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
The Gospel of Matthew: Chapter Thirteen
A verse-by-verse commentary by Max Klein
Paul attempted to use prayer as a problem-solving device. He initially thought that the undeserved suffering which the Lord permitted was too difficult for him. However, he came to realize that he needed this suffering in order to continue his spiritual advance through the application of a true problem-solving device such as grace orientation.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “Because of the extraordinary quality of revelation [given to Paul], and for this reason that I should not become arrogant there was given to me a thorn in the flesh [undeserved suffering], a demon from Satan in order that he may torment me in order that I should not exalt myself [become arrogant].(8) Concerning this [thorn in the flesh], three times I implored the Lord [reference to God the Father] that it [the thorn-demon causing the suffering] may depart from me. (9). But He [God the Father] answered me, ‘My grace [a problem-solving device] has been and still is sufficient for you for my power [the two powers of the spiritual life] is put into effect [brought to completion] in a status of weakness [in undeserved suffering]. Therefore, [Paul caught-on] most gladly [denoting the intensity of superiority] I would rather boast in my weakness [in undeserved suffering] that the power of Christ [the Prototype spiritual life of Jesus] may dwell [set up camp] upon me. (10). Therefore, I am content in [my] weaknesses [a reference to providential preventive suffering or momentum testing]: with insults [people testing: mistreatment, slanders, vilifications] with pressures [thought testing related to mental and physical pressure], with persecutions [system testing] and crushing difficulties [disaster testing] for when I am weak [helpless to solve my problems with human ability], I am strong [through the application of the Problem Solving Devices].”
Introduction to Matthew Chapter 13
By this time Jesus has made a complete sweep of all the cities of Judah and has been rejected for the most part. The Scribes, Pharisees and the Levitical priests have unanimously rejected him with a few exceptions. They have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit and so are under the unpardonable sin. Starting at this point, the Lord never again uses the phrase, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” since the Savior and Messiah has been rejected. For this reason, the Jews will enter into the 5th Cycle of Discipline and the Times of the Gentiles will commence. So, the following parables deal with the Jews under the 5 Cycle of Discipline.
Definition: A parable is a short narrative from which a spiritual lesson is deduced. All parables are derived from the life at the time. The story gives an outward literal sense of a matter which anyone can understand believer or unbeliever. Besides having a literal sense, it also teaches a doctrine or spiritual lesson and so one has to know doctrine to understand the doctrinal lesson of the parable. All parables require deduction compatible with known doctrine. No parable contains proper names or specific geographical locations. So, the characters are figurative or typical, but not actual. For example, the story of Lazarus is not a parable since Lazarus is a proper name and Hades is a geographical location. A true historical story will always have at least one proper name or geographical location.
The Greek word for parable is parabole to throw something besides something else. So, in a parable one throws a fictitious story beside a doctrine. In other words, a parable illustrates a doctrine. For example, in our first parable the Sower is a believer witnessing and the seed is the gospel. So, Jesus Christ explains in parables what trends will exist during His absence (the Church Age and Tribulation).
Matthew 13:1
Ἐν τῇ ἡµέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐξελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῆς οἰκίας ἐκάθητο παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν·
That same day [of the unpardonable sin] Jesus [phasing out Israel] went out of the house [of the temple which represents the Jews] and was sitting by the sea [represents the gentile nations as in Revelation 13:1].
In that same day in which the Pharisees and scribes said that Christ was casting out demons in the power of Satan, he went out from the house. Though Jesus went in and out of many houses, this is not one of them, but represents Israel and its temple as per Matthew 12:44. It was like shaking the dust off of one’s feet when leaving a city where its inhabitants have rejected the gospel.
In effect, Christ is saying that the 5 Cycle of Discipline will begin shortly namely in August of 70 AD. After which the Age of the Gentiles will begin.
Matthew 13:2-3
καὶ συνήχθησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὄχλοι πολλοί, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς πλοῖον ἐµβάντα καθῆσθαι, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν εἱστήκει. (3) καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς πολλὰ ἐν παραβολαῖς λέγων, Ἰδοὺ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπείρειν.
