a conscience related to divine standards], but by the unveiling of doctrine [cognition and inculcation of Bible doctrine produces more divine standards in the conscience], commending ourselves to every person's conscience in the sight of God." While you will build up norms and standards related to Bible doctrine, at the same time, you will set aside false norms and standards related to legalism. By learning and using doctrine without trying to run other people's lives, you commend yourself to other people's consciences in the sight of God. The conscience of the believer must be formed from the norms, standards, and priorities obtained through cognition of Bible doctrine. No one has a strong conscience until they reach spiritual adulthood. 1 Timothy 1:5, "But the objective of our instruction is love from a pure right lobe and a good conscience and a sincere faith."
7. The believer's conscience demands that he submit to establishment-authority. Romans 13:5, "Therefore, it is necessary to be in subordination, not only because of wrath [law enforcement], but also for the sake of conscience." The conscience of the believer should motivate him to obey all the Laws of Establishment. The conscience in the soul is far stronger than any fear of punishment from law enforcement.
8. Conscience as a motivator: 2 Timothy 1:3, "I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience, the way my ancestors did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers, day and night." So, your conscience has something to do with your effectiveness in prayer. Paul didn't pray for people because he liked them necessarily, but because his conscience required him to do so.
9. The conscience and love for Christ: 1 Peter 3:15-16, "but sanctify the Lord Jesus Christ in your right lobes [occupation with Christ], and always be ready to make a defense to anyone who asks you to give an account for the confidence that is in you with grace orientation and respect [occupation with Christ]. (16) Be having a good conscience, so that in the things in which you are slandered, those who malign your intrinsic good in Christ may be put to shame." If you have a strong conscience, you will leave it in the Lord's hands and the supreme court of heaven. In this way, the Lord and the Supreme Court of Heaven will put the maligner of a great believer to shame. Occupation with Christ extends into the conscience and becomes the ultimate in problem solving devices.”
1 Corinthians 8:8
But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor better-off if we do eat.
βρῶµα δὲ ἡµᾶς οὐ παραστήσει τῷ θεῷ· οὔτε ἐὰν µὴ φάγωµεν ὑστερούµεθα, οὔτε ἐὰν φάγωµεν περισσεύοµεν.
What we eat or drink does not determine our spiritual status. A great believer can eat meat and drink wine in moderation in a temple restaurant; Also, a great believer can abstain from eating meat and from drinking alcohol. It is what one puts into his soul that is the issue in the spiritual life, not what ones puts into his stomach.
Should taboos regarding food and drink be observed? Some legalists manufacture spiritual taboos regarding meat and alcohol which man-made taboos are not a part of the spiritual life. You are not spiritual because you observe taboos quite to the contrary. The observation of taboos as part of the spiritual life is usually related arrogance and to legalism. However, the advanced believer should observe these taboos when functioning under the Law of Love and Expediency.
1 Corinthians 8:9
But take care [addressed to strong believers] that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak [believer].
βλέπετε δὲ µή πως ἡ ἐξουσία ὑµῶν αὕτη πρόσκοµµα γένηται τοῖς ἀσθενέσιν.
The advanced believer is not obligated to adhere to the taboos of an arrogant legalist. However, the advanced believer does have a responsibility toward the weak, ignorant believer who is usually a new or very young believer. So, the advanced believer must not use his liberty to eat meat or to drink alcohol if it should hinder the spiritual growth of a growing believer. However, if a believer has left the spiritual life all together, the advanced believer is not obligated to encourage the legalism and the spiritual bullying of such a believer.
1 Corinthians 8:10
For if someone [a weak believer] sees you [a strong believer], who has knowledge [of the difference between eating meat at a temple restaurant and idolatry] dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience [He will think that if an advanced believer can eat meat in heathen temple-restaurant, so can he], if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols [He will be encouraged to eat this meat, but since he is a weak believer with a weak conscience, he will react and be ruined]?
ἐὰν γάρ τις ἴδῃ σὲ τὸν ἔχοντα γνῶσιν ἐν εἰδωλείῳ κατακείµενον, οὐχὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτοῦ ἀσθενοῦς ὄντος οἰκοδοµηθήσεται εἰς τὸ τὰ εἰδωλόθυτα ἐσθίειν;
A spiritually weak Christian will be encouraged to eat meat at a temple restaurant, but since his conscience cannot handle it, he will be destroyed spiritually.
1 Corinthians 8:11
For through your knowledge [that it is okay to eat meat sacrificed to idols], he who is weak is ruined [by violating his conscience], the brother for whose sake Christ died.
ἀπόλλυται γὰρ ὁ ἀσθενῶν ἐν τῇ σῇ γνώσει, ὁ ἀδελφὸς διí ὃν Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν.
We must remember that Christ died for all believers and these believers are members of the Royal Family of God. Since we are all part of the same royal family, we should support each other by not hindering the spiritual life of another believer.
1 Corinthians 8:12
And so, [the advanced believer] by sinning against the brethren [by his abuse of the Law of Liberty] and wounding their conscience when it is weak [the new and or weak believer], you sin against Christ [since he is in union with Christ].
οὕτως δὲ ἁµαρτάνοντες εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τύπτοντες αὐτῶν τὴν συνείδησιν ἀσθενοῦσαν εἰς Χριστὸν ἁµαρτάνετε.
1 Corinthians 8:13
Therefore, if food [meat offered to idols; also applies to alcohol] causes my brother [the weak but growing believer] to stumble, I [Paul] will never eat [the Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation] meat again [that is meat sacrificed to idols], so that I will not cause my brother to stumble [spiritually].
διόπερ εἰ βρῶµα σκανδαλίζει τὸν ἀδελφόν µου, οὐ µὴ φάγω κρέα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἵνα µὴ τὸν ἀδελφόν µου σκανδαλίσω.
With knowledge of the Word of God, comes great responsibility. The desire of an advanced believer to eat meat and drink some wine or some other form of alcohol is not more important than the spiritual growth of another believer of the Royal Family of God. So, the adult believer must be careful not to hinder the spiritual growth of a weak but growing believer.
However, the adult believer should not compromise with the criticism and bullying of the legalists. The established legalist is not learning the spiritual life for he is functioning outside of God’s Two Power Options. So, the adult believer who resists the taboos of such a legalist is not able to ruin the spiritual life of the legalist since he, the legalist has no spiritual life. So, the power mad legalist who wants to establish tyranny over the life of an adult believer must be stopped in his tracks for if he succeeds, it will only increase his arrogance.
In anticipation of 1 Corinthians 9:1, in which Paul states that the Corinthians are the result of his evangelism.
Evangelism, Principles of:
Knowledge of salvation is necessary for witnessing. You cannot witness for Christ unless you know the gospel, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us [as ambassadors] the ministry of reconciliation: (19) Namely that God [the Father] was by means of Christ reconciling the world to himself [the principle of unlimited atonement] not counting their trespasses against them [the penalty of our personal sins were imputed directly to Christ on the cross], and he committed to us, the doctrine of reconciliation. (20) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making His appeal through us. We [as ambassadors] invite you [through the gospel message] on behalf of Christ become reconciled to God. (21) And he (Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin [impeccability of Christ] to be a sin offering [Jesus Christ, the high priest offered himself as a sacrifice for the penalty of our sins] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth].”
The Christian has a two-fold witness ministry. Being a witness to the unbeliever and before angels in the Angelic Conflict are the responsibilities of every believer as per Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you [the Filling of the Holy Spirit]. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” [The human race was created to function as witnesses in Satan’s appeal trial. So, being witnesses to the unsaved human race is not the primary function of the Christian though important. So, even though a Christian may witness to many unbelievers during his lifetime, if that same believer does not function as a witness in this angelic appeal trial, basically he has failed in his primary mission.]
The effectiveness and clarity of the believer’s witness depends upon his understanding of the last judgment as taught in Revelation 20:12-15 and the convincing ministry of the Holy Spirit as per John 16:8-11. These two passages make it clear that personal sins are not the issue in salvation except the sin of not believing in Jesus Christ.
Witnessing is impossible apart from the ministry of the Holy Spirit, John 16:8-11, “And when that one comes, he will convince the world [the unbeliever] concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; (9) concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; (10) and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me [the need for perfect righteousness]; (11) and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged [If the greatest creature ever created did not escape judgment nor will you].”
Pertinent content of the Bible is the believer’s weapon in witnessing, 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the Word of the cross to the ones who are perishing [the ones rejecting the gospel] is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” [If the unbeliever refuses to listen to the gospel or rejects the gospel information after hearing it (Common Grace followed by the Call of God the Father), then the gospel and all other spiritual information in the Bible will appear to him as foolishness. 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the soulish-man [ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος] does not accept the things from the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are discerned spiritually” [Regarding God’s word, the unbeliever can only understand the Laws of Establishment and the gospel via Common Grace and nothing else since the unbeliever does not have a human spirit.]
The dynamics of witnessing depend upon the believer’s mental attitude, Romans 1:14-16, “I am under obligation both to the civilized unbelievers [those with Greek culture and language] and to the uncivilized unbelievers [like the barbarians of Spain] both to the wise [mature believers] and to the ignorant [includes baby, adolescent, and reversionistic believers]. (15) Thus, my eagerness to proclaim the good news [both the gospel and the spiritual life] to you who are in Rome. (16) For I am not ashamed of the good news regarding salvation, for it is the power of God for providing salvation to anyone who believes in Christ, both to the Jew foremost [first in privilege] and likewise to the Gentiles.” [Paul had a sense of obligation based upon a sense of honor. From that sense of honor toward God comes a sense of duty or responsibility toward others, both to the unbeliever and believer.]