And large crowds gathered to him so that he went into a ship and sat down [in a relaxed position] and the whole crowd was standing by the shore. (3) And he spoke many things to them [those on the shore] in parables saying, “Behold, the Sower [a Church age believer witnessing] went out to sow [the seed of the gospel: evangelization],
Verses 3-23 is the Parable of the Sower.
Now, after Jesus had passed through many cities in Judea and for the most part had been rejected, he goes to parables.
There are four categories of reaction or responses to the sowing of the gospel message.
Matthew 13:4
καὶ ἐν τῷ σπείρειν αὐτὸν ἃ µὲν ἔπεσεν παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν, καὶ ἐλθόντα τὰ πετεινὰ κατέφαγεν αὐτά
and as he sowed, some [seeds] fell beside the road [unplowed ground], and the birds came and ate them up.
Verse 4 is the narrative; verse 19 is the interpretation. The hardened ground represents the unbeliever who rejects the seed; the birds represent the cosmic system. When a person rejects the gospel, he moves into Satan’s camp as never before.
Stony ground: narrative verses 5-6; interpretation 20-21.
Matthew 13:5-6
ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη ὅπου οὐκ εἶχεν γῆν πολλήν, καὶ εὐθέως ἐξανέτειλεν διὰ τὸ µὴ ἔχειν βάθος γῆς. (6) ἡλίου δὲ ἀνατείλαντος ἐκαυµατίσθη καὶ διὰ τὸ µὴ ἔχειν ῥίζαν ἐξηράνθη
“Others fell on the rocky places where they did not have much topsoil, and immediately they sprang up [sprouted], but because they did not have deep topsoil (6) when the sun has risen, they were scorched and because they had not rooted [insufficient rooting for growth, not enough topsoil] they withered away [died representing the Sin unto Death].
Verses 5, 6 presents the narrative with the explanation found in verses 20 and 21.
Some people believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but they have no interest in learning about the spiritual life. So, they are not able to deal with the pressures and adversities of life much less the divine discipline which will also come their way. Ultimately, they will die the Sin unto Death.
Matthew 13:7
ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀκάνθας, καὶ ἀνέβησαν αἱ ἄκανθαι καὶ ἔπνιξαν αὐτά
“Others fell among the thorns and the thorns came up and choked them out.
The narrative is verse 7; the interpretation is found in verse 22.
These believers started their advance, but for one reason or another slipped into reversionism. They initially rooted themselves in God’s word, but then failed to maintain their momentum.
Matthew 13:8
ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν καὶ ἐδίδου καρπόν, ὃ µὲν ἑκατόν, ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα
“And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, and some sixty, and some thirty [production through application].
The interpretation for this narrative is found in verse 23.
These believers learn and metabolize doctrine and then apply it to their lives. They are successful believers with different amounts of production.
Matthew 13:9
ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκουέτω
“He who has an ear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of parables verses 10-17:
Matthew 13:10
Καὶ προσελθόντες οἱ µαθηταὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ, ∆ιὰ τί ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖς αὐτοῖς;
And the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
They wanted to know why he changed his method of teaching. Since they had been with him from the beginning, they were aware of the change in his teaching method.
Matthew 13:11-12
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν [αὐτοῖς] ὅτι Ὑµῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ µυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἐκείνοις δὲ οὐ δέδοται. (12) ὅστις γὰρ ἔχει, δοθήσεται αὐτῷ καὶ περισσευθήσεται· ὅστις δὲ οὐκ ἔχει, καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπí αὐτοῦ
Jesus answered them, “Because to you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven [mystery doctrines of the Church Age], but to them [the unbelievers and negative believers] it has not been granted. (12) “For whoever has [metabolized doctrine, application and production], to him more shall be given [able to learn and apply more], and he will have an abundance [one’s life will be richly furnished with blessing], but whoever does not have [the unbeliever who rejects the gospel and the believer who doesn’t grow], even what he has shall be taken away from him.
Knowledge is built on knowledge. Thus, the more metabolized doctrine the believer accumulates, the more he is able to learn. Doctrine is built upon doctrine. This believer the one who builds doctrine upon doctrine will be blessed his entire life. His happiness and blessing will keep up with his capacity for life and happiness.
Regarding the unbeliever, once he rejects the gospel, he loses what gospel information he does possess through black out and scar tissue of his soul. Likewise, the believer who fails to advance spiritually will lose whatever doctrine he has accumulated through blackout and scar tissue of the soul as well.
Matthew 13:13
διὰ τοῦτο ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς λαλῶ, ὅτι βλέποντες οὐ βλέπουσιν καὶ ἀκούοντες οὐκ ἀκούουσιν οὐδὲ συνίουσιν·
“Therefore, I speak to them in parables because while seeing [the miracles of Messiahship] they do not see [The Pharisees and scribes reject these signs] and while hearing [the gospel] they do not hear [the gospel is rejected], nor do they understand [because they have rejected Christ, they will never understand God’s plan both the unbeliever and the negative believer].
These unbelievers hear and understand the gospel but reject it. For this reason, they are able to understand the literal sense of the parables, but they cannot understand the doctrinal message associated with it. The believer without spiritual growth faces the same situation as these unbelievers namely he cannot understand the parables.
The other reason for his using parables is to fulfill the prophecy found in Isaiah.
Matthew 13:14
καὶ ἀναπληροῦται αὐτοῖς ἡ προφητεία Ἠσαΐου ἡ λέγουσα, Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ µὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ µὴ ἴδητε
“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah [6:9, 10] is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing [they understood the gospel; also applies to the believer who rejects the spiritual life], but will not understand [because of rejection, blackout followed]; you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive [to perceive one must build doctrine upon doctrine];
In Isaiah’s day, the Jews were entering the 5 cycle of discipline and about to be destroyed. The same was true at the time of our Lord. In Isaiah’s day, they recovered, in the time of the Lord, they did not.
Matthew 13:15-16
ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν βαρέως ἤκουσαν, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλµοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάµµυσαν· µήποτε ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλµοῖς καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσιν καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν, καὶ ἰάσοµαι αὐτούς. (16) ὑµῶν δὲ µακάριοι οἱ ὀφθαλµοὶ ὅτι βλέπουσιν, καὶ τὰ ὦτα ὑµῶν ὅτι ἀκούουσιν
For the heart of this people has become calloused [dull and insensitive through failure to apply]. With their ears they scarcely hear [because they have become calloused], and they have closed their eyes [by an act of volition there was no interest in the Word], otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn back [to truth], and I would heal them [recovery from spiritual death for the unbeliever and for the believer recovery from reversionism through his spiritual growth].’ (16) But happy are your eyes because they see; and your ears because they hear.
The disciples are learning doctrine which is the first step in their advance toward happiness. Happiness comes from learning, metabolizing, and living by God’s word. Eyes and ears are the perceptive gates by which we learn.
Matthew 13:17
ἀµὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑµῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύµησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ βλέπετε καὶ οὐκ εἶδαν, καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ ἀκούετε καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν
“For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it.
All the great prophets would have liked to have been on the earth when the mystery doctrines were being communicated.
Matthew 13:18-19
Ὑµεῖς οὖν ἀκούσατε τὴν παραβολὴν τοῦ σπείραντος. (19) παντὸς ἀκούοντος τὸν λόγον τῆς βασιλείας καὶ µὴ συνιέντος, ἔρχεται ὁ πονηρὸς καὶ ἁρπάζει τὸ ἐσπαρµένον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν σπαρείς [2nd Aorist passive participle]
“Hear then the parable of the Sower. (19) When anyone [any unbeliever] hears the word of the kingdom [the gospel] and refuses to believe it [rejects the gospel at Common Grace], then the wicked one [Satan] comes and snatches away [through black-out of the soul] what has been sown in his frontal lobe [he understood the gospel at Common Grace]. This is the one [the unbeliever who rejects the gospel] on whom seed was sown beside the road [the narrative is found in verse 4].
2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. (4) The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
The Pharisees, the scribes and Sadducees have heard the gospel and rejected it.
Matthew 13:20-21
ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ εὐθὺς µετὰ χαρᾶς λαµβάνων αὐτόν· (21) οὐκ ἔχει δὲ ῥίζαν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἀλλὰ πρόσκαιρός ἐστιν, γενοµένης δὲ θλίψεως ἢ διωγµοῦ διὰ τὸν λόγον εὐθὺς σκανδαλίζεται
“The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places [the narrative is found in verses 5, 6], this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy (21) yet he has no roots in himself [no metabolized doctrine in his soul] and lasts only a short time [The Christian without doctrine cannot survive the pressures of life]. When pressure or persecution comes [analogous to the sun rising] because of the word [he is identified with the Word], he immediately falls apart [is shocked and panics].