There are two areas of witnessing namely the witness of the life as per 2 Corinthians 3:3, “Being manifested [to people and angels] that you are a letter from Christ, having been ministered to by us; therefore, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tables of stone but on the tablets of the human heart [stream of consciousness].” and the witness of the lips as per 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, “For the love for Christ keeps motivating us, having concluded this, that one died [a substitutionary death] for all, therefore all died [real spiritual death at birth]; (15) and He [Christ] died as a substitute for all in order that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and was resurrected [rose again] on their behalf. (16) Therefore, in the future we regard no one from the human viewpoint [according to the flesh]; even though we have known Christ from the human viewpoint [from the typical viewpoint that we had before we were saved], but now [with cognitive self-confidence and beyond] we know Him in this way no longer. (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, and he is, he is a new spiritual species; the old things have passed away [lost their power over you like people emphasis over God emphasis]; behold, new things have come [the ten unique features of the Church Age; the ten Problem Solving-devices; the distribution of Escrow Blessings for time and the anticipation of the distribution of Escrow Blessing for the eternal state]. (18) Now, all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us [His ambassadors] the ministry of reconciliation, (19) namely, that God was by means of Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (20) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God [by believing in Jesus Christ as your savior]. (21) He made Him who knew no sin to be a sin offering on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [in union with Christ].”
There is reward for witnessing in fellowship with God, 1 Corinthians 3:13-14, “each man’s work [Christian work or production] will become evident; for the day [The Evaluation Throne of Christ after the Rapture] will show it because it is to be revealed by fire, in fact the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. (14) If any man’s work which he has built upon it [Christ, the Rock] remains, he will receive a reward.”
To the Corinthians it wasn’t so much what you said, it was how you said it. If you said it in an eloquent way with an excellent vocabulary it was very acceptable. However, Paul knew that all the human ability and power in the world cannot persuade even one sinner to trust in Christ as savior. Only the power of the Holy Spirit working through the gospel can break through into the human soul causing an unbeliever to believe in Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:4, “Both my doctrine and my communicating were not in persuasive words of man’s wisdom [not in Greek culture and philosophy; not in rationalism or empiricism], but in the demonstration of the Spirit [regarding the gospel: common and efficacious grace; also Paul’s teaching after salvation was done under the Filling of the Spirit and the power of metabolized doctrine in his soul] and in his power [God’s power is used both in the presentation of the gospel and in the teaching of God’s word which follows].
A few points for clarification regarding the presentation of the Gospel:
1. Human public ability and eloquence will not bring a sinner to Christ.
2. Human popularity or success will not bring a sinner to Christ.
3. Human attractiveness will not bring a sinner to Christ.
4. It is not necessary to be intelligent or an intellectual to reach intellectuals.
5. You do not have to learn the unbeliever’s philosophy or viewpoint to present him with the gospel-message.
6. You do not have to cultivate people or become friends with them to witness to them.
If faith in Christ were founded on logic it could be refuted by logic. All it takes is a greater debater, a smarter person using logic. The objective of witnessing is not to win a debate, but to present the gospel clearly. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.
Proper Evangelism:
1. Give the unbeliever information pertinent to salvation and stay on the subject. Avoid false issues such as salvation by change of behavior, feeling sorry for sins, joining the church, pleading the blood, making a public confession, inviting Christ into one’s life or heart etc.
2. Never put the cart before the horse. Do not try to get the unbeliever to live the Christian way of life. The issue is not living the Christian life; the issue is “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” Acts 16:31; John 3:36.
3. Be sure to declare the good news [the gospel], and in the good news do not confuse it with the issue of sin for that has been removed as an issue. Only emphasize the person of Christ and His work on the cross. However, after explaining the good news, you may state what will happen if the unbeliever should reject the good news.
4. Do not add to the gospel. Nothing is accomplished by getting a person to give up his sins, to improve his behavioral pattern, or to feel sorry for his sins, to join a church or to walk down a church aisle.
5. Provide information and do not get in the way of the Holy Spirit with regard to the decision of faith. You can’t force the volition of any member of the human race; even God can’t do that. For example, do not tell the unbeliever to follow you in prayer such as “Father, I am believing in Jesus Christ as my Savior etc.” Now, repeat what I just said.
6. Never ask an unbeliever for money, and avoid any kind of a gimmick that would confuse the issue like asking him to come forward or to stand up during an evangelistic appeal.
Pitfalls in our personal witnessing:
1. Avoid argumentation. You are not trying to win a debate; rather you are trying to win a soul to Jesus Christ. Hence, your job is to disseminate information rather than to argue over its validity.
2. Do not be sidetracked by false issues such as: Is the Bible the Word of God? Use the Word of God, don’t argue as to whether the Bible is valid or not. The issue as to whether the Bible is the Word of God or not is an issue for the believer but not for the unbeliever.
3. Deal with the individual alone wherever possible. Often people will give you a hearing, but they will not do so in the presence of others who might ridicule them.
4. Avoid the concept that you must speak to a certain number of individuals each day or you are not spiritual. This is a human viewpoint-pressure system.
5. Avoid bragging about witnessing. If you should do so, it will nullify your production.
6. Avoid judging other believers for their apparent failure to witness. This is putting your nose into the affairs of other people.