This person believes in Jesus Christ with enthusiasm and is very excited about being saved and may even learn a few simple points of doctrine, but never establishes deep spiritual roots. He never comes to realize the importance of learning the spiritual life in depth.
Matthew 13:22
ὁ δὲ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ ἡ µέριµνα τοῦ αἰῶνος [τούτου] καὶ ἡ ἀπάτη τοῦ πλούτου συµπνίγει τὸν λόγον, καὶ ἄκαρπος γίνεται
“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns [narrative found in verse 7], this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word [he fails spiritually and leaves the Word], and it [the weak plant] becomes unproductive.
This believer fails in the application of doctrine, in the Faith-Rest Drill and in the other Problem-Solving Devices. Since he cannot solve the problems of life, he easily enters into worry. Furthermore, he does not have the doctrine to develop the proper scale of values. As such, he places a wrong emphasis on wealth. He thinks that wealth will make him happy, not realizing that it is only metabolized doctrine applied and spiritual growth which makes one happy.
Matthew 13:23
ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν καλὴν γῆν σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ συνιείς, ὃς δὴ καρποφορεῖ καὶ ποιεῖ ὃ µὲν ἑκατόν, ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα
“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil [narrative found in verse 8], this is the man who hears the word and understands it [a process over one’s lifetime]; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty.
This verse deals with believers who consistently learn the Word and grow in grace. However, no one has the same amount of positive volition and determination. Paul who maxed out the spiritual life obviously will receive a hundredfold. Any believer who completes the spiritual life and takes Evidence Testing will be in this category. Those who reach spiritual maturity but fail to qualify for Evidence Testing may be those who receive sixtyfold. Finally, those who advance but fail to reach spiritual maturity may be those who will receive thirtyfold. The use of one’s volition will determine how far one advances in the spiritual life.
The Wheat and Tares: narrative verses 24-30; interpretation 36-43:
Matthew 13:24
Ἄλλην παραβολὴν παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων, Ὡµοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ σπείραντι καλὸν σπέρµα ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ αὐτοῦ
He presented another parable to them, saying, ‘The kingdom of Heaven [born again believers on the earth while Christ is absent] is compared to a man [the Lord Jesus Christ] who sowed good seed [believers during the Tribulation] in his field [the world].’
Since the king is in heaven, it is called the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 13:25-26
ἐν δὲ τῷ καθεύδειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἦλθεν αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἐπέσπειρεν ζιζάνια ἀνὰ µέσον τοῦ σίτου καὶ ἀπῆλθεν. (26) ὅτε δὲ ἐβλάστησεν ὁ χόρτος καὶ καρπὸν ἐποίησεν, τότε ἐφάνη καὶ τὰ ζιζάνια.
But while men slept [ignorant believers and so unbelievers were not challenged], his enemy [Satan] came and sowed tares [weed of the wheat field analogous to unbelievers in the Tribulation] among the wheat [believers in the Tribulation] and went his way. (26) But when the blade [of the wheat] had sprung up and had produced fruit [seeds], then the tares also appeared.
Matthew 13:27
προσελθόντες δὲ οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου εἶπον αὐτῷ, Κύριε, οὐχὶ καλὸν σπέρµα ἔσπειρας ἐν τῷ σῷ ἀγρῷ; πόθεν οὖν ἔχει ζιζάνια;
So, the servants [elect angels as the reapers: verse 39] of the householder [the Lord Jesus Christ] came and said to him, Lord [deity], did you not sow good seed in your field [originally, the 144,000 Jews]? Then, where have the tares [unbelievers many of whom are religious] come from?
The first crop of wheat the Lord sowed was the 144,000 Jewish converts.
Matthew 13:28-29
ὁ δὲ ἔφη αὐτοῖς, Ἐχθρὸς ἄνθρωπος τοῦτο ἐποίησεν. οἱ δὲ δοῦλοι λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Θέλεις οὖν ἀπελθόντες συλλέξωµεν αὐτά; (29) ὁ δέ φησιν, Οὔ, µήποτε συλλέγοντες τὰ ζιζάνια ἐκριζώσητε ἅµα αὐτοῖς τὸν σῖτον
He said to them, ‘An enemy [Satan] has done this’. The servants said to him, ‘Then, do you want us to go and gather them up’ [destroy the unbelievers]? (29) But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also root up the wheat with them’.
Until Jesus Christ returns, he expects believers to live side by side with unbelievers and even though there will be great persecution in the Tribulation, the Lord provides perfectly for these believers. Furthermore, believers need persecution in order to become strong. If you pull up the tares you might loosen the roots of the wheat and by so doing weaken them. Believers become strong when living along side of those who oppose them.
Matthew 13:30
ἄφετε συναυξάνεσθαι ἀµφότερα ἕως τοῦ θερισµοῦ· καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τοῦ θερισµοῦ ἐρῶ τοῖς θερισταῖς, Συλλέξατε πρῶτον τὰ ζιζάνια καὶ δήσατε αὐτὰ εἰς δέσµας πρὸς τὸ κατακαῦσαι αὐτά, τὸν δὲ σῖτον συναγάγετε εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην µου.
Let both grow together until the harvest [the time of judgment which will immediately follow the 2nd Advent]. And at the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers [the elect angels], ‘First, gather together the tares and bind them into bundles to burn them [at the Baptism of Fire, they will be removed from the earth and placed in the fire of Torments] but gather the wheat into my granary’ [Millennial reign of Christ].
Mustard Seed verses 31, 32:
Matthew 13:31
Ἄλλην παραβολὴν παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων, Ὁµοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν κόκκῳ σινάπεως, ὃν λαβὼν ἄνθρωπος ἔσπειρεν ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ αὐτοῦ·
He put out another parable to them, saying, ‘The kingdom of Heaven [believers on the earth; the king is in heaven] is like a grain of mustard seed [doctrine], which a man took and sowed [the teaching of Bible doctrine] in his field [in the world];’
The parable of the mustard seed is apostasy in the Church Age. Remember that the phrase ‘kingdom of heaven’ means that while the king is in heaven, his kingdom in on the earth. So, this phrase can refer to either the Church Age or the Tribulation. This parable naturally follows the parable of the wheat and the tares. Tares are a close imitation to wheat as religion tries to imitate Christianity. Satan imitates the truth through religion.
Matthew 13:32
ὃ µικρότερον µέν ἐστιν πάντων τῶν σπερµάτων, ὅταν δὲ αὐξηθῇ µεῖζον τῶν λαχάνων ἐστὶν καὶ γίνεται δένδρον, ὥστε ἐλθεῖν τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κατασκηνοῦν ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ.
Which indeed is the least of all seeds [a very small seed], but when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and becomes a tree [in size: very large plant], so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches [infiltration of false doctrine].
The mustard seed [or another seed which produces a tree] starts on the Day of Pentecost. On that day, Peter began by sowing the gospel in the world. On the Day of Pentecost, the Church began with 120 people, a small seed. Eventually, it covered the entire earth. The body of Christ then is a picture of a big tree with large branches. The birds are the emissaries of Satan. These birds come and infiltrate the Church with false doctrine. Today, we have a great tree with a lot of apostasy in it. The birds are any system of false teaching. The birds could be bishops, reverends or pastors who are identified with the Church as the birds are identified with the tree. Even though they are identified with the Church, they teach contrary to the Word of God.
Verses 33-35, the Parable of the Leaven.
Matthew 13:33
Ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς· Ὁµοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ζύµῃ, ἣν λαβοῦσα γυνὴ ἐνέκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία ἕως οὗ ἐζυµώθη ὅλον.
He spoke another parable to them: The kingdom of Heaven [regenerate believers on the earth] is like leaven [false doctrine in the Church and Tribulation], which a woman [ecumenical religion in the Tribulation] took and hid [the leaven analogous to evil] in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened [there will be apostasy in every organization].
Leaven is always used in a bad way (Exodus 12:8, 15, 19; 13:7; 34:25). In Mark 8:15, there is the leaven of Herod, worldliness; in Mark 16:6, the leaven of the Sadducees, rationalism. In Mark 8:15 and in Luke 12:1, there is the leaven of the Pharisees, religion. In Galatians 5:9, there is the leaven of the Galatians, legalism in salvation and in the spiritual life. In 1 Corinthians 5:6, 7, there is the leaven of the Corinthians, licentiousness.
The seeds of ecumenical religion are sown in the Church Age; its manifestation occurs in the Tribulation. Leaven, the mystery of iniquity put in the 1st measure: false doctrine sown in the Church Age. Leaven in the 2nd measure of meal, gentile unbelievers in the Tribulation; and leaven in the 3rd measure of meal is Jewish unbelievers in the Tribulation. Just as leaven takes over the meal so leaven, ecumenical religion will completely permeate every organization in the Tribulation (Revelation 17:1-15).
Matthew 13:34
Ταῦτα πάντα ἐλάλησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν παραβολαῖς τοῖς ὄχλοις, καὶ χωρὶς παραβολῆς οὐδὲν ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς·
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable,
After Christ was rejected in Matthew 1-12, he switched to parables.
Matthew 13:35
ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος, Ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόµα µου, ἐρεύξοµαι κεκρυµµένα ἀπὸ καταβολῆς [κόσµου]
in order that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world [Psalm 78:2]."
The writer was Asaph, the son of Berechiah. He was a Levite and David’s Choir director; he was also a prophet. This was fulfilled when the Lord gave the parables.
Jesus Christ explains the general trends which will exist on the earth while he is in heaven (Church Age and Tribulation).
Verses 36-43: interpretation of the ‘Wheat and the Tares’ of verses 24-30.
Matthew 13:36
Τότε ἀφεὶς τοὺς ὄχλους ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν. καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ µαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες, ∆ιασάφησον ἡµῖν τὴν παραβολὴν τῶν ζιζανίων τοῦ ἀγροῦ
Then sending the crowds away, Jesus went into the house. And His disciples came to Him [followed him into the house] saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” (The narrative found in verses 24-30)
Jesus separated from the multitude that he might privately explain the doctrinal content to His disciples. The crowds (the multitude) were unbelievers with the possibility of a few believers who have rejected the spiritual life. You don’t teach doctrine to the unbeliever except gospel information, and believers out of fellowship cannot understand doctrine as well. So, Jesus separated from them in order to explain this parable to His disciples.
His disciples should have understood for it was just a matter of matching the correct doctrine with the parable. However, at that time, they were not yet good students of the Word, and since doctrine is built upon doctrine, they were having a hard time.
Matthew 13:37-38
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν, Ὁ σπείρων τὸ καλὸν σπέρµα ἐστὶν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· (38) ὁ δὲ ἀγρός ἐστιν ὁ κόσµος· τὸ δὲ καλὸν σπέρµα, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς βασιλείας· τὰ δὲ ζιζάνιά εἰσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ πονηροῦ,
He answered and said to them, ‘He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man [a title for Lord Jesus Christ since His humanity is true humanity].’ (38) The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the eternal kingdom [the wheat analogous to believers]; but the tares [unbelievers] are the children of the wicked one [Satan].
The tares namely the unbelievers of the Tribulation will be under strong delusion from tremendous scar tissue of the soul. 2 Thessalonians 2:7, “For the mystery of iniquity is already at work [religion is already in the world, but ecumenical religion will reach a peak in the Tribulation]; only he [the Holy Spirit] who now restrains [will do so until] he is taken away [the restraining ministry removed after the Church is removed; in the Tribulation, there will be no restraints on functioning in the Cosmic System and so no restraints on scar tissue of the soul].
Matthew 13:39-43
ὁ δὲ ἐχθρὸς ὁ σπείρας αὐτά ἐστιν ὁ διάβολος· ὁ δὲ θερισµὸς συντέλεια αἰῶνός ἐστιν, οἱ δὲ θερισταὶ ἄγγελοί εἰσιν. (40) ὥσπερ οὖν συλλέγεται τὰ ζιζάνια καὶ πυρὶ καίεται, οὕτως ἔσται ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος· (41) ἀποστελεῖ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ, καὶ συλλέξουσιν ἐκ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ σκάνδαλα καὶ τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὴν ἀνοµίαν, (42) καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν κάµινον τοῦ πυρός· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθµὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγµὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. (43) Τότε οἱ δίκαιοι ἐκλάµψουσιν ὡς ὁ ἥλιος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν. ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκουέτω
The enemy who sowed them is the Devil; the harvest is the end of the Age [of the Jewish Age]; and the reapers are the angels. (40)Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire [the Baptism of Fire], so it shall be at the end of the Age [of the Jewish Age]. (41) The Son of Man shall send out His angels, and they shall gather [the tares] out of His kingdom [the unbelievers removed from the kingdom of believers on the earth] all the stumbling blocks [unbelievers], and those who practice lawlessness [refusal to believe in Jesus Christ: 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12], (42) and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth [just before they are removed, the Jewish unbelievers at the 2nd Advent will realize that they had rejected their Savior and Messiah]. (43) Then [after the Baptism of Fire], the righteous ones [the believers having imputed righteousness] shall shine forth like the sun [great prosperity] in the kingdom of their Father [the Millennial Kingdom]. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
It is the Father’s kingdom since he is the planner. However, he will turn it over to the son. If the believer has a pair of ears and a soul full of doctrine, he can understand these things.
Treasure narrative verses 44:
Matthew 13:44
Ὁµοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν θησαυρῷ κεκρυµµένῳ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, ὃν εὑρὼν ἄνθρωπος ἔκρυψεν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτοῦ ὑπάγει καὶ πωλεῖ πάντα ὅσα ἔχει καὶ ἀγοράζει τὸν ἀγρὸν ἐκεῖνον.
Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure [Jewish believers of the Tribulation] hidden in a field [the world], which when a man [Jesus Christ] has found it, he hides it [protects these Jewish believers, the two groups as per Matthew 24:14-27 and Zechariah 14:1-4], and for the joy of it goes and sells all that he has [becomes the mediator and savior], and buys [redeems] that field [the Millennial reign of Christ which these Jews enter].
Even though Israel is under the 5th cycle of discipline in the Tribulation, the Jewish believer is still a treasure. In all ages born again believers are God’s treasure that which is most important.
Pearl verses 45, 46:
Matthew 13:45
Πάλιν ὁµοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ ἐµπόρῳ ζητοῦντι καλοὺς µαργαρίτας·
Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant [Jesus Christ] seeking beautiful pearls [in the Church Age],
Jewish order is not always chronological. In the previous verse, the Lord views the Jewish believer as a treasure, not proceeding back to the Church Age chronologically, he considers Church Age believers as pearls.
Matthew 13:46
εὑρὼν δὲ ἕνα πολύτιµον µαργαρίτην ἀπελθὼν πέπρακεν πάντα ὅσα εἶχεν καὶ ἠγόρασεν αὐτόν
Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had [became the Mediator] and bought it [the work of redemption on the cross].
There are five characteristics of a pearl which apply to the Church Age:
1. The believer in union with Christ is of great value to God.
2. The pearl analogous to the believer of the Church Age is taken out of the sea of nation. There are Christians from every nation of the world.
3. Just as the pearl is formed through the suffering of the oyster so the believer is formed from the suffering of the cross.
4. Purchased by the work of Christ on the cross.
5. Just as the pearl is displayed so the Christians on the earth represent Christ.
Verses 47-50: evangelism in the Tribulation:
Matthew 13:47
Πάλιν ὁµοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν σαγήνῃ βληθείσῃ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ ἐκ παντὸς γένους συναγαγούσῃ·
Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet [evangelism in the Tribulation] cast into the sea [of nations], and gathered some of every kind of fish [people from all over the earth will be evangelized];
The earth will be evangelized four times:
1. by the 144,000 Jews: Revelation 7, 14
2. by their converts
3. by the two witnesses, Moses and Elijah
4. by the angels with the everlasting gospel
Matthew 13:48-50
ἣν ὅτε ἐπληρώθη ἀναβιβάσαντες ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν καὶ καθίσαντες συνέλεξαν τὰ καλὰ εἰς ἄγγη, τὰ δὲ σαπρὰ ἔξω ἔβαλον. (49) οὕτως ἔσται ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος· ἐξελεύσονται οἱ ἄγγελοι καὶ ἀφοριοῦσιν τοὺς πονηροὺς ἐκ µέσου τῶν δικαίων. (50) καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν κάµινον τοῦ πυρός· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθµὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγµὸς τῶν ὀδόντων
Which, when it was full [when the last person is saved in the Tribulation], they [the elect angels] drew to shore [at the 2nd Advent] and sat down and gathered the good [believers going into the Millennium] into vessels [enter the Millennium] but threw the bad [unbelievers] away [the Baptism of Fire]. (49) So, it shall be at the end of the age. The angels shall come out and separate the wicked [unbelievers who will reject the righteousness which comes only through the cross] from among the justified [because of imputed righteousness],(50) and shall cast them [the bad fish, the unbelievers] into the furnace of fire [identified with fire first in Torments and finally in the Lake of Fire]. There shall be wailing [from bad decisions and their consequences] and gnashing of teeth [great frustration].
It is too late to be a cry baby. They don’t want to pay the price for their bad decisions.
Matthew 13:51
Συνήκατε ταῦτα πάντα; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Ναί
Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things [all the parables]?” They said to Him, Yes Lord.
If we understand doctrine, we have the additional responsibility to apply it.
Verse 52, the Parable of the Household.
Matthew 13:52
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πᾶς γραµµατεὺς µαθητευθεὶς τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν ὅµοιός ἐστιν ἀνθρώπῳ οἰκοδεσπότῃ ὅστις ἐκβάλλει ἐκ τοῦ θησαυροῦ αὐτοῦ καινὰ καὶ παλαιά
Then, He said to them, Therefore, every scribe [a theological student] who is instructed regarding the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a house administrator who brings out of his treasure [doctrine in the soul] new and old things.
When a scribe finished his seminary education, he would go around the synagogues teaching something old, something new. Something old is what he learned in seminary; something new is what he learned through his own study. This treasure is to be given to others.
Conclusion verses 53-58:
Matthew 13:53
Καὶ ἐγένετο ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς παραβολὰς ταύτας, µετῆρεν ἐκεῖθεν
And it happened when Jesus finished these parables, He departed from there.
He left the disciples at this time because they are not able to learn any more. He is giving them a chance to digest the material.
Matthew 13:54
καὶ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν, ὥστε ἐκπλήσσεσθαι αὐτοὺς καὶ λέγειν, Πόθεν τούτῳ ἡ σοφία αὕτη καὶ αἱ δυνάµεις;
And when He had come into His own country [Nazareth], He taught them in their synagogue [instead of his disciples], so much so that they were astonished and said, ‘From where does this one acquire this wisdom, and do these mighty works?’
Even though they are utterly amazed, they miss the point because they are distracted by his ancestry and his home life. And since they are all a bunch of snobs, they cannot accept his message. They reject him on the basis of snobbery and class distinction. The synagogue crowd considered themselves on the top rung.
Matthew 13:55
οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ τέκτονος υἱός; οὐχ ἡ µήτηρ αὐτοῦ λέγεται Μαριὰµ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Σίµων καὶ Ἰούδας;
Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brothers, James, Joseph Jr., Simon and Judas,
In Galilee there was the poor people, the very poor and the king fish. Most were snobs. Interestingly, the people of Judah looked down on all the Galileans. Wherever there are people, there are class distinctions. In Capernaum, he was rejected because of their religion.
Matthew 13:56
καὶ αἱ ἀδελφαὶ αὐτοῦ οὐχὶ πᾶσαι πρὸς ἡµᾶς εἰσιν; πόθεν οὖν τούτῳ ταῦτα πάντα;
And his sisters, are they not all with us? Then from where does this one learns all these things?
Apparently, they didn’t think much of his sisters. They regarded themselves superior to him because of background. The synagogue crowd considered his family low down. Why we won’t even let his family in here. How dare he lectures us!
Matthew 13:57
καὶ ἐσκανδαλίζοντο ἐν αὐτῷ. ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Οὐκ ἔστιν προφήτης ἄτιµος εἰ µὴ ἐν τῇ πατρίδι καὶ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ
And they were offended by Him [because of his background]. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country [Nazareth] and in his own house [not even his brothers and sisters would believe at this time].”
Jesus Christ has been recognized as a prophet and the Son of David and should be honored. People in Capernaum, in Judea have accepted him as their savior, but in his own back yard he is rejected because of snobbery.
Matthew 13:58
καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἐκεῖ δυνάµεις πολλὰς διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτῶν
And He did not do many mighty works [miracles] there because of their unbelief.
